It's taken me so long to properly post on this wow-
Little short story I wrote for a writing prompt in a discord server!
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I was going insane. I was truly going insane.
The bushes beside me ruffled, and I jumped, reeling away from them. Staring, waiting, for whatever was inside to come get me.
They were real, though, I knew they were real.
I woke up here two days ago. Alone. The sun was just barely shining through the trees.
All i had was the clothes on my back and a name. My name.
They knew it. I never told them, but they knew it. They whispered it from the bushes, especially at night.
I hadn't tried to sleep past an hour of the first night. When they first appeared. Claws. Scales. Fangs. Itching to get me.
That's why I couldn't understand my luck.
A manor. here, This deep in the forest. It looked old, moments away from crumbling, but full of life at the same time.
I stepped closer, onto the rocky trail that led up to the front door. The rocks kicked and shifted under my feet, undeniably real.
The building was still there when I arrived at the door. When my hand came up to grip at the knocker.
I took hold of it, and knocked three times.
Nothing. Why would someone be living in such an old building? So far out in the woods? With these creatures?
Tears still dripped down my cheeks, the last bit of hope dashed before my very eyes. I was so tired.
I was so tired and I wanted to rest. I wanted to be home, but I didn't even know where home was.
Just as I turned to walk back down the trail, walk back to my death, the door creaked open.
"What are you doing out here, darling?" a man's voice rung out.
I spun on my heels, and sure enough, the door was open. A man, maybe in his 30s or 40s, stood in the door.
Pale skin, unsettling eyes that were somehow full of concern, but undeniably human.
I spoke before I could think.
"I- I don't know!" I sobbed, rushing back to the door. "I… I don't remember anything and I woke up here and there's something in the forest and I need help"
He looked concerned, and reached out to take my hand. I let him, of course. I needed help, he'd surely help.
"Shush it's okay… I know this is all so unsettling" he started, his thumb rubbing across the palm of my hand. "Hikers get lost here all the time, you must've fell and hit your head after getting lost" he soothed.
"But… but… I saw them" I insisted. He smiled warmly at me, pulling me inside the house. It was warm inside.
"I don't doubt you, there are a lot of animals out there, and with a head wound anything can look scarier than it is"
He spoke to me like i was a child. It was comforting. How old was i?
"It's late, why don't you have some supper, get some sleep, and in the morning I'll drive you up to the town clinic?" He offered, still guiding me by the hand.
I nodded. I couldn't speak if i wanted to, with the tears running down my face. They were only getting heavier.
We got to a kitchen. It was big, like everything else in the house, and there was a pot of food on the stove.
He sat me down at the table and gave me a glass of water and a bowl of what looked to be some sort of stew, before excusing himself. Something about telling his daughters I was here? He claimed they were my age.
I wasn't really sure what that was, still.
"The guest room is up the stairs to the right, darling. After you eat you can go sleep up there" he said softly, before hurrying off to find his daughters.
And eat I did. The food was amazing. Maybe because it was all I had the past two days, since I didn't know how to identify the berries and stuff I came across, or maybe it was just that good.
Either way it was gone in minutes. Same with the water. I didn't realize how thirsty I was.
The meal was gone quickly, but I stayed a bit longer.
"Your name is Elanor" I started.
"You're probably a lost hiker."
"You've got a place to stay tonight, away from the wilderness."
"He's taking you to town tomorrow, to get medical attention"
I opened my eyes, took a deep breath, and got up. Retraced my steps to the entrance, and went up the stairs.
Just as he said, there was a room to the right, the door wide open. I walked in, the only thought on my mind being sleep. The door clicked shut behind me.
It was a big room, for a guest room. The bed was massive, i could sprawl out completely if i wanted to. There was a rug on the floor. I kicked my dirty sneakers off, and took my socks off. It felt amazing under my feet. And the dresser was huge too.
There was a bathroom connected, but i didn't go to it. I could clean off in the morning.
Instead, I peeled off my dirty clothes, and tossed them in a hamper. They probably wouldn't mind if I slept in my bra, right?
"Oh well" I muttered, before climbing into bed.
I curled up into the tightest ball that I could.
I had a scar on my stomach. I wonder what that was from.
I'd remember eventually, I assumed, before pulling the covers over myself and closing my eyes.
I felt amazing when I woke up. The sun was already high in the sky, at least noon then. I couldn't bring myself to care though, as a drug myself to the bathroom to get ready.
I met my own eyes in the mirror. They were brown. My hair was inky black, long and curly. I had scar over my cheek as well.
Why was I covered in scars?
Someone knocked on the door.
"Coming!" I called, quickly finger-combing my hair before peaking my head out the bathroom. Nobody was there, but there were clothes outside the door now.
"Oh, thank you" I said, to nobody in particular, before snatching them up and closing the door to change.
The clothes looked old. Not in the worn sense, but in the straight from a period drama sense. Fluffy layers of dress and far too much fabric for a normal outfit.
Even did a little spin in front of the mirror. Maybe that's just how rich people dressed.
I did one more passover, this time with an actual comb, of my hair, before scurrying out to the hall.
I should find the man, right? He'd take me to town today.
I took the stairs, down into the main entrance again. There was laughing in what was probably the living room.
I stepped up to the door, peaking inside. The man was there, with his two daughters. They were smiling and giggling. they were around my age, at least looks wise, if my guess was right.
He noticed me, and smiled more.
"Elanor darling, come join us" He called.
"I never told you my name" I muttered, stepping back.
He simply tisked at me, standing from the couch.
"How many times must we repeat this song and dance Elanor." He sighed.
I wish I didn't know what he meant.
I wish it was another blank space in my memory.
This wasn't… My first time here. How long had we been doing this? 20? 30? years?
His daughters- my sisters, gave me a face each. One you'd give a sibling after they pissed your parents off.
They vanished into smoke, two little brown bats replacing them. They didn't stick around long, flying off deeper into the house.
"When will you learn, darling? You'll never escape us" he cooed.
"I- i!-" i sputtered, but had no response. My teeth met my lips, a nervous habit, and they tore the flesh. Like fangs.
"You could stay this time, we don't need to keep doing this. You're getting tired aren't you?" he asked.
I screamed, turning tail and running out the house.
To repeat it all again. The running. The forgetting. The coming 'home'.
Just as I always did. Ever since father forced me into this life.
When he 'adopted me', for my 'own good'.
I was doing fine on my own.
I could hear him laugh to himself. mutter something about kids.
Time for the game to continue.
