“Please. Don’t leave me.” She was clutching at his sleeve, the moonlight gleaming off her clenched fist so that it shone white in the shadows. Her breath was ragged in his ear. He looked back, tearing his gaze away from the forest around them.

“I won’t go far,” he whispered. “I just want to see what that noise was.”

“Please, be careful.”

“I will.” He moved away from her and made his way toward the trees where he swore he had heard something moving. She watched his retreating form until it was lost in the shadows. Then she sank further down behind the clump of trees that hid her from the night. As the minutes passed and he did not return, she grew more nervous. The wind swelled, and the creak of the trees overhead bit into the still silence.

The snap of a twig split the night, followed by the rustle of leaves in the clearing beyond her hiding place. She held her breath and moved slowly to peer out into the darkness. A large and looming figure pushed its way suddenly through the trees, and she stifled a small scream.

“It’s me, it’s me,” she heard him say.

“You scared me,” she breathed. “Did you find anything?” He didn’t answer. He fell upon her, kissing her neck and face. She pushed him away.

“What’s wrong with you?” He snarled. His voice dripped with barely controlled rage.

“Me? What’s wrong with you? I want to know what you saw out there.” Her own anger had begun to surface. Did he think this was a joke? He turned to face her, and the breath was driven from her lungs when she looked at him. His eyes—they should have been blue, but they were changed. No longer blue, but burning with a deep fire. His gaze was filled with malice, and when he saw the horror on her face he smiled.

“Don’t you love me?” He asked, but his voice was changed. It was a rasping, wheezing voice that sent a shiver down her spine. Instinctively she began to move away. “Where are you going?” The creature rasped as she turned and ran. Close behind her and coming nearer, she heard the sound of its hollow laughter.

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A long time ago I wrote this intending to fit it into a larger world and storyline. Too much of the original idea has changed for that to make any sense, so now this has become a standalone short.

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Image by Jordan Stimpson from Pixabay