The Boy of Bluemont Forest

He stands by the river that separates the town from Bluemont forest, unaware that I am observing him behind a nearby tree. The poor boy didn’t stand a chance in that crowd of onlookers. All I could wonder is why they would treat him this way. His breathes were short and quick as he rubbed the tears from his eyes. Flinching with pain, he struggled to stand up only to lie back down and hide his face from view. I tried to take a step forward, snapping a branch from underneath my feet which startled him. He quickly whipped around and just before I could get a clear look at him, he fell, grasping his shoulder.

“Please, don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you, I just want to help.” As I walked closer, he struggles away from me, tears streaming from his eyes, red from crying. The rocks struck him on his head and the back of his shoulder. Blood trickled down his cheek and was getting lost in his dark tangled hair. When he was on the edge of the river close to me me, he decided to clutch his fist and swing, attempting to make contact with my face.

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A few moments before, my friend Mira and I were in the village trying to get our hand on some free pastries from the baker. Well, I was interested in the pastries while Mira flirted with the blacksmiths’ son, Will. Suddenly, we heard Mr. Jenks, the produce vendor, yelling in his shop.

            “And just where you think you’re going with those tomatoes boy!”

            A boy, around my age it seemed, rushed out of the store struggling to hold onto five tomatoes. He would have gotten away if he hadn’t tripped over the first grimy step and fell onto the ground. Mr. Jenks was quick to follow the boy out and grabbed him by the back of his tattered shirt so he could no longer escape. Noticing that a crowd was building, old Jenks decided to make an example of the boy.

            “Now boy, what do you have to say for yourself? It’s not right to be stealing my good produce.”

            The boy’s head was lowered but I could tell that a smirk was beginning to appear on his face. He took a tomato, squeezed it softly and with one quick movement elbowed Jenks in the stomach. As Jenks went down, his grip loosened allowing the boy to slip away. To my surprise he didn’t run. Instead, he turned and threw the tomato at Mr. Jenks proving to everyone that it was in fact rotten. The onlookers began to burst into laughter as the boy paraded around like some great hero. His moment of celebration quickly ended when he felt his ear being pulled.  Mr. Jenks didn’t appreciate being embarrassed in front of all his potential customers.

            “Alright boy, that wasn’t very funny what you just did. You see, these are good people and its little b******s like you that go around and spoil their good nature. Now what do you have to say for yourself?”

            A hush grew over the crowd as we all waited for an answer. I made my way to the front of the crows to get a clear look at the boy. His legs were covered with black and blue bruises and open scars and scabs. His pants and shirt were ripped to keep him cooler, I suppose, during these hot days. His face was still hidden by his dark tangled hair and one would think he was a dead man because he was so pale and skinny.

            When Jenks did not receive an answer, the boy was turned around to face us and forced to his knees. Jenks’s hand lay on top of the boys hand as he made him look up, revealing his face. Dirty and scratched like the rest of him, I could see the panic beginning to form in his eyes.

            “They can’t hear you boy. I asked you what you have to say for yourself and it would be in your best interest to respond.”

            The anticipation grew as we wanted to hear his answer. He grinded his teeth and slowly began to open his mouth but…nothing came out. Some of the crowd leaned closer while others stood back and whispered to the person next to them. I found myself staring at him. Could he be so foolish as to mock the man that has now taken him down twice? It wasn’t until Mr. Jenks’ cleared his throat that another hush grew over the crowd. He let go of the boy once more and backed away from him slowly, comprehension dawning on his face.

            “So…you’re one of them? You have no business coming down here. Leave this place and consider this your only warning.”

             Mr. Jenks quickly returned to his shop, slamming the door behind him. The boy scratched his head as he went about picking up the dirty rotten tomatoes from the ground. A man in the crowd stepped on his hand, rubbing it into the ground when he reached for the final tomato. Someone in the crowd yelled, stone him! The stones began to fly. I saw him get struck once, on his forehead which caused him to drop the stolen tomatoes to the ground. He held his head in pain as he ran off, heading for Bluemont forest.

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“I’m sorry for what they did to you.” I exclaimed, leaning back slightly, his fist just missing my face. “I know it was wrong to just stand by and watch. I wanted to come and apologize and make sure you were alright.” Judging by the look of shock that came across his face, he must have thought that there was some truth in what I was saying or that I just wanted to get a closer look at him. If he assumed the second, he would be right which made my stomach began to heave. To get past my true motive, I slowly walked a little ways up the river and ripped the hem of my dress to make a cloth. The water was cool as the cloth absorbed it. I felt his eyes directly on me, making sure I didn’t try and toss another rock at him. When I approached him with the dripping cloth, he pushed my hand away, shaking his head.

