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Edith
She felt sick. It was her first thought as she came to.
The next thought she had - her hands instinctively drew up to her chest. She was in searing pain.
But she was here. She was alive.
The rickety movement of the wagon wasn't helping - she felt every bump and pebble along the road as her captors' horses trotted along the path to wherever they were taking her.
Where… are they taking me?
It was a redundant thought, as she didn't intend to stay and find out. The pain from her wounds were almost crippling and she felt like she could barely sit up, let alone get off the vehicle, but the alternative- she didn't want to imagine. She had no choice. She drew herself closer to the edge of the wagon and mentally prepared herself.
One…
Two…
Three…
With all the strength she could muster, she threw herself off, tumbling to the hard, packed dirt path face-first. She exhaled sharply, groaning as she allowed herself just a moment to lay there and try not to black out from the pain, but she gritted her teeth and put her hands out in front of her, pushing herself up. She was grievously injured. The men in the wagon were not.
"What the-" It took them a few seconds to figure out what was going on - no doubt they had not anticipated her waking up again in her condition - but their startled cries were her cue to start moving.
"Stop! Stop! Hey! Woah!" She could hear them trying to abruptly turn the horses around, but it was not easy; they were hitched to the wagon and each other, after all. Thankfully, the horses had taken them a good enough distance away in those few crucial moments, that she had enough time to draw herself up to her feet. Hobbling as fast as she could, she headed straight into the forest bordering the road, praying the cover of nightfall and the maze of trees would make her harder to follow if they pursued her.
"Never mind the bloody horse, on foot!"
Their voices trailed off as she disappeared among the trees, but it didn't take long for them to start heading after her - she could see their torches bobbing up and down in the distance when she looked back, but their scattered patterns of movement suggested they didn't see her; she was small, making it easy to hide behind trees, and her muted blue dress, even with the blood stains down the front, camouflaged her well in the night.
She made her way deeper and deeper into the forest and she didn't stop moving until she was confident she had lost them. The lights were no longer bobbing in the distance, either because they were so far away the thick fog had completely obscured any indication of them, or, as she hoped, they had given up and left the forest.
The momentary relief she felt as she was finally able to stop for a break was quickly replaced by anxiety and dread, as she looked around at the vast stretches of trees surrounding her.
Where was she?
Where was she going?
Her first instinct is "home", but...
Home?
She slumped to the ground and closed her eyes, picturing the small cottage she lived in with her family. A small family to match the small cottage, but they had everything they needed - they grew their own potatoes and barley outside, their chickens produced enough eggs for them.
And inside, the hearth burned to keep the three of them warm. An involuntary shudder rippled through her body. She wasn't fond of the flames, but did not mind them too much when they are contained like that; Edith could see herself working by the loom, as she often did, with little Eva singing softly next to her as she played with the cloth dolls she'd made. And then, preparing ingredients at the table, was their mother.
She shook her head, as if to shake the imagery out of it. The pain she felt from the scene in her mind made her open her eyes, and she was back in the dark forest again, alone.
That's right. She didn't have a home anymore. Not really.
She fought so hard to live, but for what? Nobody was waiting for her to come home.
She wished she never opened her eyes on the wagon in the first place. But as long as she was conscious, every time she closed her eyes, she couldn't help but think about that day.
That day.
"Thank you. She's- she's in here." Mother's voice came from the other side of the door. Curious. It was getting quite late, who could she possibly...?
The door swung open as she pondered this and her question was answered. Two strangers stood in the doorway of their home; a tall, broad man with a prominent scar on his cheek and a red-haired man, shorter but also fairly stocky. The shorter man looked right at her with a pair of cold, blue eyes that made her feel even colder. Her mother stood behind them. "Wait," she told them, brusquely pushing past the men. She marched right up to where the sisters were sitting, where Edith had been braiding Eva's hair. Without meeting her eyes, Mother reached out for her little sister. Edith felt Eva's fine, golden hair slide out from between her fingers as the little girl was abruptly pulled up. Eva shrieked, reaching out for her sister, but her protests fell on deaf ears.
Mother?
"Restrain her, quickly." The shorter man's voice was deep. He only said three words, but it was enough to make the hairs on the back of Edith's neck stand up. What is the meaning of this?
"Mother, what's going on-?" she tried to ask, but she was harshly shoved to the ground before she could get the words out. She was panicking now, as the taller man obeyed his apparent superior's orders and successfully bound her, and what came out of her instead reflected her panic as she could only scream.
