Tales Across Crimson Cove (Anthology)

Part 1: The Dark Grove

Excerpt: The First Prey of the Grove

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     "This tale has been passed down generation to generation for many years," the boy begins, "it all started here in Crimson Cove County back when it was called New River Point in 1864, way before the Crimson family settled here. Our tale follows the only child of the Kobayashi family, a daughter named Maigo..."

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Little Maigo Kobayashi was running through New River Point some time near Midnight during a blinding green fog that seemed to shimmer in the lifeless night that masked the whole town. A terrified look was plastered upon her face, the total opposite of her smiley face the town folks knew her to always wear. Maigo ran up to several homes banging on their doors, but no one came. She screamed for help, she screamed that someone was chasing her, but still no one came.

As Miago ran up towards another set of houses she saw shadows blow out candles before she could reach them, that's when she knew no one was going to help her. Rescue her.

Tears were already running down her face from the pain of her legs aching with each stride she took. But now the tears were a steady stream that mixed with her snot that ran over her upper lip and into her opened mouth as she took in quick breaths.

Maigo tried to run to her home, but she couldn't make out right or left due to the thick fog that grew thicker by the second. She heard footsteps echo all around her but couldn't tell where they were coming from: behind or the side of her. Her thoughts raced to the most terrifying conclusions if she was to be caught by her assailant.

She thought: would they cut her up into tiny little bite sized pieces, so they could eat her for breakfast the next morning. Or would they hang her up from the trees like some bodies a group of her friends showed her at the end of town near the thick Grove. She remembered seeing red liquid splatter onto the leaves below the bodies. The whole scene then made her sick to her stomach.

Just the mere thought of that happening to her made something crawl up her throat and nearly out of her mouth, but she was able to choke the burning liquid down as she ran. Ran for her life.

Without realizing she ran all the way to the end of town and right into the Grove, where the green fog seemed to spill out from. Maigo thought to turn around and run the other way, but she heard a twig snap nearby. For a quick second she thought it was her heart finally breaking, but fortunately, or unfortunately, for her it was still slamming against her chest as she ran. That just means her terror will continue.

As Maigo ran through the Grove leaves, twigs, and pine needles snapped and cracked under her feet. The Grove was so dark that she nearly ran into a large tree. She came to a slow-paced run when she realized that it was hard for her to see in the grove, so it could be just as difficult for her assailant. She stopped running and hid behind some large bushes. She was finally able to catch her breath. She subbed with each breath she took. She tried to settle her nerves to stop subbing by taking in deep breaths in and out through her nose trying as little to make no

sound as possible.

Maigo thought she outran who, or whatever, was chasing her. She was wrong. Dead wrong. She heard heavy footsteps that echoed all around in the Grove. The footsteps seemed to circle her, and they were moving closer and closer, closing in around her.

Mago thought the footsteps didn't sound human at all. They sounded heavy and menacing. They sounded like they could end little Maigo with one stomp. That's what ran through Maigo's mind at the time.

She pulled her knees into her chest; she was shaken with fear. She was panting heavily, so she tried to steady her heart to calm her breathing as cold sweat ran down her face and mixed with her tears. Snot started flowing heavily down the side of her mouth. The footsteps got even closer now like they were right there on the other side of the bushes. Maigo held her breath by covering her mouth with both hands.

After what felt like an eternity the footsteps moved away from her. She heard them fade deeper into the Grove. She finally was able to relax and let out a breath of relief. As she took deep breaths in and out, she felt warm air on her left shoulder.

Frozen with fear, she moved her eyes to see what was breathing on her... It was a large gray lion-like head with a shaggy black main with matching green eyes like the shimmering fog. She was so scared that her hair started to turn from jet black to ghostly white and grew about a foot or two long down her back from the shoulder length she's been famously known for having.

A lengthy boney hand with long claws gripped her right shoulder. At that moment Maigo's soul literally shot out of her being, when she let out a blood curdling scream that echoed within and out of the Grove. Unknown to the people and Maigo's parents that would be the last time they would ever hear from little Maigo Kobayashi. The girl was never seen again since that night the green shimmering fog visited New River Point.

~~~

"There you have it, the tale of the first prey of the Grove," the boy finishes.

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