And there I sat, right on the edge of ‘the murders path’ crying, coughing, hell it was so bad I thought the man who dumped me would hear me, take pity on me, then say a stupid a** thing like, hey baby there’s plenty of me to go around, that man is such an a*****e. That is why when I heard the slow, light, and worry filled footsteps I couldn’t control my body as it intensified the weeping fit I was having. In between my sobs, tears, and coughing I managed to half yell, “Well what do you want? Come to finish shattering my heart?”
In response to my shaky yell the approaching footfalls ceased. After pausing a few moments from my relentless crying I noticed that I wasn’t hearing him turn around and start to walk away. Soon the razor sharp teeth in my mouth started to grind, which at least in my head, made a horrible sound like one of those horror movies that just seem to annoy instead of scare you. He just stood there waiting, preparing to take me in his arms and convince me that I needed him, that the only way for me to live was for him to take me back, he wanted to become a player yet still have me on his side, or at least by it. Ok, there’s only so much a girl can take before her patience runs dry, that was the last straw for me No way was I going to go through with that! With all my anger I raised my still quivering head to glare at the man who dumped me. So with all that I decided you can imagine how shocked I was when I saw it wasn’t him, instead I saw the back of a tall man looking about my age with a torn and ragged shirt, oh and what do you know he had pants that matched, his hair was long, white, and to be honest needed a good comb through. He wasn’t wearing any shoes, and from the looks of his feet hadn’t been wearing any for a while. That’s all the time I had of scanning him before the man I was observing quickly walked farther away from the path I had fallen on. It took my mind a second to register what I had just thought, walking away from the path, I tried to scramble to my feet which ended with me tripping over my left heeled foot and falling ungracefully on the ground. The man paused in mid-step while hooking his chin to where half of his face was my way. I couldn’t make out any of his facial features through the thick blanket of darkness. With a dorky half dumb-founded look I stuttered to him, “Y-you know that we aren’t supposed to stray on the paths outside the city borders otherwise the creatures in there will mistake you for hunters and kill you.” I barely even heard myself, wincing, I expected him to act like my father when I didn’t speak loud enough, or for that matter when I did anything he didn’t like, by glaring at me with steel-hardened eyes, calling me names, enjoying telling me how much of a screw up I was, and, of course my favorite, reminding me how much my mother would hate me if she were still alive.
He didn’t though, instead he simply changed the subject, “And why, young lady, are you outside your walled in fortress of a city at this hour of the rapidly decreasing day?” The silver haired mans voice was deep, rich, and stunning. It was during the following moments of silence that I finally registered what this stranger said was actually asking me a question. Still dumbstruck my mind scrambled to think of what he meant. Absently I took a step back and as you well know with the luck I’m having today caught the end of my dress with my shoe. Oh, and to top the whole thing off while this event was happening I was trying to give a reply. The result sounded something like this, “Uh I don’t think thaaaaaaaat” thus where I was cut off with an unladylike fall. As you know with my luck you can almost predict what’s going to happen next, yep, my dress ripped from the elegant folds of the back of my left leg then cured up the crack slowly turning into a small tear stopping just above the middle of my right well it’s in the chest area ok? Feeling my face start to warm I observed the stranger, he turned his body to face me but everything about him still blended with the shifting shadows. I could just imagine him smiling with that same glint seen in everyone’s eyes when I screw up. Not knowing what else to do I finished my reply, “I don’t think you should be off the path. Can’t you come closer so I can at least look at you when I’m talking?” He didn’t move at first and shifted uneasily from one foot to the next as if this were a hard decision.
Trying my best to keep the dress together so he at least wouldn’t see my underwear I tore my heels off my feet because, hey, it was going to be a long walk home. In that moment the ringing bell signaling the closing of our cities gates rang. I felt my heart sink at hearing the horn that followed. “M-My um well…” I began not really knowing what I was going to say. I turned from the direction of the horn, not really knowing I had looked towards it in the first place, and looked toward the man. He was alert and slightly crouched as the hunters horns began to call to one another signaling the hunters where about to begin. I felt myself swallow hard as I played the cold facts every teacher I’ve had has ever said, never be caught outside the city after the gates close and especially if the hunters are outside for they will be in no mood to protect you.
I felt a rough cloth being pulled over my eyes and gravity shifting on me. The man’s voice came from above me as I felt a breeze begin to pick up and the leaves of trees moving in the distance, “My apologies for this but I have a feeling that those barbaric dragons wouldn’t think twice about murdering you in cold blood and dressing you as the prize they seek.” I could barely here him as the wind picked up and sounds that I wasn’t familiar with assaulted my ears.
Soon the wind quieted and my feet were once again set on the ground. I felt cool grass under my feet while I tried in vain to keep my dress together and not move too much. The cloth was carefully lifted over my mouth to allow me to talk and breathe or at least I think that’s what the reason was. I stood uneasily waiting for my fate from people I didn’t fully understand. After about five minutes I began to survey the sounds around me. I heard the familiar sounds of trees swaying and animals in the distance, but I also heard a faint whisper that seemed to be all around me. Judging from the sounds I didn’t recognize my guess was I was in the forest off of the murder’s path. I turned, facing where I thought my home was and took a step in that direction. There was a harsh throaty growl that made me shiver while quickly withdrawing my step, “P-please I just want to sit down to rest a little.” I called to the open air not really sure if the stranger who carried me here was the same one who was now watching me.
Elylbroong Community Member 
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