Bloody Raven in the Shadow

White clouds in the forest

Regina decided to rest for the night on a small ledge. It was significantly less safe than the cave, but having a cave was a luxury. The sun went down bright red on the horizon.

"We will sleep here!" she then explained to others. Relief spread across Snow White's face, Alice immediately surveyed the area. The woman found it a funny difference. The princess who was happy to relax and the witch who immediately looked for possible escape routes.

"I'll get some wood, I'll be right back if something happens just scream," she said to the younger one, who nodded immediately.

It didn't take long to find enough wood for a small fire. The surroundings seemed calm. It was unlikely that soldiers were still scouring the forests in this area. Their target was not far away and everyone knew that although Feen were small and cute, they didn't want heavily armed soldiers traversing their forest. As a child, she had heard enough stories about the people to know what Harvey and Mary meant when they talked about the unkind ways of the beings. Some secrets should stay secrets. The queen just hoped they wouldn't meet too much resistance.When she returned to the group, Alice and Snow White were already sleeping shoulder to shoulder. Regina also found it difficult to keep her eyes open. Maybe the last few days had been a bit more strenuous than expected. Exhausted, she put the wood down and set about stacking it for a fire. Mary looked sleepily at the adult.

"You look tired," she commented.

"Yes..." slowly she laid her hand on the glass. "You know...I don't actually get tired...I'm trapped in a mirror. But even Rin and Harvey are asleep..." Medusa yawned heartily. Something in Regina's head was ringing. Something wasn't right about the situation, but the weariness settled like a fog in her mind. "It was the same last time..." Mary's voice whispered, echoing repeatedly in the adults' ears. With all her might she tried to draw a conclusion. But her eyes just closed like that and before she knew it she fell asleep.

Soft laughter, bright, at the same time distant and muffled, echoed in my ears. I jerked my head up in fright. Who was there? I looked at a white wall. I blinked a few times in confusion and held up my hand. No, it wasn't a wall. It was fog. Fog so white and thick that I could only faintly see my hand in front of me. The tiredness was gone. Mary had tried to say. It was impossible for them to be tired, but both of them had long since been unable to think straight. With a quick movement, I wiped the dirt from my face. I got up carefully, still feeling shaky and weak. I briefly let fire appear in my hand, but to my regret the light didn't come through the plumes and I let it go out again. I grabbed my sword, I didn't know the cause of all this. Was it the fairies or another creature playing a nasty trick on us? I carefully put one foot in front of the other.

"Mary?" I whispered my girlfriend's name and kept a tight grip on my gun. No answer, all true so unusual and creepy quiet. No sound. The rustling of the leaves beneath my feet and the pounding of my heart echoed loudly in my ears.

"Harvey?" I asked quietly. My voice echoed back to me on the trees. A loud crack echoed through the forest and made me wince in shock. It was a stick that I stepped on true. I held my sword so tight my fingers were white.

"Alice?" my voice only felt a tremor. The fear that something could jump out of the clouds at me at any time completely consumed me. Where were the others? Were they okay?

"Rin?" an arrow just missed my face and I immediately jumped behind a tree. My heart was pounding in my throat. Someone there! A soft buzzing sounded in my ear. I cautiously looked past the tree in the direction the bullet was coming from. There was someone. A shadowy figure. I blinked and suddenly she was gone. I gasp in shock. Something warm streamed past my ear. It was air. The breath of a being standing behind me. I turned around, trembling, half paralyzed with fear. I stared into the large, round, blue glowing eyes of a shadowy being. As our eyes met, there was a chattering sound. And in the brief moment I dared to blink again, it was gone. I drew air into my lungs and cried out in fear. Not many things scared me, but not a second later I was running through the woods. I didn't know what this being was true and I didn't want to know. Suddenly it was in front of me. I tripped and jumped back. I hurriedly ran in a different direction. Chattering and whirring echoed through the forest and now suddenly two of them heard it. They turned their heads curiously and moved towards me in snake-like movements. These big eyes fixed piercingly on me. I was frozen. Suddenly the figures blurred, the fog swirled and someone rushed towards me.

