Elise 150 years before the present time
Death was as ice cold as the wicked wind blowing through the trees. She clung to the sheer fabric of her worn out cloak as she trudged further into the woods. Her eyes stung, and her hair whipped her face making it impossible to see, she had given up trying when the first gusts of wind had ripped her hair out of its messy braid hours before. She knew there was no point in trying to tie it back up, it would only come out again.
She didn't want to be here, no one ever wanted to be here. Not when the icy wind and wild forest animals held her life precariously on a cliffs edge, one wrong move and the wind would blow her away like the silvery particles of snow swirling in the moon light. She tried not to admire the beauty in it, the way the white snow caught the light, but this was a release—a way to forget. The only way she could distract herself—even for a second, it would be enough.
But nothing ever lasts as long as you would like, And Elise knew that all too well.
Her worn out snow boots were drenched and with each movement they made a hideous squelch, she knew she should give up, turn back and head south to the cabin that was no longer in sight, the cabin—that if she didn't pass—she would never see again. But she knew no matter how much she wanted to, she would give up.
Elise hated the cold, more than that she hated the night, it was unpredictable. From a young age the children in their village had been taught to fear these things above everything else, even above the wild animals that roamed the woods surrounding their village. Now she was left to fend for herself, as helpless as a fawn. She wanted to cry, to sink down into the snow and be swallowed up by a hungry wolf. She had, had enough of stumbling along not knowing where she was going, she wanted the glittering darkness to devour her.
She didn't understand why this stupid test was an important part of the initiation, why she needed to prove that she could survive in the woods when she was taught all her life to fear it. Nothing made sense, not anymore, not since her own mother had disappeared in those very woods that she now hopelessly trudged through. But she wouldn't fail, she couldn't because if she did, she would say goodbye to everything she loved, she would be exiled and shunned—never to return. EVER.
She did the only thing she could do, she trudged on, wet boots squelching and long hair wiping, hoping that beyond those dark pine trees there would be a horizon—a new beginning.
Even with hope warming her heart, her body was cold.
Her muscles quaked with exhaustion, her eyes stung from the constant wind.
With every step it became harder to keep her body from collapsing to the cold ground, she couldn't do this, she knew deep down in her heart she wasn't strong enough to beat the icy snow and frigid wind, she knew that even if she did, she would be an outcast, condemned to the fringes of the village.
Since birth she had been that way. None of the kids her age had wanted to be her friend and as she had grown, she was shunned and bullied for reasons she did not know. She had dealt with it, learnt to deal with it because that hate was all she had.
Now as she trudged through the snow those taunting stares and hateful sneers from strangers passing by floated back on the icy wind, turning her blood to slush. Her eyes stung and the tears froze to her skin, biting.
She couldn't see through the tears and stumbled, she cried out as skin connected with ice. The warmth of her blood warmed her flesh, the crimson liquid spilled down her knees and palms.
she just stared, she couldn't build up the strength to move her muscles, couldn't build up the strength to do anything but stare. She stared at the blood shining in the moonlight, at the skeletal trees, at the white snow underneath her and last of all at the ebony sky stretched above painted in sparkling stars.
It was that sky she stared at, the sky that seemed to stare back with a million eyes, the sky that seemed to devour everything in its path. The sky—that if she wished, you could be consumed by its sparkling oblivion and never be seen again.
She blinked the tears away and the sky blinked back.
The air around Elise became strangled, a chocking sound ruptured from her throat. She clawed at it, trying to tear a hole so that she could breath.
She didn't know what was happening, why this was happening, and she could do nothing but claw at her throat.
The world darkened, and her head spun. She slumped to the icy ground, face connecting with frigid snow.
Elise groaned. She didn't want it to end like this, it wasn't meant to end like this, she was meant to make it to the other side. She thrashed against the weakness in her muscles, the fogginess swimming in her head, it wouldn't end like this, it wouldn't end like this, it—it couldn't, it just...couldn't. Elise repeated it over and over until it became apart of her, until her heart—her soul burnt with the hope of it.
There was an eeriness that surrounded the air, choking out all life. There was no sound, even the wind had dulled to an eerie whisper, Elise didn't have the physical strength to lift her head as darkness crept in, devouring her whole.
Elise didn't hear the footsteps that grew closer, the air that grew colder until pale bare feet were visible in her line of sight. She looked up, dazed. There were no words to describe the beautiful cruelty on his face as he smiled down at her with razor sharp teeth, "who—who are you?" the tremble in her voice made his smile widen into something truly horrific. "you don't remember me?" his smile faded, "such a shame", before she could run black icy wind ripped into her.
No scream reached her lips before she fell unconscious.
It was dark and cold, the wind biting at her like a million savage wolves. Her breathing was hard, and her throat was burning, Elise couldn't see past the tears streaming down her face, couldn't think past the roaring in her head.
That thing, the man—whatever it was snickered near her, Elise lifted her head to see him crouched down looking down at her helpless form, she couldn't build the strength to run or the courage to fight back so she lay there breathing in one of her last breaths.
He stood up gracefully, he circled Elise like prey, breathing in deep he said, "it has been a time since I have seen your kind". Elise trembled, "what—what do you mean?"
He smirked, "so... you really have lost your memory" he tilted his head as if contemplating what Elise would taste like, "well...this is interesting" she swallowed, her head swimming.
"I—I don't understand" Elise stammered
He continued to circle her, "you mean to tell me..." his words drifted off as if contemplating what to say "...that no one told you—"
"stop, please stop, I don't know who you are or what you want, just leave me alone!" Elise pleaded, tears slipping faster down her face.
"I'm sorry but I couldn't possibly do that, now could I?" he smirked at her, letting darkness seep out of him.
Elise quivered, "what do want?"
"isn't it obvious?" he smiled. He stopped circling, only a few feet away.
His smile faded, "now...you are quite irritating" he tilted his head to the side "how did you ever survive so long?" the question held an edge that made Elise cringe. She couldn't move, no matter how hard she tried to pull away, his dark soulless stare was hypnotising.
The smile returned, he looked into the distance as if recalling an old memory, his eyes flicked back to Elise and the smile was something from a nightmare, "I have to say you really do look like her".
Elise trembled, "look—look like who?"
"your mother of course", he grinned
There was nothing in her head as the words rang through every hollow part of her heart, she blinked, her words were like steel, "how do you know my mother?"
It was his turn to blink, the only hint of surprise he would give before his face turned to icy calm, "past tense darling, I'm afraid she is no longer with us" his smile turned sad "such a shame too, she was the prettiest thing".
Elise shook with hate, "you killed her!" she screamed. Her head spun, she wanted to throttle him, wanted to take his throat in her hands and squeeze till he turned blue.
"how could you...how—how could you" the fight left her as quick as it had came, and warm tears slipped down her freezing cheeks.
She had never known her mother but now knowing she was dead it ripped away her hope of a future if she had ever found her, Elise mumbled under her breath, "you deserve to die"
He laughed as if this was the most hysterical thing ever said, he regained his composure his face returning to its icy calm, "that's no exactly possible darling"
Her brows crumpled up in confusion "what do you mean"
He smiled at her as if she was a young child, "that's because.... I'm already dead"
"how?" she whispered