Arranged

by Spears, Jessica

  The room was nearly pitch-black. She had to give her eyes time to adjust. Then she saw him, her uncle's sleeping form in his huge bed. She palmed the dagger and crept forward.

  She normally wasn't a violent person; but the thought of waking him up with a knife to his throat did sound appealing for a moment. She'd demand that Jackson call off the arranged marriage. But he would probably have her arrested as soon as he got the chance. Besides, she could never go through with it. She really wasn't a violent person.

  She reached the bed, staring down at his sleeping form. He had a slight snore to his breathing. The tension between her shoulders lessened slightly, his breathing meant he was sleeping deeply. His arm was strewn over his eyes, while the blankets were pulled up to his chin.

  She leaned closer, eyeing the simple string he kept his key on. She gently pulled the blankets down and licked her dry lips. Her breath froze in her lungs as she reached across his form and took the string between her fingers. Very gently, she tugged the string until the key peeked out from under his shirt. Her hands shook slightly as she gripped the dagger. On the count of three, she sliced the string, hoping the sound didn't wake Jackson.

  He snorted slightly, but slept on. She took a slow breath and pulled the key until it was off the string. With a slight sigh of relief, she palmed the key and the dagger and turned quickly to leave. In the process, her foot caught the rug and she was sent flying. The dagger skidded across the floor and she fell with an "oof!".

  She clamped her mouth shut as she froze. When she slowly turned her head, Jackson was sitting up in bed, his eyes darting around the room. It took her a second to realize that he couldn't see her. Her forest green cloak was covering her well. She remained frozen.

  He looked around again, finally relaxing and laying back down. She stayed where she was for ten minutes. As soon as his snores filled the air, she dared to move. The key had made an imprint in her hand from how tightly she had held it. She made her way to the door, keeping low to the ground. Without one last glance at her uncle, she slipped into the hallway.

  She took a deep breath, trying to steady her shaky nerves. That was much too close. She pushed herself off the wall, heading for the stairs again. The longer she stayed in the house, the more she felt as though she were going to be caught. So, she hurried down the stairs, skipping the fifth and nearly running to her uncle's office. She was getting a serious case of the nerves.

  She jammed the key into the oak desk and opened the drawer. Many papers lay inside. She shuffled through a few of them, but she was growing very anxious. So she took all of them, shoving them in her already full pack. She didn't bother to shut and lock the drawer, when Jackson woke up he would find her missing. Then he would discover the missing key. She wished she could see his face. He had put her through so much these past few days.

  She slung her pack over her shoulder and crept through the halls to the back door. She opened it quietly, looking around. Her uncle had set up guards, but they were all posted in the front, below her window. She smiled at her luck as the moon shone the way to the woods. Today was the beginning of a new life for her.

  She closed the door to the manor behind her and without a backward glance, she stepped into the trees.

  The canopy of trees blocked most of the moonlight; however, Alison still managed to make her way through the woods. She picked her way over branches and through bushes. Her nerves made her move quickly through the dark, putting as much distance between the manor and herself as possible. Her pack was heavy, but she didn't mind, inside she had everything she needed for her escape.

  Eyes as dark as tar, caught a glimpse of movement through the trees. The creature slinked forward, blending perfectly into its surroundings.

  Alison rested against a tree, not knowing that she was being watched. She let her pack rest on the ground as she leaned against the trunk trying to catch her breath.

  A second creature joined the first, peering around at the resting girl. "Qwessannsssa badeaaaa essss raaaaaa," one hissed to the other. Without pausing, the second to arrive took off into the trees, a blur of gray.

  It easily leapt over logs and skidded past trees, rushing to a strange rock face. It slipped through an invisible doorway and entered a series of caves. In a faster blur, it navigated through the shadows until it arrived at a large gate. The gate stood taller than five men.

  The gate opened for the creature and it lost no time rushing into an underground city, searching for its master.