"REGINAA" screamed Alice, clutching the adult. For a few seconds she looked at the younger one, still paralyzed. "I woke up and then the mist and then the beings and... I AM SO GLAD TO FOUND YOU!"

"Now you're with me," she replied and let a flame appear in her hand. She had to protect the younger one at all costs. Now she wasn't alone anymore and didn't want to show fear under any circumstances. Despite her newfound courage, her hand was still shaking. "Stay behind me!" instructed the adult and she immediately stepped back. The chattering got louder again, these beings appeared again out of the fog. Watched her curiously out of his big, round eyes. The fire reflected flickering in their irises. Regina tightened her grip on the sword and took a step forward.

"Come closer and I will destroy you!" the Queen threatens and brandishes her gun. Not knowing if their pursuers understood them or could be defeated. All three of them synchronously tilted their heads and stared at her steadily. There was a hiss from them, and then another chatter. Faster and louder than before. Suddenly, more shadowy figures stepped out of the shadows toward them. All in chorus. The air vibrated around her, the older woman felt Alice move closer to her, clutching her dagger tightly.

"Destroy?" a voice echoed through the forest. Regina couldn't tell where she came from and who said that. The creatures grew louder, began to tremble, and approached. The blue eyes lost their color and turned bright white.

"Alice..." the adult whispers in a trembling voice, raising her hand with the flame a little higher.

"Yes?" answered the younger one in fear. Regina sheathed her sword, reached back with her now free hand and felt her companion grab it.

"RUN!" she screamed, throwing the flames in an arc at the shadowy figures and running, clutching the witch's hand tightly. They sped through the forest as fast as they could. They had to get out of here somehow. somewhere. No matter where just away from this place and these beings.

A weight tore the adult backwards. A scream came from behind her, Alice was fallen behind. Immediately she knelt in front of the girl. The younger sat trembling on the floor.

"LEAVE ME! ESCAPE! I WILL NOT HELP YOU!" she screams desperately. Roots held the witch in place, wrapping themselves tighter and tighter around her legs and arms. She gasped in pain. Tears dripped onto the bare ground.

"I won't leave you behind!" hisses the queen and grabs the dagger. Without hesitation, Regina slices through the roots with fire. Like serpents, these withdrew. The chatter gets louder. Hissing and rushing echoes through the fog. Regina pulled the younger one to her feet, but she winces, shakes her head and sinks to the ground again.

"I can't...it hurts too much...RUN!" the witch desperately pushes her away, but the adult relentlessly grabs the girl's hands.

"We'll get through this together," she replies resolutely.

"Now hold on tight!" she turns her back to Alice. Without a word, she grabs her shoulders and the dark-haired one lifts her up. Menacingly close, the creatures reappeared and came closer and closer. Without hesitation, Regina ran on, holding the younger one as tight as she could. Branches and twigs slapped her face, but she didn't stop. Like a dark thundercloud, the figures follow her with a loud roar.

"IT'S GETTING MORE!" yelled the witch and clutched the fabric tighter.

"We can do it," gasps the queen, jumping over a fallen tree stump. The ground beneath their feet softened, the fog thickened. She didn't know if they were going in the right direction, but she knew they would make it. They just had to make it. She fervently hoped that the others were safe. Suddenly another creature appeared just in front of her. It tilted, for head, blinked at her. Her heart was beating so hard she felt like it would burst. Alice cried out in shock and without stopping, Regina ran in a different direction. The rumble grew louder and closer.

"WAIT!" the voice boomed again through the forest.

"YOU SHOULD WAIT!" it roars again, the whole floor shaking at the volume. The shadowy figures made a shrill sound. The younger one clutched her shoulder even tighter and cried out in fear.

'I can do it!' she encouraged herself and the next moment she lost her balance. The ground gave back under her feet. Startled, she gasped, tried to grab a low-hanging branch, but it was too late.

"REGINA!" Alice's voice shrilled beneath her. She hit the wet ground hard. Tried to find a hold To regain orientation, but in vain. Her hands met the void, falling further and further down. A rock hit her head and she lost consciousness.