AMNESIA'S TYRANNY

Chapter 23 | A Damsel That Bites Back

It was freezing.

The cold's fierce, gnarly talons gnashed and raked through her skin- freezing her flesh and leaving her to shiver and cry.

In every direction she turned- the forest looked just as unending and eerie.

Through her cold suffering, she forgot which direction Vor went and where they came from. Her feet were free from binds, but her wrists were tied, and her mouth was covered. Fortunately, her breath blowing into the cloth kept her face warm.

Hovering her feet off the ground, trying to keep them as warm as possible, she'd try to decide on a course of action.

Running in a random direction and hoping for the best was a bad idea. She definitely wouldn't make it in this cold. Lily thought of setting up a small fire. She'd need to make a small foundation, small sticks, and dry kindling. 
Wiggling her fingers, Lily pulled at the bindings. They tightened- but she pulled the knot closer. She tediously worked at it until she could pull one last time, and they came undone. She wasn't dying here- not today.

A twig snapped to the left of her.

She whipped her head toward it, noticing a tall man standing nearby. Perking, she'd wave and muffle a small plea for help.

His eyes, a murky montone green, grew wicked. He'd throw his head back and laugh.

"How ironic." His gravely, deep, and uneven voice droned on, "The lamb pleading for help from the wolf."

Fuck. Her eyes widened, recognizing that this may be the man terrorizing the children. She truly did lure him out.

His hair was a dark brown, but she noticed strange strands of platinum white hidden amongst his locks. He wore a black suit, large snow boots, and a long cloak to keep him warm. His clothing was... weird.

One of his hands trembled as it gripped onto a small, ornate box. Peaking under the lid were drops of blood, only making her wonder what could possibly be in the box.

"So pitiful and weak." He cooed dangerously, "Look at you. Oh, how the queen has fallen."

Lily pushed herself away- the snow stinging into the bottom of her bare feet. "Now that you're a mortal- you can die!" He'd cackle, taking slow steps toward her.

She muffled soft pleas, struggling to understand him.

"You deserve to die PAINFULLY. I want you to ROT in HELL for what you did to my love." He snapped, talking quickly like a madman.

The malicious man lept forward, grabbing her forearms, which made her muffle a scream. Lily grabbed a sharp rock sitting next to her, stabbing it into his forearm.

He yelped in pain, losing his grip on the woman.

Lily valued her life too much. It was clear he didn't expect a gentle woman like her to defend herself, so his stagger did her a favor.

She pushed herself away and stumbled onto her feet. She tried to pull off the cloth as she ran, but it was tied too tight. She'd have to pull it off when she wasn't running for her life.

"PUTE!" The man yowled in a language she didn't understand. "JE VAIS TE TUER!"

She kept running and running, only thinking about getting away. The cold seared its teeth into the soles of her feet, the cold breeze blowing past her pale and exposed skin. The oversized shirt and boxers weren't doing much for her.
The Canadian pine trees passed by her repeatedly, all looking the same. It felt like a nightmare- running away but never getting far. She could only begin to plead, asking anything and anyone to help her. The cloaked man couldn't save her now.

As if her pleas were answered- a tiny cabin, clearly uninhabited, showed up amongst the trees. As she got closer- her eyes sparkled at the sight of a bow and quiver leaning against the structure.

She reached it in seconds, coming to an immediate stop and shakily picking it up. Adrenaline ran through her blood- the cold was temporarily forgotten.

The man in pursuit was far enough behind for her to arm herself.

She can only hope this can save her life.