  Alison fought off sleep. She pushed herself up from the trunk, forcing herself to keep going. Her fingers circled the strap of her pack and slung it over her shoulder. She had only walked a few feet when she caught a blur out of the corner of her eye. She studied the trees, but couldn't see anything. She shook off the feeling of paranoia and continued through the dark.

  Another blur. Her head snapped to follow it. She stared at the trees, hard. Through the dark she could barely make out the forms of the trees and shrubs. Then she saw something. She stared harder, her eyes making out a skinny body and eyes as dark as the night around them, staring back at her. She gasped as the creature crept closer, silently.

  Without another thought, she took off into the trees. She heard a strange hissing behind her, but she didn't dare look back. She dodged trees, holding her pack close so it wouldn't bounce and slow her down as she ran. Her cloak billowed behind her.

  What is that? She thought as she ran in fear.

  She heard more hissing and finally glanced back, wishing she had never done such a thing. Her heart leapt into her throat as she spotted three creatures chasing her, and gaining. She screamed and dodged to the right, hoping to throw them off her trail. They stayed right with her.

  Her foot caught a root hidden by the underbrush, and she stumbled, dropping her bag. Their hisses grew louder and she scrambled up, leaving her bag. She ran for her life.

  Without the added weight of the pack, she ran much faster. She knew she needed the bag, but she needed to get away first. Again, she changed direction, diving behind a tree before they could see her. She held her breath, her heart beating wildly in her chest as they ran past, not seeing her. For the second time that night, she thanked her green cloak.

  She ran the other way, back towards her pack. However, she was helplessly lost. The woods looked completely different in the dark. The creatures had more than likely realized they were chasing nothing. Before she went any farther, she spotted a tree that she could easily climb. She hoisted herself up, wrapping her cloak around her.

  Her whole body was shaking from the amount of adrenaline rushing through her system. She tried to steady her ragged breathing, but her lungs couldn't get enough oxygen. Suddenly, a strange silence settled over the woods and Alison knew they were coming.

  Moments later, a blur of gray passed below the tree. Her eyes widened in fear. It scared her more that she could not see what was chasing her. A few more blurs went by and she stayed where she was.

  Too soon, they returned to the tree. How do they know where I am? She thought. She silently curled her legs in, making her smaller against the trunk. They circled back a few times, each time growing closer to the tree as they slowed down. Finally, one stopped below her tree, lifting its head in a strange up and down motion. After a moment, she realized that it was sniffing the air.

  Her heart stopped as she stared at it. It seemed as if time had slowed down. She watched as it lifted its head more, its pitch black eyes taking her in. Its mouth opened in a strange hiss at its discovery. She had to act fast, or be eaten by the creature. So, she did the first thing that came to mind and jumped out of the tree, onto the creature.

  She felt its body crumble under hers. She recovered quickly, running into the forest before the others could catch her. They were faster than she thought. They found the unconscious creature and shrieked in anger. Alison pushed herself, her muscles burned, but she ran on. She never should have left the manor. She didn't even know where her bag was. She felt complet
ely lost, only driven by the need to survive.

  She heard an angry shriek not too far behind her and turned her head. The other two were making their way through the trees, quickly. Her breath was coming in gasps, but she ignored it. They were getting closer; she could hear them right behind her now. She tried desperately to lose them.

  She glanced back again, and found that it was only one now. Where is the other one? She wondered. Had she outrun it? She didn't have too much time to ponder, because the one behind her had a sudden burst of speed and touched her.

  Her blood ran cold with fear and a new shot of adrenaline raced through her. She pulled ahead, if only by a few feet. The creature that had gone missing suddenly appeared in the trees ahead of her. She screamed and swerved, nearly running into a tree in her haste. She regained her step and ran. Again one fell behind, but the one that had touched her, picked up speed, catching up to her easily. It almost seemed as if they were playing with her.

  The moon broke through the trees ahead; she headed full speed toward the clearing. The creature hissed behind her, touching her again. She could feel its fingers on her shoulder. Then her eyes widened in fear, they were coming to a cliff, very quickly. The reason she could see the moon was because the trees parted in a deep ravine. She tried to stop, but the dirt and leaves beneath her did nothing for traction.

