Dark Woods

Running through the woods, heavily breathing, she ran behind a tree. The creature swiped it’s nine-inch claws through the tree, the tree fell down in front of her. She ducked down and screamed it snarled at her. She gasped as she shuffled to her feet to run away, she ran further into the woods as the creature continued to chase her. The creature swiftly swiped it’s claws at her as she fell to the ground under a tree. The creature growled into the sky when she lifted her head up, a bright rip appeared in the air to the right of her and the creature. Two women and a man jumped out of the fracture; a honey toned woman with long wavy hair swiped a staff at the creature, a warm beige man stood next to them whispering into a floating holographic orb he was holding. An almond-colored woman with big curly hair walked up to the girl who was still lying under the tree and cowered next to her holding her hand out.

“Come on, we have to move fast” she said

She grabbed her hand, lifted her to her feet and guided her to the portal to walk through.

“COME ON! WE HAVE TO GO! NOW!!” she yelled at them

They both looked back at her and nodded, the woman gave the creature a blow to the stomach it flew back into a tree. The man closed the orb, they ran for the portal as soon as they made it through, she closed it. They stood inside of an empty bar; the girl looked around the room, there was a stage, an area for bathrooms, an island, bar stools, and tables. The three of them looked at her as she watched the room, she groaned in pain.

“We have to check to make sure you aren’t injured. Is that okay?” the almond woman said, she nodded, the honey toned woman with long wavy hair walked over to her and assessed her body.

“You have a scar on your back, it’s not too deep a salve will heal it if you are okay with that. You seem to be lucky” she said

The girl nodded; the woman walked over behind the bar, she grabbed a mortar and pestle went into the kitchen, a few moments later she came back with a thick substance inside the bowl and pieces of cloth hanging off her forearm. She went behind her and started patting the mixture on her scar, when she was done, she placed the cloth across the scar and pulled her shirt back down. She watched the other woman and man whispering to each other in the distance, she sniffled back and shifted her body in the chair.

“Thank You for helping me. I need to get back home I’m-” she started

“We know who you are, Hanika, we sensed you in the woods. I’m Liora, this is Zaiden and the woman who cleaned you up is Gowri” Liora said

“Okay that’s strange, what do you mean ‘we’ sensed you in the woods?” Hanika said

“Exactly what I meant, why were you in the woods?” Liora questioned

“I needed to get some air; I didn’t realize how far I got, or how I ended up there, what was that thing?” Hanika asked

“No one knows, people believe it's been in those woods for centuries, some people protect it” Zaiden said

“That big red eyed black horned beast has been in the woods for a century?” Hanika asked

They nodded, a noise came from outside, Liora shushed them, they grabbed Hanika and ran to the back near the bathrooms. They heard someone breaking into the bar, Zaiden peaked around the corner and whipped back as they heard the intruder rummaging through the bar. Liora opened a portal out of eye shot in a corner and then she opened another portal in that portal and motioned for them to go through. Liora was the last to go through the portal she closed them both, they landed at a park.

“What were they doing there?” Gowri asked

“They were probably looking for her” Liora said

“I don’t know them, what would they want with me? & Why did you open two of those light things?” Hanika retorted

“They most likely sensed out of the woods” Zaiden said “And you can’t open portals within corners it usually gives the person no control of where they are opening the portal, if she wasn’t quick with opening portals, we wouldn’t have ended landed in a park I can tell you that much”

“That’s really weird and why do you all keep saying sensed?” Hanika asked

They all looked at each other “They’re gone” Gowri said

“The woods never get any light, the locals protect those woods, some people go in and don’t come out” Liora said

“Aren’t those woods connected?” Hanika asked

“These are on the other end of town” Zaiden replied

“How are you able to open those rifts of light? Portals I mean that’s strange on the tongue” Hanika said

“Some call it a gift, been that way since I was a teen” Liora said

“Is that the only thing you can do?” Hanika asked

Liora nodded, there was a rustling in the woods a woman came out with a golden woman with long hair and two chestnut men were behind her.

