" You think that people would listen to the entrance guard of Mountmend but nope. Not even kids listen to me. *Snort*"
The blacksmith snorted as he continues to sharpen his blade instead of going after Shayna and Little One.
" Mrs. Philomel?! Mrs. Philomel!"
Shayna cried out as she makes her slow ascent up the mountain, keeping to the pathway that was lit with sunlight, and avoiding all shadows that were cast upon the pathway. The shadows cast from the rocks and trees were constantly moving as the sound of hushed whispering could be heard. No wind blew, and the air was stale as Shayna was constantly distracted. From the corner of her eye, she could swear that she saw the rock moving, and when she turns to look at it. The rock was a few inches from where it used to be. It was slight changes as Shayna kept reassuring herself that it was nothing. The rock has always been there, it never moved.
" Uhhhh ..."
Little One whined as a shiver was sent down his spine when Shayna leaped through a shadow. They felt something going right through them with some resistance as fear spiked their hearts from being touched by evil.
" Mrs. Philomel?!"
She yelled out and when she did she swear, she heard her own voice calling out, slightly slower but it came from a tree that was a distance away from her.
" Maybe, we should go back and wait for her by grumpy blacksmith Stan's hut."
She suggested in a soft voice to Little One fearing that the shadows would hear her. Little One wasn't even paying attention to the pathway any longer. He held on to Shayna's dress as he hid his face in her chest. She took that as her answer, no longer wanting to be here for a second more as she turns back. This place was creepy and Shayna didn't even want to know how spooky the mine entrance would be.
She rushed down back down the pathways, leaping over rocks, staying on under whatever sunlight was left. However, as she jogged, she noticed everything seemed different. The rocks, the trees even the leaves, it was as if she was looking at a whole different pathway. It was a huge shock to Shayna since the whole time there was only one pathway, the one she took up, yet nothing looks familiar as she made her way down.
She couldn't even see the village, which was impossible since she knew she couldn't have been climbing up the mountainside for more than 10 minutes. She finally notices her heavy breaths as the sense of panic starts to overwhelm her. She glanced up at the sky, knowing that it would bring her confidence. But the clear blue sky has tints of red, blooming throughout the sky from a setting sun. Shayna suddenly found her heart in her throat, she was so busy looking at the ground, being careful where to step, that she didn't notice that she was running out of time. Clutching Little One close to her chest, she takes in a deep breath before bolting down the pathway with all she got. She figured that as long as she was heading downward, she would eventually reach the village.
Oh! How wrong little Shayna was. The pathway kept bending, splitting, and leading up a cliff which shocked Shayna to see how high up she was.
"There's no way... There's no way..."
Shayna shook her head with disbelief, there was no way she was this high up on a mountain she barely took 10 minutes to climb. She kept repeating to herself as she glances down the cliff, just to see fog covering the base.
" Mmmmmm Uhhhh...."
Little One whines and Shayna immediately started rubbing his back as she bounces him in her arms.
" It's alright, it's going to be alright. We'll just go back."
She whispered to him, trying not to sound scared but as she turns... she noticed something that turned her face into a pale white. The entrance to the dwarf mines was just a distance away from her. Its wooden frame, holding up the entrance was filled with claw marks that wore the wood so thin, that it resembles toothpicks more than beams of wood.
" *GASP*"
She inhale sharply but slowly, the stale air in her system felt extremely thin as her mind could feel the lack of oxygen in her system. Shadows from within the mines, she could see them shifting, moving, clawing, and whispering one thing.
" Mrs. Philomel?!"
They repeated in so many different tones that the whole thing sounded distorted and warped. Shayna slowly took a couple of steps backward before turning around fully and running. She glanced up at the sky, just to see the blooming red turning into a soft glow of orange as the darkness of night seeped in. She held back a whimper at the sight as her vision becomes blurry from the tears burning her eyes. She did her best to breathe but it felt like there wasn't any air around her and dizziness soon started to overwhelm her.
Shayna closes her eyes as she gasps for breath, trying to get rid of the dizzy feeling.
" Cause, I'm a man and you need a man. "
Richard's words suddenly popped into her mind, she remembered how angry she was when she first heard that line. Women are equal to men, that was what she has always believed but that belief didn't change the fact that she wished Richard was here with her right now. How she wanted him to help her and reassure her that everything will be fine. She reminded herself that it didn't have to be Richard, it could be anyone, Hector, Stan, or mother. But even so, out of everyone she found picturing Richard coming to her aid, gave her the most comfort.
She realized as she finds her knees turning into jelly as she sinks down to her feet. She opened her eyes just to find her vision completely blurred. Not from tears but from the lack of oxygen reaching her mind. As her body fell sideways to the ground, she could see someone rushing towards her.
Even though she couldn't see clearly, she knew deep down that it was Richard.
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