By The Light of a Darkened Forest

Chapter 2 – Shadow of Insects-2

“If I told you that those insects were following you and your friend, would you still say the same thing?”

She lost her grip as the forest closed in around her. Her nightmares couldn't be real. Nothing like that existed. No one knew of them besides her grandparents, Paige and the psychologist she used to see. “Those insects…” she started. Fear crawled from her stomach and choked her. The terrors from her dreams were following them, and she couldn't even tell they were there. “How do you know about those,” she asked tearfully.

He shook his head as he crawled from under her. “The white insects, Zakulnea, crawl through this forest incessantly. One dies and ten replace it. It has always been this way in the Lost Lorne Forest. Though…” he paused. His back was still to her as he remained silent and still. Once he turned, she felt her breath catch in the depths of her lungs. His eyes were fierce, reminding her of an eagle's stare, and were the colour of dark, gray stone. His skin was fair, and his high cheeks and slender nose were rosy from the cold yet looked so soft and warm. His slender jaw gave off a docile presence, though the scowl on his lips portrayed otherwise. What surprised her most were his long, slender ears that peeked through his hair. He reminded her of elves from fairy tales that she loved to hear in her youth.

He avoided her stare as he rested his hands on the sword at his side. It was a plain iron sword whose sheath was held by a long leather belt around his waist. He watched her intently, and she felt him scrutinize her. He had no grounds to judge her, as he was the one who looked to have stepped out of a twisted history book. “How does an Engardonian know of the insects?”

She stood and dusted the snow from her clothes. His terminology was different and confused her. “An En-gar… what?” She had never heard the term before; she doubt anyone else had.

“Never mind what I said, your kind doesn't remember the old ways.” He turned and started to make his way into the trees.

“Hey, wait,” she called to him. He looked back and waited. He was definitely not a soldier lost in the woods. He knew more, his confidence was proof of that. Another worry began to bother her. “Is Paige going to be alright? I mean, those bugs were after her too, right.”

He shook his head, almost as if she were a mere child. “No, they just wanted you. I don't know why though, your friend feels like she has more magic than you do. They usually prefer those with larger souls, not wimps like you.”

A lump caught in her throat. Why would they be after her if she was so unimportant? If she was the target, then she had put her closest friend in harm's way. She could have been killed, and all they would have needed to do was turn around on the first day. Hot tears filled her eyes and stuck to her chilled cheeks. She couldn't believe that she was so careless. She should have known better. People were more prone to go missing during the winter. One winter, the army forbade anyone from entering the woods and travelers were made to stick to the roads. She felt her scarf stick to her face from the frozen tears. She pulled it away gently but felt more fall. She covered her face with it instead.

“Don't want to interrupt your pain or anything, but…” he paused and sighed.

She glared at him with blurry vision. How dare he speak to her?! He could have warned them the first night they were out there. He could have saved them from being separated and hunted by those monsters. He could have done so much to prevent the fear they had felt.

“Once darkness falls, they multiply. I know a small shack very close to here that will keep us safe. Once we have a fire going, they will leave us be. I don't know why, but they are not fans of fire.”

She shook her head angrily. Why would he think she would follow him any further than she had? She needed to find the trail and get back home. She could do that on her own.

She took her compass out from around her neck. Happy memories of her grandfather teaching her how to use it came to her. Those were fun times, and he had given her his old compass when she passed his test. She held it still and waited for it to set. It wouldn't stop waving back and forth and spinning.

He looked at the tool in her hand. “Smart, but the magnetic field around here is too strong. It's the only reason I created a beacon for my soul to follow so I can get home. If it wasn't for that, I'd have one of those too,” he educated her.

It didn't make sense. It always worked when she was out there. As Evelyn looked around, she realized things had changed. None of the trees were familiar. They were much larger than those that she was used to as they towered high above them. She had never seen pine trees so big, let alone the others types that were sprinkled between the needles. She looked back down to her compass. It was her faithful companion during her forest walks. It had never betrayed her before. At that time, it was like it was teasing her. “I need to get home,” she whispered. Deep inside, whispers warned her to go home. It was dangerous out there, and she needed to get to safety.

