Girl In The Woods

by Aileen Rose

  GIRL IN THE WOODS

  AILEEN ROSE

  Copyright © 2013 Aileen Rose

  All Rights Reserved

  Illustration by Maggie

  Dedicated to :

  My sweet parents.

  Sophia, who was the first person who believed in me and my writing skills and has been my loyal friend all along.

  V, my guardian angel and loving friend, for her constant support, advice and guidance. Without her, this story would have never been written.

  The wonderful girls who gave me strength and the will to go on with their encouraging words. You know who you all are and I love you all!

  This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Adult Reading Material

  The material in this story is for adult audiences only and contains graphic sexual content. It is intended only for those of age 18 and older.

  Table Of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 1

  This is it. This is the most important day of my life. The day I have to make the single most significant decision of my entire life. No pressure there.

  “Calista, what are you doing here? Are you crazy?”

  Just what I needed. My mom looking for me. Why can’t they all leave me alone? Why can’t they respect that I want to enjoy my freedom while it lasts?

  “It’s ok, mom. I just came out to enjoy the afternoon breeze. Besides, they just started arriving.”

  “Your dress! Calista, you have ruined it. Get up.”

  It’s one of the few times I don’t protest and get up. I’m too exhausted even to argue. She pats the back of my long, white dress.

  “Look what you’ve done,” she reprimands me as she has done ever since I can remember myself. “It has a stain. Why can’t you behave like all girls of your age? Be polite, elegant and subservient. Sitting by the lake, while we host a party…Don’t you care about the candidates’ opinion for you? And your hair…It’s a mess.”

  I roll my eyes. Yes, the candidates. Who have come to show off their wealth and beauty to win my heart. They all descend from noble families. I have known most of them all my life, as their parents are family friends and we spend our free time with them. Since I know them already, I’m sure no one will be my prince. None of them has been able to make my heart beat faster, like my girlfriends admit they have felt with their fiancés.

  I remember my father’s words this morning while we were fighting:

  “You are eighteen. It’s time to get married. You will choose one of them, whether you like it or not!” I’ve never seen him so upset. I tried to explain to him that I will not be happy, that I need something else.

  “What?” he asked me. “Falling in love? Love is for poor girls who have nothing to lose. You have a name and a fortune and they must be passed on to a noble family, like we are. Stop rebelling. You are not a child anymore. You have responsibilities.”

  Yes, I do. To marry a guy I don’t like and add me to his collection of precious jewels.

  I wish I could fly. Go away….far, far away. Where no one can tell me how to live. Be free like the birds flying above the lake. How I envy them.

  “Come on, let’s go inside,” my mom pulls my arm to follow her and I feel my heart sinking. Now I know how people who have been condemned to death feel.

  When I enter the room everyone stares at me. I feel like I have my birthday.

  “Don’t frown. Smile. Be pleasant and let them talk to you,” my mother whispers to me. My father is at the end of the room talking to a dear friend of his.

  The room is filled with men and their parents. There is not a single girl of my age. I guess my parents wanted to eliminate any sign of competition. Tonight is about me and only me. And I hate this. I wish I was invisible.

  I sit on an isolated chair. My only desire is to avoid everyone. I feel a threatening presence heading towards me. I turn my head and see it’s Mark. His father is our lawyer. But I haven’t ever really talked to him.

  He kneels before me and kisses the back of my hand.

  “My lady. I don’t think we have been properly introduced. I’m Mark Brown.”

  “Nice to meet you, Mark,” I say as politely as I can. “I believe you know my name.”

  “Calista…Such a beautiful name, for such a beautiful girl,” he says.

  There we go. And now the flattery begins.

  “You are an angel, who has dropped from heaven,” he goes on.

  An angel? Really? He obviously hasn’t seen me when I am in a bad mood.

  “If you choose me as your husband, I will give you everything. The whole world. You will have everything you desire. Jewelry, servants to satisfy your every need, the finest dresses. You will live like a queen.”

  “Why do you want me as your wife, Mark?” I ask him.

  “Because you are so beautiful and kind and I know you would make an excellent wife.”

  How does he know I’m kind? How does he know I don’t turn into a monster with three heads that drinks blood at night? He wants me because of what he supposes I am, but has never even bothered to talk to me, see who I really am. I don’t want to marry someone who doesn’t know me and love me. He thinks I want jewelry and living in a big house.

  I don’t care about all this. I want something else. Something that will fill my empty heart. I just don’t know what it is. My father thinks it’s love I’m searching for. Love…I have never felt it. I haven’t even kissed anyone. I only feel alive when I’m outdoors, in nature. When I listen to the sounds of the forest, free like an animal.

