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I walked through the endless woods. How many times my mom had told me to stay away from the beautiful woods. Away from the captivating trees. If only I had listened to her. I was walking close to the edge the day I got lost in the forest. My hands brushed against the tree trunks. I was thinking about going home and playing with my dog when I heard something in the forest call me. I went in to see what it was. I was only going to go in a little ways. Something had caught my eye as I was about to turn around and I walked to it. It vanished and appeared farther ahead of me. Slowly I fallowed brushing branches out of my way. Before I knew it the dirt road was gone and I was lost in the woods. The Beautiful woods. I walked will into the night and rose early in the day. I walked the way I thought I had come. At one point I sow the what looked like eyes looking at me from behind bushes and trees. At night I heard noises that I could not place a animal to and some that I could and they haunted my dreams. On the third day I stumbled into a clearing and fell to the ground. I was so happy I thought I had found my way to one of the village's farms. But when I looked up it was not a farm I sow but a giant stone castle. It looked the the castle the king of England lived in. The windows were many and big enough for 5 people to stand in. there was a circler tower at the front and a square tower in the back, like one that would hold the bell at my church. I dragged myself to my feet and walked forward to the castle slowly. I had just reached the giant red wood doors when my strength gave way and I feel to the ground. Darkness started to close in, it was getting harder for me to bring in air. I heard a noise coming from the door but it sounded far like in a different world. Then it was black.

I lived in a world of darkness for what seemed a eternity. I felt like there was a fog in my mind. The fog started to disappear but the darkness stayed. I tried to open my eyes but they remanded closed. I tried to move but my body would not respond. Was this death? To be forever in darkness not moving, not doing anything. This can't be death. I was to young to die and the father at my church had preached many a time that death was quick and then we were in heaven with golden paved roads and God. If this was not death then what was it. My mind slipped back out and the fog returned. How long I laid there I did not know but I do remember when I woke up seeing him. His dirty blond hair down to his ears and tangled, wild. His deep gold eyes looking at me. I thought I sow something in them but I did not know what. Hunger, pain, concern, I did not know. But they held me in their hold. His skin was a tan that looked like he had been in the fields all day but it was smother and did not have any different tones to it. His lips a light pink compared to his face though probably no pinker then mine and a metal object was on his bottom lip. My sister who had gone to the outside world before had come back with one of these. She called it a lip persing. Mom made her remove it saying that it would upset God. Though I never knew why God would care what she did to her face though to me it looked ugly on her, but on him, on him the silver ring was as natural as the nose on my face. He walked over to me. I started feeling self conscious of what I looked like. Days walking in the woods with no showers or food, I would not look good enough to be presented to this man. “You're finally awake.” His voice was as soft as the wind through the trees and had a hint of music mike a angel from Gods heavenly choir was talking. His voice felt like a blanket covering me with protection. “You had me scared that you would die for a little while.” I collected my thoughts and found my voice. “Forgive me sir, I did not mean to impose on you. I got lost in the woods, but as soon as I can walk all you need to do is point me to Reham and I will be on my way home.” I said quietly my voice barely a whisper. Pain riped through my throat as I talked reminding me of how long it has been since I had a glass of water. I must have made a face or something for he reached on the table beside the bed and lifted me into a sitting position. Using one hand to hold me up he used the other to bring a glass of liquid to my mouth. I drank greedily not thinking what I was drinking. The flavor exploded in my mouth. It was like many different fruits combined into a liquid form. But the fruits I had no name for and there was another flavor something that I could not place at all. When the glass was empty he laid me gently back onto the pillow. “You have no need to apologize Rose. I am happy to have you in my home and you can stay till you are fully recovered.” I could not recall if I told him my name. Maybe I had and simply forgot. I smiled up at him and slipped back into darkness. The next time my eyes opened the room was dark and the man was nowhere to be seen. I had enough energy to get up. I looked in the cup by the bed. It was made of white clay and had flowers painted on it with a gloss cover. It looked so out of place in modern time, even for a girl who grew up in a town who refused to use horses. Inside the cup was a orange liquid and when I took a sip the same taste as before exploded. I put the drink back down and looked out the window. The moon was high in the sky dark clouds rolled around. Thats when I sow them. A group of people dressed in Red cloak standing outside the castle, surrounding the castle. I froze afraid to move. The door opened and someone grabbed me. I screamed as I was thrown onto the bed and the curtains to the windows were pulled shut. The man from earlier stood in front of me hand over my mouth to muffle the scream. “Its alright Rose. It's just me.” His voice calmed me and I stopped screaming. He removed his hand slowly. “As long as you are here remember when night comes do not leave; do not go to any windows; and do not make a sound.” His whispered urgently looking around.
“W-Who are those people? W-What do they want?” I asked trying to recover from the shock.
“These woods were enchanted long ago by a group of witches and warlocks. They wanted to remain alive forever and study magic. The came out here and put a charm for everlasting life not knowing of the people who live here. If the spell is cast with people of pure heart around, it will remain good, but all who are evil the spell will eat them alive till there is nothing left. They will hunt down the creatures and kill them. When the group learned that there was a small village in the woods they realized what they had done. They built this house and cast a charm to keep evil out. If there is a way in to this place the villagers will enter and kill all those inside.” He finished his story still looking around.