Enna and the Mindflayer

Part I

Cold. The feeling washed over Enna as she stood in her family's ballroom, her gown of gold and forest green swaying as she spun to determine the origin of the phantom wind. Her hands clutched her arms and a slight shiver traveled down the length of her back as the chilled breeze again washed over her. Out of the corner of her eye, Enna glimpsed a shadow of movement. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, her gaze now focused on a painting of her family's many lands. Or rather, what lie within the image.

Enna took a delicate step toward the painting, and her eyes scanned the various shades of green for any hint of movement. As she stared the colors within the painting began to swirl. Enna's hands moved to her head as she grimaced; unexplained pain shot behind her eyes, darkening her vision.

She blinked twice, opening her eyes to see a tendril of vine loop around the painting thirty paces away. She didn't have time to scream, couldn't will herself to react, as all at once a deluge of darkness curled with claws of vines rushed from the painting right in her direction-

Enna awoke with a gasp- or tried to. Her eyes widened frantically as she felt the gag in her mouth and beheld a mist of stars overhead.

Arms. She was being carried. Enna lifted her eyes, but her captor's face was cloaked in night. She thrashed and flailed her limbs to no avail.

As Enna attempted to kick free, arms of inhuman strength held her in place. Her eyes darted to the side surveying her surroundings. She recognized first the maple trees standing in a line, their leaves already lost to the season. Craning her neck slightly to the left, she beheld the ivory steps to her family's residence, illuminated by moonlight. A spark of hope took root at that sight, and Enna shifted in her captor's arms, her back a bit straighter. They were just outside the front door; someone was sure to notice her kidnapping.

As she continued to turn her head, her eyes at once settled on two figures standing upon those glowing steps. Enna began to cry out behind her gag until she observed the expression on her parents' faces. They were no more than twenty paces away, the slight points of their high elf ears visible in the near-darkness. Upon their faces were gleeful smiles.

Tears of anger pricked her eyes as Enna tore her gaze from the family who abandoned her. Her captor paused midstep, glancing down as if to assess her. Two pale eyes peered down from a face framed by tentacles. Enna at once lifted her chin and met the eyes of the mindflayer, and she was not afraid.