Long had they sensed Death's lingering in the desolate woods. It was no shock when they found her.
For years they watched as the infection of old age slowly poisoned their mother's body. Years in isolation made her unrecognizable to any who might have once known her. Her mouse brown pelt was long since replaced with dull and ragged fur. Long ago had her voice gone hoarse and breathing raspy.
When they found the old doe's body, they did not touch her. They did not speak aloud.
They stood over their mother's form, waiting in vigil.
But they did not stay for long.
They departed early in the next morning, dew clinging to strands of grass and sticking to the fur of their pelt.
They wandered deep into the uncharted woods in which they had lived all their life.
And they would run swiftly.
And they would listen alertly.
And they would step softly as to go unnoticed.
For they knew their predators.
And they would give them no opportunity.
Still in the forest is a legend, an old wives tale for curious young fawns. Telling of a doe who years ago, gave birth to a monstrosity.
Some say she fled into the woods, and the offspring died shortly after.
Others say it devoured her, and still lives in the untamed portions of the forest.
Perhaps someone will see her sons one day, if just for a moment.
And story will spread of the demon that walks in the woods.
Walk not in the deep forests alone, child.
The forsaken lurk in those woods.
Stars screaming and squealing, simpering a song soaked in sin. Bylah liked to pretend that he knew, that he cared for their stories, their loves and losses, the way people pity pathetic pictures of attention-grubbing whoredom.
Bylah didn't care about such things. He had no need to stoop and scrape for a scapegoat.
He watched them prance, preen, posture and put themselves on display. To him, it was pointless and petty, pretty sad, a state of affairs he never started to begin with.
What was the point of an affair when you had everything you wanted at home, honest and begging for one's attention and love, lust and lazing about on Sundays?
No, Bylah wanted to watch them waste, watch them writhe.
Today was not a beautiful as it was the day before, or before that. Urro looks up at the hazy, dark sky and realizes it isn't going to be the perfect week to play, or search for berries, which was his most favorite thing to do in the whole forest. Urro has taken shelter in a beaver den. The river was no longer there though, it was dried up by the drought the forest had long ago, the river never did recover. But later on, as the years went by, the rainy season had brought a new river. He didn't like that river as much because all of the young fawns would play there, they would bug him. So he always went to the big pond instead, it was peaceful there. That was where Urro found the berries long ago and came across a very dangerous buck. His mother had always warned him not to go into the forest by himself during rutt season. To the larger bucks, he was a competition. As Urro thought about this, he layed his head down resting his eyes, the weather had exhausted him. He was gloomy just like it was. As the rainy day went by, the sun started to peek from behind the clouds. Urro rose up from his resting place and stuck one foot out to feel the grass, he quickly pulls away. Too wet. He decides to wait a little longer for the sun to dry up the grass. As he waits, he paws at the soft dirt waiting for the minutes to go by, maybe hours. Urro gets restless and decides to head out anyway, he can't bare the boredom any longer. One foot out, and then the other. He stretches way out past the beaver den feeling the dry grass on his legs. Wait... it's dry! This excites Urro and he dicides to leap and play in the fields just once, but first he must find his mother. "Baa!" He waits. "Baaaaaaa!" Far off in the distance he hears his mother's call. He follows her scent leaping over fallen branches and dodging low tree limbs. And there she is, waiting for him. Urro frollics over to her nuzzling her soft, warm fur. He missed her. She was worried about him, especially during the storm.
Minori stared up into the darkening sky, the far western horizon blazed red as a golden sun sank bellow. The sky was cloudless yet diamond tears fell, spattering the stones all around. Rust red hair, a mere shade lighter than the blood-wet pool he laid in, fell away from his face. A band of boyish freckles played across the bridge of his nose, enhancing the green of his eyes. Blood bubbled in the corner of his mouth to spill down his cheek. Opening his pale lips a fraction, Minori dragged a painful breath into his lunges. Long ragged cuts had been crossed down the breast of his once white shirt, now stained with his own scarlet. His eyelids fluttered closed as he drew another rasping breath. “Why Aki...? Why...?”