“Now don’t do that. I told you I wasn’t going to hurt you.” I looked down at the cloth and gave him a soft smile. “This will help your head. The water will clean the wound and get rid of all the blood.” Quickly, I leaned forward and wiped a bit blood from his scared cheek. He frowned and swatted at the cloth. It was only when he saw the blood that he extended his hand. I gave the cloth to him and he dabbed his face all over. When he finished he threw the cloth on the ground and splashed water on his face directly from the river. I laughed within myself for now it seemed as if he wanted to be rid of his entire face instead of just the scar.

“I’m Sarraphine.” He paused and looked at me. I could see that his eyes were a soft gray and the tears were now gone. He smiled softly and nodded as if to thank me for my kindness. I didn’t believe there was much kindness in the deed I had just done. However, he wouldn’t even let me touch him.

“Do you have a name?”

His mouth began to move but still nothing came out. He scratched the back of his head, looking around at our surroundings. Standing up, he walked towards a tree and snapped a twig. He returned and sat next to me and began to spell out his name on the ground.

“N-E-R-O. Nero? That’s your name?” Nodding he threw the twig aside and began drawing circles in the dirt beside where he had written his name. “So why can’t you talk Nero? I’m sure if you’d just explained to everyone why�"“

He placed his hand over my mouth and began to carefully observe our surroundings. I could feel his hand shaking which caused me to become nervous and filled with anxiety. It was only then that I noticed the sun was beginning to set. When he removed his hand from my mouth, I stood up and began wiping the dirt from my dress.

“I have to go. Father is going to kill me for missing curfew.” As I turned to leave, I felt Nero tug on my dress. When I looked back to see what he wanted, he was still looking around nervously. “Do you hear something?” Suddenly, he stopped looking around and his sights became fixated on one area across the river. His eyes widened as he pushed me towards town. I began walking but it soon became apparent that I was not walking fast enough. The pushing soon turned into a shove which almost knocked me off my feet. “Stop it Nero! What is wrong with you?”

He rolled his eyes and shook his head which signaled his patience had run out. He brushed past me and began to run. Curious as to what had caused him to become so nervous; I turned around only to discover that the forest was disappearing. The trees appeared to be melting. The liquid from Bluemont forest was now causing the river to overflow. I walked back a small distance to observe the water and found that it was pitch black , contaminated by the liquid coming from the forest flowing into it.

Heart racing, I start to run, desperately trying to find Nero while at the same time trying to stay away from the melted forest. I struggle to search for the path home, but find I am loosing myself in my fear for what lurks behind me. Finally, I reach the boarder of the forest and am able to see home. Everything appears to be abandoned. The merchants are no longer outside; in fact, no one seems to be in sight.

“Father is going to kill me.” Sighing, I begin to wonder how late I really am. It is only when I try to head toward my punishment that I feel the presence of another. Lost in the cold appearance of what lies ahead of me, I had forgotten the danger that lurks from behind.

Turning to face my fate, it looms over me. Yellow eyes, short black hair and its pale face surrounded by feathers, it waited for the chase to begin. A mask covered its mouth, causing its breath to echo from within. The terror I felt inside must have been made clear through my shaking body and the warm tears that fell from my eyes.

Coming to the realization that the chase was now over, a claw extended from underneath it and grasped me around my waist. The creature was about to fly with me in tow when something even more interesting caught its eye. Within my abandoned village, a candle had been lit. Its glow danced in the night, captivating the creature. I took this opportunity to try and break away which only made the creature very angry. It spread out its large, black wings and we took to the sky. It curled in its legs to make sure I didn’t drag against the ground during takeoff. The blackness of its body seemed to cover my face as I held my breath. When we landed, the creature made sure any form of escape was out of the question. I found myself pressed against the ground, its foot pushing into my back. To make matters worse, its claws lightly scratched the back of my head, searching around for the light. If I dared to even move, the claws could easily pierce my skull or the creature could simply crush me under its weight.

The light appeared, getting brighter and brighter. At this precise moment, Charlotte Mayes came around the corner, twirling a candle and dancing to an imaginary song. I could tell by the shape of the base that Mr. Frankle must have made it. He struggled to make all his candles unique and made sure the customer could tell what type of candle it was based on the holder. Charlotte was holding a russet colored candle with a base shaped like a leaf. Mr. Frankle made special candles for his wife in fall colors because this was her favorite season. It was then that I remembered that not only had the candle been stolen, but it also had a mate to match. The people in town had assumed that Charlotte had gotten her hands on the candles. Mother had said before that Charlotte wasn’t very smart and that her family had pulled her out of school at an early age. Even now as she danced, she looks as if she is a small child around the age of three when in reality she is a full grown woman, maybe 30 years of age. It was then that I realized someone sent her out as bait. She had a terrible habit of wandering so it wouldn’t be that difficult to coax her out of hiding. Her parents were also too tired and old to be concerned about her. After all, one might say at her age, she should be able to take care of herself. Instead, she found herself a burden to her elderly parents. Someone must have seen me on the hill overlooking the village and decided to try and make a trade with the creature.