“You shouldn’t have gone in the woods” she said

“Hello to you too Aiyana” Liora said

“We had no choice” Zaiden said

“We weren’t going to ignore the sense we had, no one has ever rung like that” Gowri said

“We know she is of importance but my father won’t be happy about you taking her out of the woods” Aiyana said

“I see you brought Calian and Mato, do you two want to chime in?” Gowri said

“No” Mato said

“You have to return her or else it will come out or she will keep aimlessly going back in. Are you going to keep saving her?” Calian said

They all got silent “WAIT!? I’m not going back in those woods!!” Hanika said angrily

“I’m going to go back and calm my father” Aiyana said sternly

“Fix this” Mato said

They walked back into the woods, Liora opened a portal “Let’s go” They walked through the portal and ended up back at the bar. Liora closed the portal, two young women were walking in the bar. When they saw them, they were shocked. They ran to Hanika and hugged her.

“Hanika we were worried!” the shorter girl said

“What are you two doing?” Hanika questioned

“We called your house before going to get you they happened to intercept the call” Zaiden said

The other girl smiled “Luckily your dad was talking to our parents so we could intercept the call”

“Melina my dad will be upset that you came here instead of him” Hanika said

“Hopefully he won’t notice when you show up there” she said with a smile

“Zia!” Melina said

“What?! The argument you two had? We all heard it!” she said with concern in her voice

“Maybe you three can head back home” Liora said

“Yes! Thank You!!” Zia said guiding Hanika towards the door

Hanika turned to them “Thank You! I really appreciate you!”

The three young women walked out of the bar and got into a car, Zia got in the driver's seat and waited until everyone buckled their seatbelts. Zia drove off from the bar and she drove onto the street alongside the woods.

“How in the world did you get all the way out here!” Melina questioned

“Oh, My Goodness!! Forget that you were with Gowri, Liora and Zaiden! Oof they are all so cute but mysterious” Zia said

Hanika nodded “Mhmm they were nice”

“There are so many rumors about them!” Zia said

“That they are witches?” Hanika curiously asked

“No! Surprisingly the town normally just talks about them in code” Melina said

“They talk in code” Hanika said under her breath

“Eccentric” Zia and Melina said in unison

“How does the town work?” Hanika asked

“Excuse me?” Melina said

“Why are there two woods?” Hanika said

“Two woods?” Melina asked

“She means the dark woods, where the legend of the creature lives, where we will pass, Liora Mbaye’s bar is on the other side of the town, then the ‘normal’ woods, the dark woods and normal woods. Where the caves are, where leader Alo lives Aiyana’s father, then further down is our homes. Our town. Which is a really long walk. You traveled a distance.” Zia said

“Ohhhhhh! I knew that” Melina said

The young women kept talking to each other as they continued to drive down the road. Hanika stopped talking and just stared off into the distance, a bright light flashed across the windshield. Zia slammed hard on the breaks, stopped the car, Hanika got out of the car and started walking towards the woods.

“Hey, are you okay?” Melina said

Hanika ignored them and continued to walk into the woods.

“What are you doing?!” Zia asked alarmed

Melina grabbed Hanika, but she pulled away and brushed past them and continued into the woods. They followed behind her, Hanika moved fast they tried to catch up with her. Hanika stepped into the Dark Woods when they caught up with her, they ran smack dead into her, Hanika came back to consciousness.

“WHOA!” Zia said

“NO! NO! NO! NO! How did I get back here?!” Hanika said

“You went zombie, and walked here like you were possessed” Melina said

“Leave it to you to say something that doesn’t make sense, why is it so dark here? Don’t tell me this the dark woods?” Zia said

Hanika nodded “OH GOODNESS!! The rumors are true!” Zia said

“Cannot be true!” Melina said

“ITS DAYLIGHT AND ITS DARK HERE!!!!” Zia exclaimed

The girls heard a snarl harrowing into the distance, the wind shuffled the leaves, the saw claws wrap around a tree, red eyes glowed from behind, antlers peered down at them.

“WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?!” Melina screamed

“Don’t know and definitely not trying to find out! RUN!” Zia exclaimed

Hanika was frozen, Zia shook Hanika “LETS GO!” Hanika snapped back and they ran as the creature followed behind them. They heard a snap to the left of them, a tree fell down behind them. They screamed and ran faster. They entered the middle of a field, red eyes appeared from behind more trees watching.