  She screamed as her feet fell out from under her, her hands flailing for something to hold onto. The creature behind her slipped too and hissed, spotting the ravine too late. It stumbled over Alison, trying to grab onto her to stop its fall.

  Alison's fingers dug into the dirt, trying to stop from going over the edge. Then finally, her hand surrounded a root. She grabbed it for dear life. Her already wounded hand scrapped along the hard root causing her to grit her teeth against the pain. The creature's fingers brushed her ankle. She screamed and kicked frantically, sending the creature careening head over heels down into the ravine.

  Her heart was racing wildly as she pulled herself out of the ravine. She had stopped just in time; her waist was dangling over the edge. Her muscles bulged with effort as she pulled herself out, coughing up leaves and dirt.

  Once she was safe, she turned to look down the deep ravine. The creature was sprawled over the sharp rocks at the bottom, perfectly still. She pushed herself too her knees, her body fatigued from all the running, her adrenaline dwindling. She used the tree as a brace as she stood and gasped in pain, her leg nearly buckling beneath her. Somehow, she had broken her ankle. She slowly put weight on it, testing, and she buckled.

  She hobbled a few feet. If she had to travel at this rate, she would never get far enough from the manor, and she couldn't outrun those creatures. They would find her.

  She brought her palms up, most of the bandages had been torn off and her cuts reopened. She curled and stretched her fingers, wincing in pain. This escape was not going as planned, at all.

  Tears stung her eyes, but she fought them with all the strength she had left. Now was not the time to cry, she needed to get herself to safety.

  She pushed herself on, hopping mostly on one foot. She used the trees for a brace, ignoring the sharp pain coming from her hands every time she grabbed a branch. Thinking of a plan, she made her way into the trees. She figured the other creature wouldn't find her in the dense mess.

  Too soon, she heard a mournful wail that chilled her to the bone. She assumed that the other creature had found the body in the ravine. She pushed herself onward as quickly as she could manage, which wasn't very fast.

  Again, she underestimated her pursuers. She saw a blur of gray out of the corner of her eye and tried not to whimper. In this state, she had no chance against them. Her eyes scanned the forest floor, spotting a nice sized branch broken from the tree. She picked it up, ignoring the pain. She held the branch like a weapon, her eyes darting around. Hissing sounded at her side. She turned, swinging her stick. Nothing was there. More hissing behind her. She swung. Nothing.

  Her throat was dry with fear. She couldn't see her attacker. Her body froze, listening. Soft padding of feet sounded to her left. Before the creature could even hiss, she swung and turned. It ducked just in time, hissing angrily at her.

  Her eyes grew wide as she got her first good look at one of the creatures. It was slightly shorter than she was. Its skin was almost black. There was a strange hump on its left shoulder and it had an enlarged left arm. Three fingers on each hand, one ear larger than the other, and eyes as black as the night sky completed the creature. It looked so awkward. She was surprised that it could run so fast.

  After her quick perusal, she raised the branch again. The creature opened its mouth, revealing tiny sharp teeth and a strange forked tongue. It hissed, its tongue lifting. Before she could bring her stick down on top of it, the creature sprayed her with a strange slime. It landed on her face, covering her nose and mouth. She dropped the stick, screaming. However, the sound was muffled by the slime that was quickly beginning to harden.

  She tried to suck in a breath, but could barely get air. What she sucked in was a strange sulfur smell. Almost instantly, she began to feel lightheaded. Her hands tried desperately to rip the hardened slime off, but it held tight.

  Her lightheadedness increased and she swayed on her feet. The creature just watched her. Her eyes felt heavy, but she knew that she couldn't fall asleep because that monster would eat her.