He was silent for a time. He was not sure what to make of her. “I know the way to that place, but…” he paused again. She didn't like it when he paused. She always thought he was thinking of some lie. She despised liars. “I only know how to find it when I leave my village.” Something wasn't right and instincts told her to back off. “Honestly there is a path from my village to that place beyond the woods. It has overgrown here, but I can still tell where it is. I've been there many times, since it's so different from anything I've seen. I've seen you there once, I think, coming out of that machine.”

She looked back at her compass before putting it back in her coat. She had no choice but to follow him. It bothered her that he didn't know what a farm or car was and the talk about the pulling of his soul was even stranger. Everyone knew what those were, even children. How come he didn't? It troubled her that her only choices were follow the stranger or wander lost in the forest. It would lead to trouble; but, either way, there were chances she was going to die. She preferred to take the chance that had the least amount of death involved.

“I will follow, but only if I know your name. If you won't tell me, then I'll take my chances with the forest.” He was taken aback at her words. He stared at her as his eyes looked her over. She had always been normal and never a threat. Her knife was more for show than anything and for food preparation. His caution was uncalled for.

“I can tell you are definitely different from the others who get lost in here.” He pondered her offer as he looked to the ground and held his chin. Was it so strange for someone to ask his name? She believed any sane person would ask. “My name is Darrow.”

She stared at him for a moment. It was a strange name, as she had never heard of it before. It made him sound even more from fantasy, and she wondered if she had passed out in the blizzard.

“It's not a hard name to understand. You only have to say arrow with a 'd.' ”

She snorted. “I got it. I'm not stupid. It's just different, I've never heard it before.”

He turned around and walked off into the forest. They wouldn't get along, she was sure of that. He kept insulting her and talking about things that she didn't understand. Her lack of knowledge insulted him, as his tone was harsher when she would question him. People like that were a waste of life to her, since they caused unnecessary conflict. She had dealt with too many stuck up jerks in her lifetime and wouldn't take the a***e again. She followed him none the less but was not impressed by this 'hero' that she had acquired.

Their walk tired her and she began to nod off. The storm had picked up again and blew against them. It was cold and harsh and nothing like the whiteout before. A little voice was urging her that it was the wrong way to go, that dangers would flood her if she were to follow. She knew she couldn't stop, as he was the only way home. Her only means of direction were gone, and she wouldn't dare explore if even the trees were strangers. She had so much to lose but no choice to choose. It was infuriating but she had to continue. She had made her situation by chasing him blindly. She would have to suffer the consequences.

She stopped near a tree and rested against it. She couldn't tell the time, as clouds and snow darkened the sky. The cold sapped her strength, causing her legs to refuse orders to continue further. She was about to call out to her lead, but he had already gone. She looked tiredly at the falling snow. It was beautiful as the flakes danced down to her. If only the sun were out, then each would glimmer in their spotlight. Her trance was broken by the cold dampness of her clothes. The howling wind was a reminder of her situation and her blatant stupidity.

As Evelyn sat she felt her mind play tricks on her. Snow swirled into images of Paige and her voice was giving her a lecture for not thinking again. She did it frequently, and she wouldn't have been surprised if it was just a playback from another time. She saw her relatives gathering at her grandparents with search dogs and police to find out where she had gone. She could see her grandmother crying as her granddaughter was lost in the forest where normally people are never found. They were lost to the trees and the thickness of the bushes.

Worse of them all was she could see her ex-boyfriend shrugging it off saying it was bound to happen. How she was lousy at following instructions. How she could never be a good mother or wife due to her thoughtlessness. How she was worthless and the world was better off without her. Each vision made her cries deeper. She wished for her pleasant memories. They were what comforted her on the worst days, and it felt like it was becoming the worst day of her life.

Her weariness brought her into a deep sleep. She drank hot chocolate with her family as they all laughed while playing games. Her old dog cuddled with her as she combed through his long, thick fur with her fingers. It was so silky and healthy, she would never let go. He rested on her bed as she snuggled into her thick blankets. It was something she had forgotten, sleep without nightmares. The dream changed into a hazy vision of a young man who had been kind to her in her youth. He had helped her with something. His smell was one of the pines that covered the land. She could drown in the smell and sleep peacefully.

