He glimpsed movement from across the clearing. Thinking it strange that there might be anyone else in these woods, he ventured closer. He realized that the surrounding forest was devoid of its usual noises. The customary chattering of the birds and animals was gone and in its place an odd silence. He traversed the leaf-strewn ground as quietly as he could. There was a deep chill in air, beyond what would be expected on a crisp fall day. He crouched behind a tree and finally laid eyes on the creature that had so disturbed his forest.
She had her back to him. His first thought was to wonder who would wear a gown of such a shimmering white while wondering in the woods, She meandered alongside a spring which had been reduced to a trickle in the absence of rainfall. He could see the fabric ripple with every breath of the wind and the hem brushed along the dried grass. Her feet were bare and tread the ground with barely a sound. Her hair was dark as night, yet shone with an odd luminescence. It cascaded to the small of her back. The tension had grown in his legs from crouching, to relieve the strain he fell back on his heals. There was a horrendously loud crack as his heal snapped a dry twig. Her head snapped around to look in the direction of the noise, in the direction of his hiding place. He drew in his breath, then released quietly as he could. He felt his heart race and thought it impossible that anybody in the vicinity could not hear it pound its agitated beat.
Now he could see her face. Her skin was oddly pale and gleamed as though touched by moonlight and glowed in contrast to the dusky forest surrounding her. Her eyes were an odd icy blue that he had never seen before and were now focused in his direction. Her lips were pale and drawn tightly together. She had stopped walking and was now standing there facing him. He felt his chest tighten. He thought of running but knew that she would see him. He knew the forest but he had never seen anyone move through it the way she did. He knew that no amount of running would let him escape those piercing eyes. She took one slow step in his direction and he felt his heart pound, trying to escape his chest. She began striding toward him. He could not keep looking into those brilliant eyes so instead he watched her feet as they made each confident step. As she drew closer, he noticed with astonishment that as she walked she left a coating of frost on the grass she tread over.
She stopped a few feet in front of the tree he had hid behind. He felt a chill run throughout his body as he felt compelled to rise. He stood and stepped from behind the shelter of the tree trunk. Now he was caught in the full force of her eyes. She closed the gap between them and whispered, “Now what do we have here?”
He couldn't respond. There were no words. His mind was blank. There was nothing except for those eyes that held him motionless.
“What to do with you,” she murmured to herself.
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