"Ma? Mama!" She cried out. Her eyes frantically searched her surroundings, looking for an answer, looking to see something other than the two men dragging her out. She caught a glimpse of her family as they tossed her on the wagon, but she couldn't even see Mother's face anymore; she had her back to her as she held Eva. The silence was punctuated only by the little girl's sobs. Eva...
And then everything went dark.
Why? She curled up tighter on the cold ground now, squeezing her eyes shut. Pine needles were sticking to her legs and it smelled like earthy resin and damp moss, but she didn't care. Maybe coyotes would find her and eat her or something, and then she could stop thinking. Maybe...
As if on cue, a strange creature's howl pierced her thoughts, and her eyes flew open again, but this time, it was out of fear and not pain, which surprised her. It seemed her survival instincts wouldn't let her give up that easily, even if she logically had no idea where to go and did not wish to go on.
It was an overwhelming thought. Giving up would be so easy... But apparently not, since she couldn't do it. Instead, every noise in the forest made her twitch, every light in the distance reminded her of those men's torches, and she constantly felt the paranoia of being watched by someone or something.
So, what now? If she can't let go yet, then she had to get up and keep moving, even though all the eyes kept haunting her - not just the ones she thought she kept seeing in the woods, but the ones that wouldn't leave her mind.
The frightening, steel-blue eyes of the red-haired man.
Her mother's guilty eyes that wouldn't quite meet her gaze.
The curious, wide eyes of her baby sister, catching only glimpses of the scene as she squirmed in their mother's arms.
She was only six; half of Edith's age, but her eyes said so much. And... through her eyes, Edith had seen nothing but love and admiration. The way her eyes sparkled with joy when Edith showed her the braids she'd put in her hair. Her laughing eyes, full of wonder and glee when Edith presented her with the cloth dolls she made for her and put on little plays for her with them.
The memory of Eva's eyes were not tainted by anything else. And Edith realized she did have a reason to go back. It was so obvious.
She let the memory of those innocent eyes strengthen her resolve to keep going. There was one person in the world who loved her, unconditionally, and she would make her way back to her no matter what. Even if it meant taking her from Mother.
They could have a good life together. She could raise and protect her sister better than Mother ever will. Mother failed her, after all. Eva would never be safe with her.
And then, for the first time in days, Edith smiled. She didn't feel so lost anymore. She had a clearer purpose now.
I am coming home, Eva.
Even if they didn't stay in their cottage, or even their village, wherever they end up going - 'home', she decided, was wherever Eva would be.
But for now, she still had to actually find her way back to get to her, and that was quite a daunting endeavor. Creatures more sinister than her captors lurked these parts of the woods.
Despite that, she found the cover of night oddly comforting. The quiet serenity in the moment almost made her forget her situation. She looked up at the black sky, wondering if her little sister was looking up at the same stars right now, or if she was fast asleep. How long had she been gone for? Does she wonder what happened to Edith? What did their mother tell her?
Her ruminations were cut short as a distant snapping of twigs alerted her to the presence of something, or someone. She wasn't sure at this point which she feared more, but she whirled around, and saw nothing in her immediate surroundings. Backing up against a tree, she felt her way along the forest towards... she wasn't sure what, but it was in the direction she had determined, or at least hoped, was away from where she'd heard the noise coming from.
She came upon a rather sizeable tree and crammed herself into its hollow in an attempt to lose whatever was on her trail, but as the noises came closer, she wondered if this was a mistake; she'd backed herself into quite a tight space with only one very narrow exit. But it was too late now. She stayed as still as she could and waited.
The movements and footsteps definitely sounded like people, not an animal. The gravelly mutterings that followed confirmed this as well.
"C'mon... You can't hide from me, these are my lands you're on."
Through the fog, a light approached her hollow - an old, oil-fueled lantern - and it illuminated its wielder as he closed in on her hiding place. It was a man, but certainly not one of the men she had spent the last few days traveling with. Wall-eyed, balding and extremely lanky, the man probably would have stood close to six feet tall, if he could stand up straight. He shuffled under his thick cloak, but through the glow of the lantern between them, Edith could see apprehension melt from his eyes. He looked relieved to see her, probably because he was expecting worse than a scrawny girl of twelve years.
She couldn't return the sentiment, though, as the man did not exactly have a comforting presence.
"I'm- I'm sorry, sir. I didn't know this was... I will leave, I don't want any trouble..." Her voice trailed off as the man's eyes burned into her, studying her. Moments passed as they stood in silence and it felt like an eternity to her, but given their positions, he controlled the pacing of the exchange entirely. Finally, he spoke again.
