Eve sighed, staring at the starry sky with a melancholy look. The money bag on her waist clinked now and again as the wind blew her skirt to the sides, making it flap against the branch on which she was sitting. She looked like the fabled ghost of the forest, her skin pale and her cheeks without color as tears dripped down the soft edge of her chin, soaking into her skirt.
She didn't feel the coldness of the forest wind or how it carried the last vestiges of the infinite scents of herbs and flowers that grew all around the clearing. The green in her eyes was dark as her gaze fixed on the swaying blades of tall grass that if she were to stand amongst them, would reach up to her waist.
She could still hear the sweet sound of her mother's call echoing through the forest, asking her not to stray far from where they were. She could see the ghost of Meredith's bent figure, plucking the herbs carefully from the midst of the tall blades of grass as a tiny Eve laughed, running around the place in circles, chasing the moon up above that seemed to glide with her.
Twelve years ago on the same night, she had been witness to a strange incident- one that had left a scar in her heart, made her question everything that she knew about the world, and took away the only person who she had of her own.
But unlike that night, the first snow hadn't yet fallen, she noticed, rubbing her sleeve across her leaking nose. Even the sky was shining bright with a full array of stars and a crescent. It's like the whole world had forgotten about the incident, except her. A muffled sob escaped her chest as she lay back against the tree trunk, balancing her lithe figure on the branch.
"Mother, I hope you're happy up there, leaving me alone in a drunk man's house only to end up as a servant to people I hate." She whispered to the sky, staring wistfully at the gaps in the canopy. Her heart grew heavy as she continued, "Everyone says that I'm not his daughter. I-"
Eve stopped in the middle of her sentence, realizing how sorry she sounded for herself. Taking a deep breath, she turned her gaze to her right, where she could see the clearing below much more clearly, the tall grasses dancing with the cold wind. As a memory resurfaced, she chuckled, laughing through her tears.
"Remember Hugh Tarleton, mother? The one that you always talked about when you came home from work? I still owe him the debt of saving me from drowning that day." She murmured, more to herself than anyone else. "But I don't know how to repay him. I don't even know what I feel about him."
Other than the sound of the branches swaying against the wind, the forest was silent, listening to the words of the pale ghost who was perched on the ancient Oak, her worn-out blue dress appearing more white than blue, swaying with the wind, exposing her pale pink knees as it rode up with the movement.
"What do you think I should do, mother? Can I trust him? Can the likes of us trust their kind- those rich people with their noses up in the air and their hearts full of pride?" She paused, thinking about the sad life of her mother. "Can a woman trust a man at all?"
The question faded into the night as the moon slowly pulled a blanket of clouds over herself, gradually covering her array of stars as well. The sky reflected her mood, the sound of the traveling thunder reaching the clearing before the lightning. As a cold gust of wind blew through the stray strands of her hair, it carried with it the howl of wolves, sounding from somewhere far.
"Ungrateful mongrel," Eve murmured, closing her eyes as the image of a certain dark wolf flashed in her mind.
Suddenly her eyes flew open. Eve sat up, her whole body tensed as she looked around in startlement. She had definitely heard some movement to her right, she thought, her eyes narrowing towards the grass-covered clearing below her, and it definitely did not sound like an animal. Her mind raced, throwing a hundred possibilities at her.
"Who's there?" She asked, her voice echoing through the vegetation.
The wind howled through the forest, sliding through the leaves and the tall blades of grass as it picked up speed. There was no reply, except for a loud thunderclap that made her jump. It took her a good few seconds to steady herself, her attention now taken up wholly by the dark clouds that had now completely smeared the night sky.
"Must be the wind." She said, shaking her head at her wild imagination. The cold wind beat against her figure, blowing strands of hair out of her braid as her dress slapped violently against her slender legs. She gently hoisted herself up the branch, holding on to the trunk as she looked down. "I should probably head ho-"
Then she saw it. Her whole body froze at the sight of the lone figure standing amid the tall grass not far away from her. Even under the faint light of the hidden moon, it was hard not to recognize the soft brown curls that hung loosely from either side of the woman's shoulders. As the wind blew towards her once again, it carried with it a faint, familiar scent of Lillies.
"M-mother?" Eve squeaked, her heart clenching and unclenching inside her chest.
As if she heard her, the woman took a step towards her, her pale skin contrasting against the bright red color of her robe. It was too far for Eve to see the woman's face or her expression. But she hoped that it was a wide smile- a smile that she had been longing to see for the last twelve years. But the next moment, the figure stepped back hesitantly, the movement as graceful as a wind caressing a long grass blade.
"Mother?!" Eve shouted, her eyes widening at the movement. No. She couldn't lose her now. Not now after waiting all these years for her. Her heart throbbed against her ribs violently, panic gripping her senses. "Mother is that you?!" She screamed, her vision blurring with the tears that filled her eyes.
Through her hazy vision, Eve watched the figure take another step back. Without wasting another second, she jumped from the branch forgetting that she was quite high up the giant tree. As her back hit the ground, she hissed, pain shooting up her veins despite being cushioned by a now flat bunch of grass.
Clenching her teeth, she quickly stood up, biting down on her pain as her eyes searched for her mother. When she spotted her, the figure was much farther away from where she had thought she would be. Eve called out again, waving her hand vehemently as she pushed through the thick trail of grass. But with every step she took, the figure was moving further apart.
"Mother! Wait for me!" She screamed, increasing her pace. "Please!"
Maybe it was that she didn't hear it or maybe it was because she didn't want to stop, but the woman kept moving at a much faster pace than the girl who was hurriedly following her. Without a warning, the skies poured, sending down heavy sleets of rain on the ones below. Thunder roared and the lightning struck the depths of the forest.
Eve's screams were muffled by the rumble of nature. But she kept going, her teary eyes focused on the retreating figure, steadily leading her out of the forest. She kept running, dragging her wet clothes along with her, struggling to keep up with the gliding figure through the mud-covered road with much difficulty, her feet slipping now and again into a puddle or a pool.
It wasn't long before she realized that she had lost sight of the woman. But what confused her was how she had ended up in her backyard, right in the middle of the little space between the barn and the house, where the rainwater had managed to loosen much of the packed mud.
"Mother?" She whispered, standing teary-eyed in the pouring rain.
*THUD*
Eve jumped back, startled at the sound that came from a few feet before her. She rushed towards the house in haste, trying to see through the haze of the heavy rain. It sounded like something had fallen from above. But what? She wondered, her heart thumping against her heart nervously as she slowed down. That was when it hit- that familiar metallic scent. Eve stopped in her tracks, her stomach churning as her boot hit something squishy.