  Nevertheless, the slime had other plans. She collapsed to her knees, desperately trying to pull off the slime that was suffocating her. Her lungs burned and her eyes watered. She collapsed to her hands and knees, losing her strength. The world around her began to have white spots. She clutched her throat, fighting, but the substance won. She fell to the forest floor in a heap, searing white over taking her and her last ounce of strength. Her eyes closed.

  The ground under her seemed to be shaking, waking her from her white slumber. Her eyes fluttered open, frowning at her surroundings in confusion. It was dark, darker than the forest should be. There was a light ahead, and somehow, she was moving toward it. She tried to fight the fog in her mind and remember what had happened to her, but for the life of her, she couldn't recall. She went to rub her eyes, only to find that he hands were bound and connected to the ties that also bound her feet. She looked around wildly, only to find that she was being carried by a creature. Then it hit her. The chase, the ravine, the pain, the slime, she remembered everything. Her heart leapt as she began to struggle. The creature turned its pitch black eyes to her, making strange hissing sounds as its arms tightened around her. She tried to scream, but the slime was still covering her mouth, a portion of it had been removed from her nose so that she could breathe. If it wants to eat me, why did it let me live?

  She wasn't planning on sticking around to find out. She struggled more, flailing her legs and sucking in a quick breath of pain because of her ankle.

  The creature continued towards the light and her eyes widened as they took in two large doors covered in complex golden carvings and in the center shone a crest. She didn't have very much time to study it, because the gate began to open. Her eyes darted around wildly. Where is it taking me? The creature continued to tighten its hold on her, squeezing the life out of her. When she continued to struggle, it shifted her and slung her over its shoulder.

  She growled and tried to kick it with her good leg; however, as if sensing her weakness, it grabbed her broken ankle. She screamed in pain, no sound coming through the slime covering her mouth. Her captor got what it wanted; she stopped struggling.

  Now she could see the doors closing her in, a huge log sliding into place to lock it. Her heart raced in fear, she was surrounded by creatures. Three creatures had to push the log, each one strange, but Alison was not allowed a good look as the creature that was carrying her continued onward.

  They made their way through another cave then entered a cavern larger than any she'd ever seen. Her captor began to descend a long flight of stairs carved right into the rock face. The stairs line
d the cave wall all the way to the bottom.

  Alison swung her body in a desperate attempt to see where they were going. What she saw made her pause and question her sanity. A whole world resided in the cavern. She could see down the edge of the cliff of stairs they were on.

  Houses that seemed carved from rock were scattered around the cavern, each big enough to house a family of five or six. The cavern went deeper and deeper. It seemed impossible that something so big could exist without being detected.

  The creature shifted her to lie more comfortably on its shoulder and grunted as she gasped. Her eyes were taking in more. Lanterns were lit between a few houses. The "road" they were now walking on was made of packed dirt. As they passed houses, she spotted odd plants. They looked like bushes; however, they were giving off a strange glow.

  As she looked around, she noticed that almost every plant was glowing, some brighter than others. Then she realized that the cavern actually had no source of light, but the glowing gave a soft light to see by.

  Where am I? She wondered. There were many forms of…people? She looked closer. They weren't people, but more creatures. They were standing by their houses, as if they had come out just to see her.

  Alison's bravery began to dwindle as she noticed that the number of creatures continued to grow. She swallowed hard, fighting the feeling of crawling under a rock and staying there forever. She had to figure out a way to get out of this crazy place.

  How can a place like this even exist? She wondered. How could there be creatures here that no one knew about? She figured she was in a mountain of some sort or underground because the pressure around her had changed.

  However, there were more pressing issues at hand. The creature had stopped and was speaking to someone…or something was more like it. Alison tried to bend her body to see what was going on, but her captor merely gripped her tighter. She gasped in pain as it squeezed her ankle.

  Then they were moving again. For the second time, tears threatened to fall. She fought them back, knowing that her tears were the only thing she could control at the moment. More creatures gawked at her. Eventually she closed her eyes, trying to shut out everything that was going on around her. This is all a dream. I must have fallen and hit my head, she tried to reason with herself, but the throbbing in her ankle told her that this was real.