"Leave? 'Fraid not." Edith bristled, unsure of what to do or say next.
"E-excuse me?" She managed to breathe out, and she instinctively put her hands up to shield her eyes as the man held out his lantern closer, shining the light right in her face. Or, more accurately, at the stains on her dress.
"That your blood?"
It was a simple question with a simple answer, but a million thoughts raced through her mind as she imagined the worst. If he meant to do her harm, admitting she had been injured wouldn't be wise.
"N-no." It wasn't entirely false, but...
He leaned back, peering at her again. "Hm. You're a poor liar, girl." He said quite plainly, before lowering his lantern and stepping to the side of the tree, giving her enough space to exit. "Come with me."
She knew she didn't really have another choice, but the shift in the nature of the interaction - or at least, where she thought the interaction was going - was so sudden, she was not sure how to react.
He sighed impatiently, no doubt sensing her apprehension. "Look at me. If I wanted to knock you out, or- or whatever you think I mean to do, I'd have done it already. Just- my home is right over there. Come, if you want. Or don't, if you want to die out here, I don't care. Just don't die so close to my home - you'll attract the coyotes and wolves, and- and all the other scavenging, good-for-nothing carrion feeders that live 'round these parts."
Edith bit her lip as she considered her limited options. The last few days left her quite distrustful of men, to say the least, but there was something about him, despite the gruff exterior that seemed different from those that did want to hurt her. And what choice did she really have right now?
She quietly accepted his offer and hand as he reached out to pull her out from the hollow. "By god, how long have you been out here? You are freezing. Come, let's get you warmed up by the hearth."
The wattle and daub hut was surrounded by a small pen of sheep - miraculous he was able to keep any amount alive out here, but he seemed quite reliant on them for a fair few resources, so he must be pretty protective of them.
Once inside, he tossed her a thick wool blanket. "I only got the one cot and I am not a gentleman, so - tough luck for you - it's gonna be for me. You're young and spry, make yourself comfortable on the floor.
"There's mutton- uh, stew? Here, in the pot if you want some supper." He continued, and she wrinkled her nose as she lifted the lid. It looked revolting, but she was starving. She didn't know how much of it she could stomach, but she served herself up a small bowl anyway, just to give herself something to do.
"Where are you from, girl?"
She shrugged, keeping her eyes on the stew as she chewed the tough meat slowly. She could barely taste it - the sludge was so bland and earthy it might as well have been mud. But it was a good distraction, and gave her somewhere to look besides the man when he spoke to her.
He persisted with his questions, though. "Where are you going?"
"...Home," She replied simply.
The man scoffed, clearly displeased by her answers. "Well. You wouldn't happen to be fleeing from a pair of gentleman on horses, would you? Seemed to be looking for a girl that sounded a lot like you when they came by..."
She almost dropped her bowl on the ground at that. That finally got her attention. "I don't- how-" she stammered out, leaping to her feet and looking around, as if the two men were ready to ambush her somewhere in this tiny hut.
"Relax, that was quite a bit before I found you. They gotta be long gone now. Drew me this little map, though. 'Glen-home'? Is that where you're from?"
"'Glenholm'..." She muttered, slightly bitterly. "Why do you ask if you already know?"
The man shrugged. "Wanted to know what your deal was, and to hear it from you. So, what did you do? Steal an apple from a farmer's cart?"
Edith dropped her gaze back down to the stew, avoiding the question. To her surprise, the man laughed. "Look, if I cared for the laws of the lords and the gods and all that, I wouldn't be livin' out here, alright? I don't care what you did. You can have that map if you want, too, imagine you might have a hard time finding your Glen Home without it."
"Yeah. Maybe." She thought about her village and she thought about her home again. She knew Eva would want to see her, but...
This man also seemed like an outcast, and she found some solidarity in that. For the first time since she met him, she asked him a question of her own. "What do you do- when you feel unwanted? Where do you go?"
He gave her a funny look, then gestured around him. "I do feel unwanted. And this has been my solution for... I dunno how long it's been. A long, long time. It's great. For me, at least. But a pretty little girl like you, though, wouldn't last outside the nice village walls a day, so, dunno if this is the answer for you."
"I'm here, aren't I?" She retorted indignantly.
"Hmph! Barely. Probably woulda died right out there tonight if I ain't brought you in. If the wolves didn't get ya, then maybe the cold would've."
He looked surprised when she smiled at that. She kind of enjoyed his bluntness, she decided. "I don't know. Maybe you made the right call. With food and shelter, it's... really not so bad out here."