The night sky burned bright with a thousand dancing lights as a crescent moon cast a silver curtain over the darkened world, like a lamp-post lighting the old streets of London. A young boy with rust red hair ran past a doorway, his voice piping as he was not yet of age. “I'm late! Why do I always have to take a leak just when it's lights out? And why does the loo have t'close down at early dark? Man I hate it!” slowing to look behind him, the boy scratched his chin. “Man the Barrack-master's gonna have my hide if I don't hurry!” Taking off at top speed, skidded around the corner of a building; only to run straight into something.
OOOPPH!!!
“Ow... what on earth...?” he began, rubbing the back of his head. Then stopped, for sitting right in front of him, was someone else. Someone he had never seen before.
“Would you watch where your going?! Geez! What is with you?!” The kid snapped, his voice squeaking.
Pulling up his courage, he answered as bravely as he could. “Getting back to the barracks, I don't wanna get in trouble. And sorry to have run into you. I didn't know you were here.”
“Well look closer next time... wait.
How is it possible to love sight unseen?
Feel the words like arms wrapped round?
And each breath mingle with what you glean
As you read each word slow and spellbound.
As it begins each time you swear you will stop
But you crave the words like an addictive drug
And you make up wild tales through teardrops
And the words call your name as you shrug.
You decide to look just one more time and sigh
As the truth begins to encircle your mind
You realize and feel captivity by your inward eye
And love has come and your heart is entwined.
All your schemes and plans to remain alone
Come tumbling down through a heart felt poem
All your sense and sensibilities have flown
For a moment's taste of love's sweet honey comb.
Now in angst and anguish you await and lie
Trying over and over again to rationalize
The path to take, to walk away or satisfy
The writhing fire within, that begins to tantalize.
There is no middle path when love enters in
There is only flame, fire, and intense desires
And the decisions to run or mentor sin
Creates your life that quenches and inspires.
You can love sight unseen
And words will connect the hearts and beam
Love's eternal and evergreen
Quest to mold and create a desirable dream
The cost will always be high
For love's price is creative souls combined
It cares not what rule or who it mortifies
Only that you make the ultimate compromise.
Dawn came early across the forest as the unseen sun shed its gentle light in rays and beams through foliage and rock. Something in the air felt different. A deep stirring within Theano seemed to be pulling her toward the large hill that descended on one side to the flowing spigot and on the other side the bowl of earth that was covered in blue flowers. As Theano often did she resisted the urge to follow. It was not her nature to just obey. Eventually she always meandered over where ever the pull took her. She would look. Sometimes it was a bevy of dancing deer, or a pile of swaying ungulates to some inner unknown rhythm, and occasionally no deer at all, but just a spot that seeped a heaviness into her soul.
She continued her drinking and bathing in the pond near the white pillars on the hill. Theano would glance up toward where the pull emanated from, but at the moment she was enthralled with the purple dragonflies that encircled her feet. She wondered from whence they came and why they chose this spot to inhabit rather than glide across the freedom of the open pond. And just as she decided she would stop her constant movement and questioning the sky intensely brightened in the direction the pull had come from. Theano sighed knowing she was going to have to leave the peace of the water that haunted her. She was such a loner. It wasn't that she did not love the others, but more the stimulation overwhelmed and clouded her mind. What Theano often sought was calmness and peace. She did not wish to hurt the other beautiful frolicking deer and wished she could be as carefree as they were. It was not her lot in life. Hers was to constantly ponder the essense of being and why it was such and why did we have to suffer so.
With a sigh and final glance at the purple dragonflies, she began the journey toward the new light. Up the embankment she slowly climbed and past the weeping willow trees that could hide you in your sadness.