  After five more confessions of love from similar men like Mark, I get the same answer when I ask them why they want me as their wife. Why can’t they admit the truth? That I have a huge fortune and I would make a beautiful wife – acquisition. Is this what my life is going to be like? I don’t want to choose anyone. Perhaps, I’m not meant to be a wife.

  After eating dinner, I sneak out the back door to the woods. I need to get away from all this.

  Chapter 2

  I ran as fast as I can so that they can’t catch up with me when they realize I’m gone. There is a secret path hidden by tall bushes that I only know about it. I have been hiding there ever since I was a child.

  The last rays of sun penetrate the forest. Soon it will set and darkness will cover everything. I love this time of day. There is something so mystical and unearthly.

  I breathe heavily. The birds are singing their last song of the day. My heart wants to escape my chest, it beats so fast, fascinated by the beauty of what is all around me. I rest my body against a tree and let my tears go. I have been holding them all afternoon.

  Stupid, Calista…Don’t cry. It’s not worth it. You know in the end you will do what they want you to do. You are helpless. Just enjoy this moment. This is all you have.

  I move away from the tree and close my eyes. I want to lose myself. I don’t want to be Calista anymore. My arms are lifted on their own and I start dancing. Spinning around myself to the music of the earth and the trees. My dress sweeps the grass under my feet. I smile. Life is beautiful when you are truly yourself.

  “I have never seen such a delicate beauty.”

  Immediately I stop d
ancing. Who is it? I look around and there is no one. Suddenly, I think it was a stupid thing coming to the woods at dusk.

  That is when I see him coming behind some bushes. And my blood freezes in my veins. That can’t be. I heard a man talking.

  He is coming towards me. I have never seen a wolf in real life. Only in pictures. I stay motionless. That is what I have heard one should do when meeting a wolf. He is black as the imminent night. His eyes are dark brown and they look at me seriously.

  I did hear a male voice though. I am looking around to see if a man accompanies the wolf. No one.

  He stops closer to me.

  “Why did you stop dancing?”

  “You talk? How can you talk?” I ask surprised.

  “How can you dance like a nymph?”

  I open my mouth to reply, but no words come out of it.

  “You are in an enchanted forest,” he explains. “Didn’t you know that? Anything can happen.”

  His sharp teeth are revealed every time he talks. I take a step back.

  “Are you scared?” he asks narrowing his eyes.

  I cross my arms, raise my chin and step forward again.

  “No, I am not. I am not afraid of you.”

  Well, I am. But I won’t give him the satisfaction to admit it. Also, from what I know you should never let a wolf smell your fear.

  There is amazement in his eyes.

  “You should be. And instead of being conceited, you should bow to me. But you will learn. If you are worthy, that is.”

  Worthy? For what? Learn? Bow to him? What is he talking about?

  “What is your name?” he asks me, interrupting the endless questions in my head.

  “Calista.”

  “Lovely name. I’m Conor.” He lifts his paw to greet me and I lean forward to give him a handshake. I feel so stupid. What is wrong with me? Instead of being at my engagement party, I’m in an – enchanted – forest talking to a wolf.

  “Care to join me for a walk, Calista?”

  A walk with a wolf just before night falls? That is not so wise, Calista.

  “I…I don’t know…It’s getting late and I should get back.”

  “Why did you leave in the first place, then? You could have stayed in the safety of your house at this time of the day. Yet, you preferred to dance in the forest.”

  It’s the first time in my life someone tells me something annoying and I can’t contradict him.

  “What do you have to lose? I promise I will take you back home safely. Come, I feel it’s going to be a marvelous night.”

  He has already turned his back and paces deeper into the woods.

  “Ok, wait for me,” I shout.

  Right now as crazy as it seems a walk in the woods with a wolf is the best option I have. Home will always be there. As well as my meaningless life.

  As we walk side by side, the forest becomes more dense and eerie. The sun has completely set and the few parts of sky that are visible through the trees’ canopy have turned into a dreamy shade of pink and orange.

  I want to ask him where we are going, but I find it inappropriate.

  “So, tell me, Calista,” he breaks the silence, “why are you in the woods and not at your house?”

  “It’s my engagement party tonight,” I reply as naturally as saying I ate toast for breakfast.

  He gloats at me. He finds it funny. If he wasn’t a wolf, he would be laughing.

  “That is rather bizarre. And why did you leave?”

  “Because my parents wanted me to get engaged. Not me. They invited all the single noble men of the region and I had to pick one.”

  “And? Not anyone was worthy of you?” he says ironically.

  My jaw drops. Is he mocking me? I’m really mad at him now.

  “Why would you say this? Do you think I am arrogant?”

  “You are. So many men bothered to come claim you and you left them waiting. You are spoiled. If you were my daughter I would have tied you up not to leave.”

  “What? How dare you? This is my life. It’s my choice. If I don’t want to get married it’s my right. And no, it’s not that they were not worthy of me. They are all handsome, rich and kind. I…I just want something else.”