He seemed pleased to hear that. "Yup. Yeah, called this place home longer than you've been alive, I reckon. The woods have been better to me than any village ever had."
Edith nodded, pushing her stew around. Something worth considering. Would Eva like it out here? She pondered. "I do... have to go back for something, either way."
"Aye, do what you gotta do. But for now, finish your stew and go to sleep. If you need anything else, let me know."
"Okay. Thank you." She smiled again as she watched the old man climb into his cot. Outward appearances aside, he turned out to have quite a strange sort of kindness to him.
What she had to do now was really such a shame.
She laid awake under the wool blanket, listening to the breaths the man took. Eventually, they slowed and evened out, indicating he had fallen asleep. She stayed still as stone, but she knew there was no point in delaying the inevitable. Silently, she pushed the blanket off her, and as quietly as she could, she crept up to his cot and stood over him. He looked so peaceful with his eyes closed like that, and a lot less intimidating too.
I am so sorry.
And then she leaned over to sink her fangs into his neck.
She closed her eyes as she fed so she couldn't see him, trying to ignore the terrified and pained gasps. He was a skinny man, though still quite a lot bigger than Edith, but she latched on tightly so he couldn't throw her off. And as he grew weaker, she grew stronger.
It was horrible every time. She wondered if she would ever get used to it.
But what choice did she have?
I have... to live... for Eva...
She may truly believe it one day, that her sister needed her, that it wasn't right for Mother to have given her to the hunters. That her existence was... good.
Because she had no choice.
To think otherwise meant everyone was right about her, that she shouldn't exist. That she was the danger.
And she wasn't ready to face that. Not yet.
Slowly, but surely, the gurgling and gasping stopped. Without the noise to distract her, she let her instincts take over completely. She hadn't fed in days; the hunters made sure of that.
She was shaking as she felt his life leave his body, but she felt a lot better now. Physically, at least.
Without looking at his face, she quickly pulled up his blanket so his lifeless body remained covered. "I-I'm sorry. Thank you." She whispered before turning away.
Pulling off her blood-soaked dress, she raided the rest of the man's home for something clean she could wear. "Clean" was relative here, but his plain linen shirts would definitely draw less attention in town than her own stained clothes. As she pulled one over her head, her fingers traced the scar on her chest, where the stake hadn't quite hit her heart. Two days. Two days ago, they tried to kill her and the wound had already completely scarred over. It was an ugly wound, but it did not matter.
She was here.
And she was... alive, in a manner of speaking.
The man's shirt was long enough to be a dress on her, but it was very thin. On the wooden chair he'd sat in for supper, the cloak he'd been wearing outside was draped across the back. She grabbed that as well and threw it on. It was a nice thick cloak and much too large on her, but it would shield her nicely from the sun when day breaks.
Now that she had fed and regained her energy, it was time to find her way back. Eva was still young. Maybe she could teach her to not fear her before she understood what Edith was.
She grabbed the map they drew for the man off the table. She felt much stronger after feeding, and feared nothing in the forest now, least of all those hunters.
Her fingers traced the route they sketched out on the map. Maybe she will try to catch up to them first. If they thought she was a monster, maybe she will show them what she is capable of at her strongest.
They couldn't have gone far.
The next thought she had - her hands instinctively drew up to her chest. She was in searing pain.
But she was here. She was alive.
The rickety movement of the wagon wasn't helping - she felt every bump and pebble along the road as her captors' horses trotted along the path to wherever they were taking her.
Where… are they taking me?
It was a redundant thought, as she didn't intend to stay and find out. The pain from her wounds were almost crippling and she felt like she could barely sit up, let alone get off the vehicle, but the alternative- she didn't want to imagine. She had no choice. She drew herself closer to the edge of the wagon and mentally prepared herself.
One…
Two…
Three…
With all the strength she could muster, she threw herself off, tumbling to the hard, packed dirt path face-first. She exhaled sharply, groaning as she allowed herself just a moment to lay there and try not to black out from the pain, but she gritted her teeth and put her hands out in front of her, pushing herself up. She was grievously injured. The men in the wagon were not.
"What the-" It took them a few seconds to figure out what was going on - no doubt they had not anticipated her waking up again in her condition - but their startled cries were her cue to start moving.
"Stop! Stop! Hey! Woah!" She could hear them trying to abruptly turn the horses around, but it was not easy; they were hitched to the wagon and each other, after all. Thankfully, the horses had taken them a good enough distance away in those few crucial moments, that she had enough time to draw herself up to her feet. Hobbling as fast as she could, she headed straight into the forest bordering the road, praying the cover of nightfall and the maze of trees would make her harder to follow if they pursued her.
