Revenance

Chapter 1

The dead roots curling over the ground crunched under Mira's shoes as she carefully made her way through the leafless trees surrounding her. Fog and mist drifted through the air, water droplets sprinkling her nose and cheeks.

Mira clutched her red cloak tightly, shivering as the breeze ran through her, sending a chill down her spine. It was thin and about a couple years too small, but her mother had no material left to make her a new one.

The trees around her seemed endless, and even when she looked behind herself, she couldn't tell which direction she'd come from. And the silence that was woven through the trees didn't help. She couldn't hear the river or any sound of the village's activity.

As she pressed forward, Mira couldn't shake the feeling that there was someone nearby. There was no wildlife around and she'd left the village alone while everyone was busy. Her mind went through all of the possibilities, from her brothers messing with her to wolves stalking her.

She shook her head and tried to move more quickly. If she could find the river, she'd be able to find her way back.

The breeze whispering through the trees soon became a stronger gust of wind and Mira felt as though long lost voices were being carried on it around her. She held her arms over her face and stopped by a tree, waiting for the wind to die down around her.

As the wind slowed, she closed her eyes and let out a small breath of relief as she clutched her cloak.

"Are you lost?"

The voice came from nowhere, shocking Mira to the core, as she hadn't heard anyone's footsteps approaching. Her eyes flew open and she whirled around, looking for where the voice had come from. Mira had almost missed him; a strange man wrapped in a torn cloak standing almost as tall as the trees. He was wearing a deer skull and the eyes were completely black and hollow, though Mira could swear she could see a little white light in each one.

Breathlessly, she nodded. "Yes, I am."

The man stepped forward and she flinched. His presence felt heavy, though his cloak and the torn pieces of cloth attached to it seemed to float behind him. He leaned forward, so as to look at Mira more closely.

She held her breath. "What ... what are you...?" she whispered. He stared at Mira, and she couldn't tell whether or not he heard her question. Their faces were probably inches apart.

He stood up straight once again. "What are you doing out here?"

"Oh... well I ... I just wanted to find something for my mother."

"What are you looking for?"

"Chokeberries..."

He stared at her for another moment before moving past her. "Come with me."

Mira nodded quickly and began following him. "Oh! Do you know where they are?"

"Of course I do."

As she followed him, she noticed how his footsteps were silent, and although he seemed to be walking just like anyone else would, it looked as though he was drifting over the ground.

"What's ... what's your n-name?" she asked.

He didn't answer her, and only carried on walking through the trees. Mira fell silent after that, and merely continued following him.

The forest no longer seemed so silent. Mira could hear the sound of grass rustling around her and the distant sound of birds. She felt that she could let out a sigh of relief and that the pressure of the silence on her chest had lifted.

The fog began to clear and she had a better view of the forest around her. Dead leaves littered the forest floor and bushes were devoid of any life. This was how winters were. Completely lifeless and dark, like a tragedy had swept through, stripping the forest of everything and leaving nothing but darkness and monsters. Mira hated the winter for that reason.