She was snatched away from peace as something shook her violently. She didn't want to be dragged away. She wanted to feel the safety again. She didn't want to forget that person who she had somehow lost. She begged to not have him taken away. She moaned and rolled over. When she was shaken again, her eyes snapped open and she glared at the intruder.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Darrow snorted and looked unimpressed. “If you continue to sleep here, you will die.” His eyes were cold and uncaring, the complete opposite of his words.

At first she felt confused, as she was in bed with her pet. Her eyes showed her the truth as the blizzard continued to howl loudly in her ears. The world spun before she closed her eyes tightly. She couldn't have that now, she had to go forward. “Sorry, I wanted to tell you I stopped, but you were gone. Let's keep going.” Her weariness had increased, but they needed shelter before rest. He didn't offer a response and kept walking. Any kindness from before was lost. She was right in being cautious around him. He couldn't be trusted.

Why would he return for her? His tone made her sound like a nuisance, and it wasn't like she was special to him or anything. She was just a lost girl. She wasn't the prettiest or the thinnest. She definitely didn't have anything to give as anything of value was at home. The more she thought about it, the more it didn't make sense. What was his goal in guiding her? Why was he in the forest to begin with?

After a while she noticed a small wooden shack built within a close group of trees. The wood was old and rotting. An old brown cloth covered the door which was poorly made. It was as if the building was thrown together as a last thought. She felt uneasy about it. The snow on the roof was thick, and she could see it caving in at any moment.

He led her to it and walked inside. She stare at it. It wasn't safe, but she had to choose between the protection from the wind or being buried in snow. She could always build snow walls and hide there. She shook her head. She wouldn't go in. Something bad would happen if any more weight were to be added to the roof.

He looked back out and spotted her. His expression remained cold and uncaring. “You going to come in, or is it a custom to sleep in the snow?” The sarcasm was not lost on her. She felt her face contort into one of her more angry expressions. For someone who volunteered to guide her home, he sure wasn't being inviting. The way he was treating her was inexcusable.

He backed behind the cloth, away from her glare. He was concerned and he should be. She would not tolerate the sarcasm or the tone. If he was leading her somewhere, he would have to work for it. If he wanted her cooperation, he would have to treat her better. She would not be goaded somewhere by that attitude. She had been treated that way before, and she had learned since she deserved better. She decided a tree and snow walls would suit her just fine. She didn't trust him or his shack, and she would rather take her chances with the monsters.

She found a tree with large roots that would hide most of her from the wind. She built walls and a partial roof with the snow around her. She cuddled inside and felt the warmth of the walls. “As a matter of fact, I love sleeping in the snow. It's very refreshing and lets me remember why I'm lucky to have a home with heat,” she spat.

She heard him snort but then heard incredulousness in his voice. “Well, if you get cold, you can come in. It's not like I can lock it.”

She didn't like how smug he was or how calm he always was even when he was insulting her. What twisted person would act like that? She closed her eyes as she knew that sleep would soon come. Thoughts of his attitude circled in her mind, making it nearly impossible for her to sleep. She never knew she could dislike someone so much, though she still harbored ill feelings towards her ex. She didn't like the preppy girls back in high school because they always teased her, and the same with the athletic boys. The anger she had for him was something different and scary. It was not like her despise someone.

After a while she opened her eyes, curious to why the howling wind had stopped. The storm had calmed again to a light flurry. She might have a chance to be warm if the snow didn't swirl inside. She felt her limbs freeze and her body began to shiver. She pulled her arms out of her sleeves and felt them warm up within her fleece sweater. She loved the feeling of the sweater as she pet it. It reminded her of her dog. How she missed it and wished she could find another as comforting as it.

She closed her eyes again. She felt them sag and her mind began to lose consciousness. It wasn't long before she was startled awake from the sounds of insects approaching. Their clicking caused her to tremble. They couldn't find her in there. She was hidden from the world. She dug a little under the root just in case. She didn't want to be killed, not by them. She would take anything else but them. She curled close to the center of the tree hoping for protection. Her eyes closed again and soon her mind left.