"Never mind the bloody horse, on foot!"
Their voices trailed off as she disappeared among the trees, but it didn't take long for them to start heading after her - she could see their torches bobbing up and down in the distance when she looked back, but their scattered patterns of movement suggested they didn't see her; she was small, making it easy to hide behind trees, and her muted blue dress, even with the blood stains down the front, camouflaged her well in the night.
She made her way deeper and deeper into the forest and she didn't stop moving until she was confident she had lost them. The lights were no longer bobbing in the distance, either because they were so far away the thick fog had completely obscured any indication of them, or, as she hoped, they had given up and left the forest.
The momentary relief she felt as she was finally able to stop for a break was quickly replaced by anxiety and dread, as she looked around at the vast stretches of trees surrounding her.
Where was she?
Where was she going?
Her first instinct is "home", but...
Home?
She slumped to the ground and closed her eyes, picturing the small cottage she lived in with her family. A small family to match the small cottage, but they had everything they needed - they grew their own potatoes and barley outside, their chickens produced enough eggs for them.
And inside, the hearth burned to keep the three of them warm. An involuntary shudder rippled through her body. She wasn't fond of the flames, but did not mind them too much when they are contained like that; Edith could see herself working by the loom, as she often did, with little Eva singing softly next to her as she played with the cloth dolls she'd made. And then, preparing ingredients at the table, was their mother.
She shook her head, as if to shake the imagery out of it. The pain she felt from the scene in her mind made her open her eyes, and she was back in the dark forest again, alone.
That's right. She didn't have a home anymore. Not really.
She fought so hard to live, but for what? Nobody was waiting for her to come home.
She wished she never opened her eyes on the wagon in the first place. But as long as she was conscious, every time she closed her eyes, she couldn't help but think about that day.
That day.
"Thank you. She's- she's in here." Mother's voice came from the other side of the door. Curious. It was getting quite late, who could she possibly...?
The door swung open as she pondered this and her question was answered. Two strangers stood in the doorway of their home; a tall, broad man with a prominent scar on his cheek and a red-haired man, shorter but also fairly stocky. The shorter man looked right at her with a pair of cold, blue eyes that made her feel even colder. Her mother stood behind them. "Wait," she told them, brusquely pushing past the men. She marched right up to where the sisters were sitting, where Edith had been braiding Eva's hair. Without meeting her eyes, Mother reached out for her little sister. Edith felt Eva's fine, golden hair slide out from between her fingers as the little girl was abruptly pulled up. Eva shrieked, reaching out for her sister, but her protests fell on deaf ears.
Mother?
"Restrain her, quickly." The shorter man's voice was deep. He only said three words, but it was enough to make the hairs on the back of Edith's neck stand up. What is the meaning of this?
"Mother, what's going on-?" she tried to ask, but she was harshly shoved to the ground before she could get the words out. She was panicking now, as the taller man obeyed his apparent superior's orders and successfully bound her, and what came out of her instead reflected her panic as she could only scream.
"Ma? Mama!" She cried out. Her eyes frantically searched her surroundings, looking for an answer, looking to see something other than the two men dragging her out. She caught a glimpse of her family as they tossed her on the wagon, but she couldn't even see Mother's face anymore; she had her back to her as she held Eva. The silence was punctuated only by the little girl's sobs. Eva...
And then everything went dark.
Why? She curled up tighter on the cold ground now, squeezing her eyes shut. Pine needles were sticking to her legs and it smelled like earthy resin and damp moss, but she didn't care. Maybe coyotes would find her and eat her or something, and then she could stop thinking. Maybe...
As if on cue, a strange creature's howl pierced her thoughts, and her eyes flew open again, but this time, it was out of fear and not pain, which surprised her. It seemed her survival instincts wouldn't let her give up that easily, even if she logically had no idea where to go and did not wish to go on.
It was an overwhelming thought. Giving up would be so easy... But apparently not, since she couldn't do it. Instead, every noise in the forest made her twitch, every light in the distance reminded her of those men's torches, and she constantly felt the paranoia of being watched by someone or something.
So, what now? If she can't let go yet, then she had to get up and keep moving, even though all the eyes kept haunting her - not just the ones she thought she kept seeing in the woods, but the ones that wouldn't leave her mind.
The frightening, steel-blue eyes of the red-haired man.