Ok i know that most peopole on endless forest talk about well,the endless forest.but i am in great need of art for a book i am writing.i need inspiration!any pictures are good as long as they are lion drawings.try to give them special markings perhaps if possible.thanks and sorry agin about posting off topic.
Hostile Hospitality (Season One. Episode One.) Follow the Season Mature - May contain brief vulgar language and gruesome scenes
(Theme Song)
"Sigh...That is the fourth one this month..." the nurse tiredly whispered as she closed the hospital room's door. Behind the heavy thud of the thick wooden door closing, the sound of horrifying wailing echoed. A rectangular window was designed into the door in order to allow nurses and doctors to observe patients without disturbing their rest. Inside the room, on the rickety bed, sat a crying woman. Her tear stained face was buried in her hands as her husband stood beside her, hugging her shoulders as he tried to console her.
Cypher stood beside the nurse. Young and somewhat dashing in looks but had a strange aurora that surrounded him and alarming, suspicious eyes. He was surprisingly well dressed for a hospital visitor- wearing a personally fitted waistcoat that matched the same smooth, dark black of his pressed slacks and a rounded fedora upon his head, covering his darkened brown hair. A red armband was wrapped around his left upper arm bearing the letters AoM on it. He had his hands in his pockets as he tapped his index finger on the silver pocket watch he carried, "How far along was she?"
Nurse Marcela blinked as she thought. Unsure of an answer to give, she gazed down at the hospital charts on her clipboard and nodded, "Umm... Seven months."
"And the others?"
"I... I don't know..." she shrugged. "Anywhere from five to eight months. One time a few days before giving birth."
"Nurse Marcela, you are the head of the nursery department, right?"
She cocked her head, slightly confused by his question, "Yes... I am."
He glared at her quickly from the corner of his eyes, "Then shouldn't you know all the details about the patients brought in here? Especially regarding these women with their very unique symptoms?"
"Are you questioning my ability to treat my patients!?" Nurse Marcela stomped her foot in anger as her tired eyes narrowed.
"I have said nothing of sort. I am only trying to grasp the full context of the situation. It is frustrating having to work while so disorganized and your lack of knowledge when your employer requested the Agency to send an agent is only frustrating more so. Do you have the records of the miscarriages from all four incidents?" Cypher spoke coldly, as if it were a casual conversation. His ocean blue eyes fixed on the mourning couple inside the room. There was a sudden, unexplainable spike in miscarriages for the area. With such a small population of people, the village was very disturbed with the loss of four births in such a short time span, not including the couple sitting before him. The officials refused to look into the incident, and a Filipino legend began to spread like a virus throughout the streets. The people feared that they somehow angered a spirit and were now cursed since the doctors could come up with no scientific explanation for the deaths. All the women effected were all healthy and suffered from no physical harm. So it was no surprise that the Agency of Mystery sent in an agent to investigate the possibility of a supernatural phenomenon occurring.
Maricela walked over to the receptionist desk with a huffed at his request. As he studied the couple, he could hear the nurse asking for the patient records and the soft sound of shuffling papers. Minutes had passed before she returned to his side with a stack to give his hand.
"These records aren't suppose to be seen," she bitterly said as he took them from her.
He glared at her with annoyance as he stared into her eyes, bloodshot from her late night shifts at the hospital, "Do not tell me how to do my job."
Nurse Maricela hissed back through her clenched teeth, "Is that how all you government types are? Short, cold, and demanding?"
With his back turned to her, he began to look over the paperwork and waved his hand to motion her away with disagreement, "I am not government, ma'am. Now, please, I have some research to do and I am sure there is a bed pan somewhere that needs cleaning"
The angered woman gasped before storming off, leaving him to himself in the tight hallway of the tiny hospital. It was a very compact hospital only made up of two floors and stretching just a few blocks in width. To him, it was inadequate for proper medical use, but for the village in the midst of an island mountain range, it provided enough for the little use it received. It was not until recently that the rooms began to fill.
