Into the Deep Wood

Val did not know why the men suddenly moved so fast, gathering the camp and missing certain items in their haste. But she joined them.

Neither one spoke. Just hurried. They’d taken off at an almost jog. Val could not keep up and soon fell behind. When Marat noticed, he stopped, waving her forward.

“We have to go, girl. Now.” He said, short of breath.

She worriedly looked at Erlan as she struggled to catch up. He, too, shared his brother's expression- she realized they were afraid.

And that, in turn, had made her even more terrified. Her saviors, who had not shown a weakness or a fault in their resolve in days, were scared of something.

Erlan saw that she did not understand why they had to run.

“Owlet,” he pleaded, “this compass that we have - it always points toward her. It no longer points at where we left the body.”

To say that fear had gripped her insides anew would be an understatement. A vision of the Hag descending upon her overwhelmed her mind, momentarily rendering her unable to move. And then, as if stung - she took off.

Val no longer had trouble keeping up with them, the adrenaline in her body overcoming her fatigue or weakness. The scream, the shriek, plummeting toward her in the dark, rang inside her head. And she ran as if it was that night she left.

They’d been at it for hours, only occasionally slowing to a walk, the brothers looking at the compass and arguing out of earshot.

The needle kept changing direction.

“She makes jumps, looking for us. We cannot run as fast as she can shift the forest.” Erlan said, his face pained with worry.

“We aren’t far now.” Marat looked around. The trees were thinner here. Sparse even. “She cannot go beyond the woods.” But his mannerisms did not convey that he strongly believed his own words.

“You think she cannot,” Erlan was getting mad, “You and I both know that you can’t be certain.”

Val had overheard those words. She felt like throwing up. Her stomach dropped, and her limbs felt weak. A tingle at the back of her head told her that she may lose consciousness at any minute. She found that everything inside her depended on the brothers now.

Were the Hag to catch up to them, Val would be lost.

Her eyes landed on what looked to be… familiar…

A recognition. The pattern of the trees. As if she’d dreamt of it. Her eyes widened still, and she remembered… mushrooms…

The girl had suddenly taken off past them. Erlan and Marat, unprepared for this, ran after her. What had she done? Stupid, stupid, scared, doe. She could run right into the Glade.

Her strides got longer, panting, but she recognized the trees. Even if she tried, she could not explain why, but she’d known these woods. This was not the Deep Wood anymore. This was the forest she had walked a thousand times. And just ahead-

She’d burst from the woods - her legs giving out, and she tumbled into the grasses, never so happy to have nearly twisted an ankle or hit the ground full force. Behind her the two brothers breached the treeline and dove on the ground beside her, winded, exhausted beyond what they had ever felt before. All three breathed hard.

Inside her swelled triumph - she was free.

“Val…” between wheezing breaths, they heard it as if the wind had carried words to them.

“What?” Erlan breathed out, his eyes closed, trying to steady himself.

“My name… it’s Val…”