Her mother's guilty eyes that wouldn't quite meet her gaze.
The curious, wide eyes of her baby sister, catching only glimpses of the scene as she squirmed in their mother's arms.
She was only six; half of Edith's age, but her eyes said so much. And... through her eyes, Edith had seen nothing but love and admiration. The way her eyes sparkled with joy when Edith showed her the braids she'd put in her hair. Her laughing eyes, full of wonder and glee when Edith presented her with the cloth dolls she made for her and put on little plays for her with them.
The memory of Eva's eyes were not tainted by anything else. And Edith realized she did have a reason to go back. It was so obvious.
She let the memory of those innocent eyes strengthen her resolve to keep going. There was one person in the world who loved her, unconditionally, and she would make her way back to her no matter what. Even if it meant taking her from Mother.
They could have a good life together. She could raise and protect her sister better than Mother ever will. Mother failed her, after all. Eva would never be safe with her.
And then, for the first time in days, Edith smiled. She didn't feel so lost anymore. She had a clearer purpose now.
I am coming home, Eva.
Even if they didn't stay in their cottage, or even their village, wherever they end up going - 'home', she decided, was wherever Eva would be.
But for now, she still had to actually find her way back to get to her, and that was quite a daunting endeavor. Creatures more sinister than her captors lurked these parts of the woods.
Despite that, she found the cover of night oddly comforting. The quiet serenity in the moment almost made her forget her situation. She looked up at the black sky, wondering if her little sister was looking up at the same stars right now, or if she was fast asleep. How long had she been gone for? Does she wonder what happened to Edith? What did their mother tell her?
Her ruminations were cut short as a distant snapping of twigs alerted her to the presence of something, or someone. She wasn't sure at this point which she feared more, but she whirled around, and saw nothing in her immediate surroundings. Backing up against a tree, she felt her way along the forest towards... she wasn't sure what, but it was in the direction she had determined, or at least hoped, was away from where she'd heard the noise coming from.
She came upon a rather sizeable tree and crammed herself into its hollow in an attempt to lose whatever was on her trail, but as the noises came closer, she wondered if this was a mistake; she'd backed herself into quite a tight space with only one very narrow exit. But it was too late now. She stayed as still as she could and waited.
The movements and footsteps definitely sounded like people, not an animal. The gravelly mutterings that followed confirmed this as well.
"C'mon... You can't hide from me, these are my lands you're on."
Through the fog, a light approached her hollow - an old, oil-fueled lantern - and it illuminated its wielder as he closed in on her hiding place. It was a man, but certainly not one of the men she had spent the last few days traveling with. Wall-eyed, balding and extremely lanky, the man probably would have stood close to six feet tall, if he could stand up straight. He shuffled under his thick cloak, but through the glow of the lantern between them, Edith could see apprehension melt from his eyes. He looked relieved to see her, probably because he was expecting worse than a scrawny girl of twelve years.
She couldn't return the sentiment, though, as the man did not exactly have a comforting presence.
"I'm- I'm sorry, sir. I didn't know this was... I will leave, I don't want any trouble..." Her voice trailed off as the man's eyes burned into her, studying her. Moments passed as they stood in silence and it felt like an eternity to her, but given their positions, he controlled the pacing of the exchange entirely. Finally, he spoke again.
"Leave? 'Fraid not." Edith bristled, unsure of what to do or say next.
"E-excuse me?" She managed to breathe out, and she instinctively put her hands up to shield her eyes as the man held out his lantern closer, shining the light right in her face. Or, more accurately, at the stains on her dress.
"That your blood?"
It was a simple question with a simple answer, but a million thoughts raced through her mind as she imagined the worst. If he meant to do her harm, admitting she had been injured wouldn't be wise.
"N-no." It wasn't entirely false, but...
He leaned back, peering at her again. "Hm. You're a poor liar, girl." He said quite plainly, before lowering his lantern and stepping to the side of the tree, giving her enough space to exit. "Come with me."
She knew she didn't really have another choice, but the shift in the nature of the interaction - or at least, where she thought the interaction was going - was so sudden, she was not sure how to react.
He sighed impatiently, no doubt sensing her apprehension. "Look at me. If I wanted to knock you out, or- or whatever you think I mean to do, I'd have done it already. Just- my home is right over there. Come, if you want. Or don't, if you want to die out here, I don't care. Just don't die so close to my home - you'll attract the coyotes and wolves, and- and all the other scavenging, good-for-nothing carrion feeders that live 'round these parts."