His eyes darted from side to side as he quickly read through all the documents she had given him. Desperately, he tried to make some sort of connection to all the victims. Damnit! he hissed to himself through his teeth. His search had been futile as he found find not logical connection between the women other than them all being from the village and all having been admitted to the same hospital. A result that meant nothing since there were no other villages or hospitals in the area. This makes no sense... Nothing about these women are connected.
Giving up, Cypher looked up from his papers to see the husband stepping out of the room. The two men's eyes met as the husband passed him in the hallway. Neither one spoke for what could be said at a moment like this. "I'm sorry" just would not cut it. The man stopped partly down the hall, gazing at Cypher from over his shoulder. His eyes puffy and red from trying to be a man and not cry in front of his wife, but behind the soreness, his eyes were filled with a deep sorrow and pleading, "People around here they call you the ghost hunter. That is what you do, yes? Hunt ghosts?"
Cypher's eye brow rose in bewilderment, "For lack of a better description, I suppose so."
"Good."
------------ Commercial Break ------------
------------ Commercial Break ------------
The tension in the air loosened as the husband disappeared into the darkness. However, he had left the door to the room open. Through the crack, Cypher could hear the cries of the grieve stricken mother, "The bird....I should have known....The bird...Tik tik tik" To the average person, they would believe the woman had gone mad. Babbling on about nonsense out of sorrow, but to a trained ear, it was the clue he needed.
His eyes widened as he listened in on her sobs. Quickly, he turned and jogged to the receptionist's desk, dropping the pile of papers in his hand. The sheets floated slowly to the ground behind him. He came to a screeching halt as he slammed his hands on the wooden desk and leaned over the counter, "How many of the miscarried mothers have talked about a bird?"
The woman sitting behind the desk had pushed her chair back from being startled by his sudden, abrupt appearance, "Ummm... I believe all of them?"
"Shit! Why didn't she tell me!?" He exclaimed as he turned away, leaning his back against the hard counter ledge while thinking. An Aswang. How did I not see it before... As he thought, a vision flashed before him. It was of Nurse Maricela's eyes from when the two had their brief dispute. They were an unusual color... An unnatural shade of brown with a hint of red to them... Almost ruby in color, but that was not what stood out in his mind. He could recall seeing his reflection in her eyes but the thing was - his reflection was upside down. He turned his head sideways with his heart racing from anxiety, "When did Nurse Maricela begin working here?"
"A month or so ago. Why...?"
"Do you have any current pregnant patients under her care?!"
"Yes. She's just in the room right down the hall. Nurse Maricela just want to check on her for the night but why..."
There was no time to explain or to listen to the rambles of the woman. Cypher now knew the truth behind the miscarriages. The clues had all been there the whole time, but his inexperience with the paranormal blinded him. He knew the text book terms and the qualities of many mythical beings and creatures. He could recite their descriptions but he lacked practice in the field. As he ran at a full sprint down the hall, he hoped he could make it in time.
Bam! He burst into the new room unexpectedly. The patient had let out a blood curling scream but it was not due to Cypher's entrance. Before him and the expecting mother, Nurse Maricela was in the middle of her transformation process as she turned from her daily young woman form to a large, crow. The crunching sound of her popping bones crackled as her neck twisted above her shoulders. Her head losing its humanoid form. Thick, dark feathers covered the nearly created body as wings sprung from where the ears use to be. It stretched his wingspan while hovering above its perch, made out of the lower half of its womanly body. Tik tik tik tik! She snarled as her beady eyes settled on Cypher, making him her target. He was the true threat. An unborn child and a sickly mother would not be able to stop the aswang from feasting, but a fit man with knowledge about her true form could.
Tik tik tik tik! The aswang spread its wings and flew out the window into the darkened woods that surrounded the hospital. Without hesitation, Cypher followed. Lucky for him the window was located on the first floor. The only damage he took was caking his slacks in a fresh coat of dust and mud. Tik tik tik tik! The aswang taunted from the darkness. Tik tik tik tik!