Slowly, the pressure was lifted from my back as the creature began to approach Charlotte. When I tried to call out to her, the creature turned around and flicked its wing. A sticky substance stretched across my mouth, not only disabling my ability to talk but also causing my chin and half of my face to stick to the ground. Feeling completely helpless, I could only watch as Charlotte continued to twirl and dance, letting her red curls swing around her shoulders. She stopped when the wax of the candle burned her fingers. It was then that she realized the presence of the creature. Its black wings covered the candle, putting it out and making everything go dark once again. All I could hear was Charlotte giggling in the distance.

After a few moments, the town came to light again as everyone slowly began to emerge, lanterns in tow. The sticky substance that held me to the ground seemed to liquefy as I stood up and began to wipe my face trying to be rid of the dirt and grime of the creature. The women began to surround me with wet clothes to clean my face, questions and stories about what they believed happened. The men decided to gather around the spot where Charlotte had once stood, trying to piece together what should be done about the matter.

“Alright move! Get out of my way! Gossiping b*****s only want stories. You don’t even care about the victims do you? Keep up with me Daniel for heaven’s sake!”

I couldn’t help but smile at the familiar, raspy voice. My mother emerged from the crowed, my father close behind. A full bodied woman that could easily toss any of the women around me aside simply shoved and cursed her way towards me. My father was quiet and preferred to stay in the background but knew how to give a good beating if needed. He could easily defeat my mother in a fight if it only dealt with strength but since my mother was mouthy, he preferred to just stay behind and observe. Together, they were a force to be reckoned.

“What do you think you were doing? Do you realize how worried you made me? Just wait till we get home young lady! Just you wait!” She was not even in arms length and already the threats were coming.

“I’m sorry I missed curfew mother. I didn’t realize how late�"“

“And just what is your excuse? Please tell me Mildred is laying when she told me you chased some boy into the forest!” She had finally reached me and grasped my wrist, twisting it slightly. The women around us gasped and all turned to the closest person next to them to exchange comments. “Oh mind your own business for a change why don’t you!”

“Her name is not Mildred, its Mira mother.” Her face turned red with fury as her grip tightened on my wrist. I braced myself to be slapped when my father tapped her shoulder to remind her that we were still in public and she was beginning to draw the attention of the men as well.

“Discuss it at home. I’m going to stay here for a while and see what the others have to say about what just happened.” My father smiled at me and patted me on the head then took my mother’s hand and removed it from my wrist. “Try not to kill her Mabel, she is our one and only.” With that, he nodded his head to the ladies and was off to join the men. Mother looked after him and smiled before turning her attention back to me.

“Alright, get home and clean yourself up. I’ll be there in a minute to make you something to eat.” Her voice was softer now as I nodded and left the crowd. The woman swarmed her asking questions and she accepted them willingly now. As I walked by the men, the voices became hushed as they stared at me. To my surprise, the eyes were not filled with judgment but with worry, even Jenks seemed to be concerned about my wellbeing. This only made me wonder, what really attacked me and how much danger was I really in?

As I approached my house, I saw the flicking of a light by my doorway. Father must have left a lantern on for me. To my surprise, it was Nero holding a candle, patiently waiting for me to return.

“Nero?” The surprise in my voice startled him as he nearly dropped his source of light. I was thrilled to know that he was safe which caused me to run up and hug him. He returned my hug for a second before pulling away. “What are you doing here? Are you alright? I should have listened to you and I’m sorry I couldn’t keep up. I didn’t know what was happening!” I took a breath and realized he was sitting in front of my house. “How did you know where I lived?”

He went red and walked to the back of our home. Kneeling down at the trunk of a tree, he handed me the candle and tugged on my dress to move closer. As I held the candle over him, he reached his hand into the trunk. When his hand emerged, he had a satchel which was filled with vegetables.

“You hide your food here?” He nodded and offered me a nice orange carrot. I peeked in and observed that all the vegetables were in pretty good condition. “Did you take all these from Mr. Jenks, Nero?” He smirked and closed the bag, putting it back in his hiding place. It was then that I looked at the candle. It was the missing mate to the one that Charlotte was holding. “Nero, where did you get this?” He turned and saw I was talking about the candle stick. Shrugging, he walked past me. “Did you steal this?” His back was still towards me as he kicked the ground, his head hanging low. “Nero did you lure Charlotte out?”

Author's Note

Please note that this chapter is not finished yet!!! I would like your opinion on where the events are going and also if I need to improve anything since this is my first time writing an "action scene". Also, ignore all grammar problems and I hope you enjoy :)

Reviews

[Dalebear]

Good write

[JC]

There are a few points where the wording created a bit of confusion, but content-wise it seemed alright. The only part that really seemed particularly odd was when she said, “Father is going to kill me.”
Obviously she doesn't understand what kind of danger the forest is, but with everything else going on around her at the time, it doesn't seem like that would be her primary concern. (Well, that and her mother seems by far the more aggressive of the two.)
In any case, definitely an interesting piece so far, though you'll probably want to consider rewording a few problem sections.