Edith bit her lip as she considered her limited options. The last few days left her quite distrustful of men, to say the least, but there was something about him, despite the gruff exterior that seemed different from those that did want to hurt her. And what choice did she really have right now?
She quietly accepted his offer and hand as he reached out to pull her out from the hollow. "By god, how long have you been out here? You are freezing. Come, let's get you warmed up by the hearth."
⋆ ✰ ⋆
The wattle and daub hut was surrounded by a small pen of sheep - miraculous he was able to keep any amount alive out here, but he seemed quite reliant on them for a fair few resources, so he must be pretty protective of them.
Once inside, he tossed her a thick wool blanket. "I only got the one cot and I am not a gentleman, so - tough luck for you - it's gonna be for me. You're young and spry, make yourself comfortable on the floor.
"There's mutton- uh, stew? Here, in the pot if you want some supper." He continued, and she wrinkled her nose as she lifted the lid. It looked revolting, but she was starving. She didn't know how much of it she could stomach, but she served herself up a small bowl anyway, just to give herself something to do.
"Where are you from, girl?"
She shrugged, keeping her eyes on the stew as she chewed the tough meat slowly. She could barely taste it - the sludge was so bland and earthy it might as well have been mud. But it was a good distraction, and gave her somewhere to look besides the man when he spoke to her.
He persisted with his questions, though. "Where are you going?"
"...Home," She replied simply.
The man scoffed, clearly displeased by her answers. "Well. You wouldn't happen to be fleeing from a pair of gentleman on horses, would you? Seemed to be looking for a girl that sounded a lot like you when they came by..."
She almost dropped her bowl on the ground at that. That finally got her attention. "I don't- how-" she stammered out, leaping to her feet and looking around, as if the two men were ready to ambush her somewhere in this tiny hut.
"Relax, that was quite a bit before I found you. They gotta be long gone now. Drew me this little map, though. 'Glen-home'? Is that where you're from?"
"'Glenholm'..." She muttered, slightly bitterly. "Why do you ask if you already know?"
The man shrugged. "Wanted to know what your deal was, and to hear it from you. So, what did you do? Steal an apple from a farmer's cart?"
Edith dropped her gaze back down to the stew, avoiding the question. To her surprise, the man laughed. "Look, if I cared for the laws of the lords and the gods and all that, I wouldn't be livin' out here, alright? I don't care what you did. You can have that map if you want, too, imagine you might have a hard time finding your Glen Home without it."
"Yeah. Maybe." She thought about her village and she thought about her home again. She knew Eva would want to see her, but...
This man also seemed like an outcast, and she found some solidarity in that. For the first time since she met him, she asked him a question of her own. "What do you do- when you feel unwanted? Where do you go?"
He gave her a funny look, then gestured around him. "I do feel unwanted. And this has been my solution for... I dunno how long it's been. A long, long time. It's great. For me, at least. But a pretty little girl like you, though, wouldn't last outside the nice village walls a day, so, dunno if this is the answer for you."
"I'm here, aren't I?" She retorted indignantly.
"Hmph! Barely. Probably woulda died right out there tonight if I ain't brought you in. If the wolves didn't get ya, then maybe the cold would've."
He looked surprised when she smiled at that. She kind of enjoyed his bluntness, she decided. "I don't know. Maybe you made the right call. With food and shelter, it's... really not so bad out here."
He seemed pleased to hear that. "Yup. Yeah, called this place home longer than you've been alive, I reckon. The woods have been better to me than any village ever had."
Edith nodded, pushing her stew around. Something worth considering. Would Eva like it out here? She pondered. "I do... have to go back for something, either way."
"Aye, do what you gotta do. But for now, finish your stew and go to sleep. If you need anything else, let me know."
"Okay. Thank you." She smiled again as she watched the old man climb into his cot. Outward appearances aside, he turned out to have quite a strange sort of kindness to him.
What she had to do now was really such a shame.
She laid awake under the wool blanket, listening to the breaths the man took. Eventually, they slowed and evened out, indicating he had fallen asleep. She stayed still as stone, but she knew there was no point in delaying the inevitable. Silently, she pushed the blanket off her, and as quietly as she could, she crept up to his cot and stood over him. He looked so peaceful with his eyes closed like that, and a lot less intimidating too.
I am so sorry.
And then she leaned over to sink her fangs into his neck.
She closed her eyes as she fed so she couldn't see him, trying to ignore the terrified and pained gasps. He was a skinny man, though still quite a lot bigger than Edith, but she latched on tightly so he couldn't throw her off. And as he grew weaker, she grew stronger.
