Zoey dawdled through the Wandering Woods and admired the place’s beauty. The sunlight shone through the leaves and cast their shadows onto the grass like temporary paintings. The thick, lush and deep-green grass tickled Zoey’s bare legs. Flowers and mushrooms grew on and around the trees, while ferns and moss covered the earth in beautiful natural patterns. Zoey followed a footpath, but she did not notice any man-made signs to guide her on different routes.
This forest was eerie and seemed to be alive. Birds were singing in the trees while squirrels chased each other playfully in the bushes. The fresh air cleared her worried mind, and for once she felt truly alive. What was it about this place that made her feel so…free?
She headed deeper and deeper into the woods and further away from society and her problems. Zoey had no idea how long she had been walking before she finally stopped to think. Where was she heading? How would she get home?
Zoey spun around to face the way she had come. She peered around frantically as she realized that everything looked the same, and she had no clue where to go. She had strayed from the footpath, and now she was lost.
Zoey drew a deep breath and told herself not to panic, but it was hard to remain calm when the sun was setting. It would be dark soon, and she couldn’t help but wonder what sort of predators came out at night.
Zoey touched her pocket that held the picture of the flower. She had left her handbag, with her cell phone inside, at the hospital, and she had no way of contacting anyone. She considered crying out for help but doing so would be futile. There was nothing to do but continue going. As she hiked, she tried to recall how big the forest was. Surely, they would have taught her this in school… But with her sister being ill, she had not been focused on her schoolwork at all.
How often did Eric enter the woods? She could only assume he hunted bears, boars, and foxes here. Thinking about those animals made her shiver. If they were to attack her, how would she defend herself? She was no fighter. Maybe she was being paranoid – wild animals didn’t just attack humans. They would be more scared of her than she was of them, or so she hoped.
The sun filled the sky with beautiful orange, red, and yellow hues as it set. Zoey was growing more nervous. Why had she been so stupid to come into the woods in the first place? She had seen plenty of flowers, and none of them even remotely resembled the one she needed.
Zoey cursed at herself for getting distracted by nature and straying from the footpath. Maybe she could find it again, and it would lead her home…
Zoey’s stomach rumbled, and her hopelessness grew. When she heard the rushing of water, she headed toward a small river where she wanted to throw herself on the ground and start crying. She tamped down her emotions, as she had for years. She was too strong to cry.
Two figures, their backs turned to her, appeared in the distance by the river. Two men! The one was bending down to drink water, while the other stood next to him. She assumed they were hikers and would be able to help her get home.
“Hey!” she shouted excitedly and ran toward them.
Both turned around, clearly caught off guard. When Zoey was close enough to get a good view, she stopped in her tracks. Her smile disappeared from her face as quickly as it had come. She felt her jaw drop and her hands shake.
They weren’t human.
The first one, who had been drinking water moments before, turned hateful predatory eyes toward her. His pupils dilated like those of a hungry lion. His hair was the color of a sandstorm, and his eyes were the darkest blue she had ever seen. His eyes were slits, like those of a cat, and two fangs poked out beneath his lips. His ears were long and pointy, devil-like.
The one standing had piercing, light-blue eyes and hair as white as snow that stood up like dangerously sharp ice crystals from his head. They had no bags with them – to carry food or water bottles – and they weren’t dressed like hikers, either. They each wore long pants that hugged their muscular thighs but flared out from the knees down. The one by the water’s shirt was un-tucked and the other was wearing a black shirt that contrasted his snowy hair.
Zoey’s eyes went to the white-haired one’s mouth and she almost cried out. His lips were slightly parted, and they revealed two needle-like canines. Something told her he could rip out her throat if he wanted to.
They were Fata, the creatures she had heard about. They were the center of all stories told about this forest, and she was trespassing on their lands.
Zoey took a wary step backward and realized they looked as surprised to see her as she was to see them. There was no way she was staying to ask for directions. Legend had it that Fata were fast, much faster than humans, and she would not be able to outrun them. But she was going to try.
The white-haired Fata stormed toward her, so Zoey turned around and sprinted away. She was like a weak, helpless deer running from a snow leopard. Then she heard a clasping sound, followed by a loud cry and a thump.
“Rane!” he cried out in pain.
Zoey stopped and turned around to see what had happened. She had put some distance between them, but still felt scared and vulnerable. The white-haired Fata had fallen and remained on the ground as his left foot was caught in a bear trap. The trap was made of iron – which, according to folklore, was deadly to his kind. A burning smell reached Zoey, which made her wonder if it was his leg.
Rane, the Fata with the sandstorm hair, was kneeling at his friend’s side. He reached for the trap but the moment he touched it, his skin burned – as if he was touching a fire. He yanked away his hands, and the wind carried the burnt scent all the way to Zoey.
“Don’t touch it again,” the snowy Fata said.
This was the perfect moment to run because it was clear that Rane was not going to leave his friend. His friend would also not be able to escape, and Zoey could not help but wonder if he would die there. She did not care about him – she did not even know him – but she could not help but feel Rane’s pain. He looked so hopeless and sad – just like she was when it came to saving her sister.
Zoey drew a deep breath and cautiously approached them. Both watched her as she drew near, and their eyes made her want to flee like a skittish gazelle.
“If you move away, I will help him.” She found the courage to look into Rane’s eyes. She did not want him close enough to touch her. For a moment, she thought he would refuse, but then he took a few steps backward.
“Further away,” she said.
He cocked his head and pressed his lips together. He was clearly displeased, but also desperate for her help. He walked backward, and when he stopped, Zoey decided there was enough distance between them. A glance didn’t reveal any weapons on them, but their nails were so sharp, she doubted they needed any knives.
The one who was caught in the bear trap could also hurt her or even kill her with his bare hands.
She looked back, considering running away after all. Rane took a step forward as if he knew what she was thinking and was planning on stopping her.
“Don’t come closer,” she said, proud that her voice didn’t shake.
He raised an eyebrow and stepped back again.
Zoey drew a shaky breath and approached the trapped Fata. She trod carefully on the grass, as if she were walking on ice. When she was close to him, he moved his arm, and she jumped backward. Her heart beat frantically in her ears.
Run, run, run, a small voice in the back of her mind said.
His piercing blue eyes met hers in a silent plea for help. There was no going back now, she decided as she bent down. The bear trap’s iron teeth were deep in his leg and there was so much blood Zoey wondered if the bone was broken. She reached for the trap, and the Fata made no attempt to touch her. He was as still as the moon.
Eric had taught her that bear traps had two springs, one on each side. To release the trap, all she had to do was push those springs down. Zoey put her hands on the springs and pushed. As the trap opened, her hand slipped, and the trap’s jaws clasped around his leg again.
The white-haired Fata groaned, and Rane took a worried step forward. His skin sizzled from the iron, and she wondered if he would cry out in pain after she set him free. Maybe he bottled up his pain, like she did.
She bit her lip and tried again. Opening the trap required physical strength, and it made her realize just how weak, just how human she was. When she opened the trap, he reached for his leg, and she almost fell over thanks to the unexpected movement.
As he moved his leg away, Rane quickly closed the distance between them. He had moved unnaturally fast and was right in front of Zoey. She shot to her feet and started running again.
“Leave her,” the white-haired Fata commanded.