  “May I ask what that is?”

  I close my eyes for a moment. I wish I knew.

  “I don’t know. I really don’t know. I do know though I don’t belong in the world my family has set up for me. None of those men can give me what I desire. I can sense it. My heart aches to find what I’m looking for.”

  When I’m done talking, he stops. I hadn’t realized we had reached a crossroads. I stop too. There are two paths in front of us.

  “Here is where our journey stops,” he says.

  I look at him puzzled.

  “If you follow the path on your right, it will lead you eventually back to your house. If you choose however the path on your left, then you will continue your journey with me.”

  “What happens if I choose to follow you?” I ask.

  “I will reveal to you what you are looking for.”

  “How can you know what I am looking for?”

  Great. A wolf tells me that he has all the answers and I listen to him. I must be going crazy.

  “Because I do. But you will have to trust me.”

  “Trust you?” I scoff at his confidence. “You are a wolf. How can I trust you?”

  “Fine. I only want to help you, but if you don’t appreciate my offering, go back to your predictable life,” he says and heads to the left path.

  I stride and stand in front of him. He shows me his teeth in defense.

  “Please, please, don’t go. Give me a chance to understand. How do you know what I’m looking for?”

  He sits on his two back feet.

  “I can’t tell you. It’s not something that can be told. It has to be experienced. But in order to let it reveal to you, you must trust me. I have to warn you, though. If you choose my path, there will be no way of return. At least until I want to. Only I know the road to getting you back.”

  As if I can’t remember the path on my own? What is he talking about? It’s just a forest. I’m sure I’ll find my way back.

  “Calista,” he says sternly and presses his paw against my leg, “if you come with me, you will not be able to deny me anything. You will only be able to return when I think it is right and when you are ready. Can you accept this?”

  Can I? Not deny him anything? Not go back unless he wants me to? Do I want to go back? He is offering me a chance to discover what I’m searching for.

  Calista, this is the chance you were expecting. Don’t let it pass. You will always regret it.

  I feel the blood running faster in me, my heart beating with excitement and fear at the same time.

  “Yes, I accept.”

  “Good girl,” he says and I follow him.

  He was right. It has got pretty dark and the path twists and turns among high trees. I can’t keep track of how we have gotten here. I am at his mercy.

  I get panicked. What have I done? I abandoned the safety and love of my family to follow a wolf into the night in the woods? I’m shaking in terror. Right before I scream and run far from him, we reach a clearing. In the middle of it is a lake, lit by the newly risen moon. It isn’t full moon yet. I guess it will be in four or five days, so the forest is lit sufficiently by its bright light.

  The scenery is so captivating, that I forget all about escaping. Conor has stopped walking and has turned his head to look at me. As it is night now I can barely see his dark colored eyes.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  “Yes,” I say, unable to add anything more, looking all around me.

  “Come,” he prompts me.

  There is a small wooden hut by the edge of the lake on our right. It’s really cute. I can see light coming from inside. Who lives here?

  “A man lives in that hut and he is my friend, but he is away right now. He will return in the morning,” he answers
my unspoken question. “You can stay here tonight.”

  I nod.

  The hut’s door is half open. It’s really cozy and warm. There is only one room. In front, there is a table with two chairs and on the side is a lit fireplace. I guess the man that lives here lit it before he left. It’s the beginning of summer, so it isn’t so cold, but being in the forest is always chilly at night. On the opposite wall there are some shelves with tools. Along the wall on the back is a semi double bed and beside it a short closet with two drawers on the bottom.

  “You can change your dress. There are lots of women’s clothes in the drawers. He won’t mind if you use them. You wouldn’t want to sleep wearing this long dress.”

  He has a point. I head to the closet and open the top drawer. There are women’s underwear as well as nightgowns. A woman used to live here, that’s for sure. I pick a white nightgown and just when I am ready to take my dress off, I remember I am not alone. The wolf is standing in front of me with an inquiring look.

  “Please turn around, so that I can change,” I say.

  He doesn’t seem pleased by my request, but he respects it and leaves the hut.

  I swiftly take off my dress and wear the nightgown. It feels like it hasn’t been used for a long time. It reaches the length of my knees. Conor comes back in and tells me I can sleep on the bed.

  “I can’t sleep on someone else’s bed,” I say. It’s disgusting.

  “He changed the sheets before he left, don’t worry,” he says. How does he know what I think?

  “Where will you sleep?” I ask.

  “On the floor. It’s your first night. Sleep tight. I will be fine.”

  He sits on the floor close to the fireplace. I thought wolves are afraid of fire. I want to go pet his fur. He looks like a big dog curled up like that and I was always fond of dogs and cats. However, he is a wolf of the forest, not a domesticated dog.