It was horrible every time. She wondered if she would ever get used to it.
But what choice did she have?
I have... to live... for Eva...
She may truly believe it one day, that her sister needed her, that it wasn't right for Mother to have given her to the hunters. That her existence was... good.
Because she had no choice.
To think otherwise meant everyone was right about her, that she shouldn't exist. That she was the danger.
And she wasn't ready to face that. Not yet.
Slowly, but surely, the gurgling and gasping stopped. Without the noise to distract her, she let her instincts take over completely. She hadn't fed in days; the hunters made sure of that.
She was shaking as she felt his life leave his body, but she felt a lot better now. Physically, at least.
Without looking at his face, she quickly pulled up his blanket so his lifeless body remained covered. "I-I'm sorry. Thank you." She whispered before turning away.
Pulling off her blood-soaked dress, she raided the rest of the man's home for something clean she could wear. "Clean" was relative here, but his plain linen shirts would definitely draw less attention in town than her own stained clothes. As she pulled one over her head, her fingers traced the scar on her chest, where the stake hadn't quite hit her heart. Two days. Two days ago, they tried to kill her and the wound had already completely scarred over. It was an ugly wound, but it did not matter.
She was here.
And she was... alive, in a manner of speaking.
The man's shirt was long enough to be a dress on her, but it was very thin. On the wooden chair he'd sat in for supper, the cloak he'd been wearing outside was draped across the back. She grabbed that as well and threw it on. It was a nice thick cloak and much too large on her, but it would shield her nicely from the sun when day breaks.
Now that she had fed and regained her energy, it was time to find her way back. Eva was still young. Maybe she could teach her to not fear her before she understood what Edith was.
She grabbed the map they drew for the man off the table. She felt much stronger after feeding, and feared nothing in the forest now, least of all those hunters.
Her fingers traced the route they sketched out on the map. Maybe she will try to catch up to them first. If they thought she was a monster, maybe she will show them what she is capable of at her strongest.
They couldn't have gone far.
Notes & Judges' Comments
Second place entry in Get Together 2023's Small Writing Competition - this was really fun to write! Something a little different, since I have never written a twist like this before and I am very glad none of the judges saw it coming, and that it didn't seem too out of left field as I was a bit worried about that, trying to balance not making it too obvious but also not completely nonsensical.
I was rushed (as always) so grammatical errors continue to plague me and midway through the writing I decided I wanted to switch it from present tense to past tense so I rewrote the whole thing, and I do see now I missed a few tense switches so I think that's where I lost the most points, but overall I am happy with how this turned out.
I was rushed (as always) so grammatical errors continue to plague me and midway through the writing I decided I wanted to switch it from present tense to past tense so I rewrote the whole thing, and I do see now I missed a few tense switches so I think that's where I lost the most points, but overall I am happy with how this turned out.
Bay said:So I was already enjoying the setup you have here of Edith determined to save her sister. When Edith met up with that man I thought oh this nice old man will help her. And BOY am I wrong haha. Now I can see why her mother wants to get her. Quite like the twist there.
bobandbill said:That twist wasn't quite what I expected, but I rather enjoyed that on review it was nicely hinted towards earler - very nicely done. The prompt was well addressed as well, although a couple other stories I think did fit it a touch better. Only a few small errors that I picked up as well - otherwise the description and tale itself was very enjoyable.
gimmepie said:Well, I have to admit, you definitely ended up taking this a different way than I was expecting. I'm normally pretty good about figuring out twists in advance but this caught me by surprise and made a lot of things make a lot more sense or otherwise take on a new tone and meaning in retrospect. It was interesting to see how the relevance to the prompt evolved as the story went on, much as our understanding of Edith did. While she had indeed lost her family, it certainly wasn't in any of the ways it initially appeared - not that I had any concrete ideas for that. On top of that though, Edith had also lost her humanity. Her old life was truly gone forever in every sense of the world. I think you did a great job with the execution of the story, the setting of each scene and the characterisation of both Edith and the hermit. That being said, your grammar wasn't quite to your usual standard.
Other Entries
Here are some of the other entries from this year! I'll keep updating as they are posted.To Be the Light by Aquacorde [First place!]
Lost and Found by Groc [Third place!]
The Enchanted Maze by Celèste
Owed Return by Venia Silente
Journey to the Center of Poopoo Island by 5qwerty
Previous
And here are my other entries from the past SWCs I've participated in:Twelve Years - 2021 - first place - prompt: contentment
The Words He Never Said - 2022 - first place - prompt: past, present and future
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