"Clever move, Maricela," he taunted back. "Getting a job at a hospital with a maternity ward. A trusting nurse by day; a hungry monster by night. It was like a buffet wasn't it? Weakened mothers came to you for aid. You lied and said they needed to stay overnight and then you ate their unborn children. You're a sick, bitch."
"Calling the kettle black? Tik tik tik! I could sense the evil from you, too." Her voice echoed through the branches.
"Never said I was the better man."
"Tik tik tik tik!You are sick, too. Very sick. Tik tik tik! " She was getting close. He could feel her eyes upon him as she hunted him in the night.
Cypher chuckled as he caught glimpse of a house in the distance. He smirked as he started to lead her towards it, "Perhaps I am."
"Tik tik tik tik! I can fix you. Let me eat you. I can make a new you in your place. Tik tik tik!" Hunger now overtook her voice as she stalked her prey.
He had reached the house and turned the doorknob to discover that the front door was left unlocked. He thought it was unusual but he did not have time to focus on the carelessness of the people living inside. He had foolishly been unprepared to fast the aswang and desperately needed some supplies before being attacked. Inside the house was dark and Cypher did not turn on any lights in order to not wake the home owners. It would be best if they never knew he was ever there. From the opened door, he could see the silhouette of the aswang peering inside, looking for him. It hopped into the living room and followed his scent to the kitchen, where he now stood.
"I don't thin you'd like the taste of me very much," he quietly said as he fumbled around the kitchen. His hands blindly searching the cabinets in the dark.
The aswang laughed in amusement, "Tik tik tik tik! Why is that? Is that your plea for me to let you live? Tik tik tik! tasting bad?"
"No," he replied as he grasped a cylinder-shaped jar. "It is just...That I am rather salty."
With no hesitation, he turned around while twisting the lid off of the container. He made a swiping motion with his arm as thousands upon thousands of salt crystals flew into the air. Their sparkled in the moonlight that seeped through the kitchen's window. The salt landed upon the aswang, burning its skin. It wailed in agony as it began to flop about in the kitchen attempting to shake the crystals off from its feathers. While it bashed about, Cypher reached for the revolver that he had holstered to his side. Quickly, he pulled it out and cocked it awhile pointing at the screaming aswang.
With a demonic voice, it snarled at him as he towered over it with the revolver pointing downward,"Tik tik tik tik!You think that can kill me!?"
"I do not think. I know." Coldly he stared at it as he he shot one silver bullet into its chest. The aswang's scream grew more intense as it used the last bit of its energy, trying to escape, knocking over the table and chairs. It collapsed to the follow where its body dissolved into ash on the floor. He lowered his gun as he caught his breath; that was his first extermination since joining the AoM and he knew that there was more to come. As he examined the ash, the lights suddenly turned out. He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the brightness upon which he discovered a man wearing pajama bottoms hollering at the mess. It was now time for Cypher to face the ultimate challenge of the night: Explaining to the home owner what happened to his kitchen.
"Sigh... That is the fourth one this month..." the nurse tiredly whispered as she closed the hospital room's door. Behind the heavy thud of the thick wooden door closing, the sound of horrifying wailing echoed. A rectangular window was designed into the door in order to allow nurses and doctors to observe patients without disturbing their rest. Inside the room, on the rickety bed, sat a crying woman. Her tear stained face was buried in her hands as her husband stood beside her, hugging her shoulders as he tried to console her.
Tik tik tik tik! The aswang spread its wings and flew out the window into the darkened woods that surrounded the hospital. Without hesitation, Cypher followed. Lucky for him the window was located on the first floor. The only damage he took was caking his slacks in a fresh coat of dust and mud. Tik tik tik tik! The aswang taunted from the darkness. Tik tik tik tik!
The aswang laughed in amusement, "Tik tik tik tik! Why is that? Is that your plea for me to let you live? Tik tik tik! tasting bad?"