“THERE ARE THREE OF THEM?!” Melina said in horror

A bright white light appeared; Gowri ran behind them, Zaiden grabbed Hanika and stood in front of the group between the creature and the group. The creature stood in front of Liora breathing down her face. A honey brown man came through the portal and shot the creature with an arrow. The creature flew back and Liora ran for her portal as everyone went through, she immediately closed it as the creature gathered itself and charged for the portal.

“You know better” he said

“Tauri, Thank You! But please not right now.” Liora said

“We need you to come with us, they can stay here” the golden man said

“Nayati I can’t go with you” Liora said

“YOU -” Nayati said

“You need to come now” Tauri said cutting Nayati’s rant short

“Maybe you should go, we will stay with them we can handle it” Gowri said

Liora nodded and lifted her hands, Nayati grabbed her hands “No portals, old fashion”

Liora raised her eyebrow in frustration and walked with them outside, she hopped on the back of Tauri’s motorcycle. They rode down the street for hours until the rode toward a driveway, they rode further into the driveway, two men walked up and pulled back the gate so that they could enter. They drove past the gate and parked off next to the rest of the cars. They walked off to enter the village with Liora behind them, an old chestnut man walked up to them.

“Do you know why I called you here?” he said

“Alo-”

“Do you?” he cut her off

“Because I keep trying to save the girl but-” Liora said

Alo cut her off and held up her hand “I’m aware of why you keep going, but it is a matter of her needing to stay in the woods. You need to spend the night the caves”

Alo walked with Liora to the caves “Go in” he said

Liora hesitated as she walked into the caves, she walked in when she turned around the moved a boulder to shut her in, she walked further into the cave. There were paintings on the walls of people animals, and some looked like smudges. When she turned around a man appeared from the shadows.

“You can shift through time and space a rare ability” he said

“Who are you?” Liora asked

He smiled “Sit”

She sat in front of a small bowl with liquid in front of him “Drink, it’s valerian, hibiscus and rose hip tea” he said

They meditated together, Liora’s mind shifted from being present to in her mind, she saw images of light and a woman with wolves, she fell asleep. Liora woke up to hearing people outside of the cave, the man was gone, the cave entrance was still barricaded. Liora opened a portal and jumped through, she closed the portal. The village was in disarray, it looked as if there had been a war, Tauri ran past her

“What’s going on?” Liora asked

“Go back to your bar, we can hold them off” Alo said as he walked up to her

“But!” Liora exclaimed

“GO! NOW!” Alo said

Liora opened a portal, she walked through and ended up back at her bar. Zaiden and Gowri looked at her confused.

“You’ve been gone all night” Gowri said

“They had me go into the caves to cleanse and think” Liora said

Zaiden walked up noticing the confused look on her face “They left last night after you, her father came and picked them up”

“That’s good, you called him again?” Liora said

“Yes, I called him to let him know where his daughter was” Zaiden said

A tall warm beige man burst into the bar panicking looking around “Is she here?! Have you seen here?”

“She left again?” Gowri said

“That must be why they came to the village” Liora whispered to herself

“I don’t know when, she and I talked and I put her to bed” he said as his voice was shaking

“We will help you look for her” Zaiden said

They walked off leaving her father next to the entrance “We can’t help him, the creatures came to the village, Alo was trying to guide them back to the dark woods.” Liora said

“Can we check because I can’t sense her in the woods. Can you?” Zaiden said

“No, I can’t” Gowri said

“Ok” Liora said calmly as she collected her thoughts together

“Hey, I know this will be strange but I can get us there faster, we will help you find her, trust me, okay?” Liora said

Liora lifted her hand above her head pulled two fingers down in a vertical position where hand traced a portal opened “Come on” her father looked confused but walked through the light that was in thin air, Liora went behind him. Liora closed the portal, they walked through the woods, they got close to a river. Liora had never seen the river before, red eyes appeared all around them, the bigger creature stood next to the river with Hanika’s body, blood spewing from her mouth. Hanika’s father screamed in disbelief

“NOOOO! Not her not my baby girl” he said

The creature stood up and stared at Liora, Hanika’s body turned to water and flowed to the river. Her spirit formed in the river she smiled at her father and bowed “Don’t worry it’s okay, I will always be here” her spirit looked at the creature as it looked at her, she faded away.

“Come on we have to go” Liora grabbed the grieving father and walked away as the creature stood there and watched them walk away. She lifted her hands and opened a portal she guided the father through the portal and then walked through herself as she watched the creature watch her.