• The night was in its prime as young girl stumbled out of the dark overgrown bushes of the dim forest. She pressed her hand against the thick trunk of an oak to support her already tired body. At a first glance, the girl seemed okay, but upon a closer inspection, she was a mess.

    The hem of her dark purple skirt had a tiny rip, and was stained with dried mud. Her pinkish long sleeved shirt was weather beaten and dirty, with a few cuts along the sleeves.
    The girl’s pale face was covered by a few streaks of dirt across her cheek, while bearing the expression of extreme tiredness.

    Her long chocolate brown hair that was tied behind her head was draped over her right shoulder, as she bowed her head low from exhaustion. The girl nearly jumped out of her skin as she heard the bushes behind her rustle, but when she turned around to look she found nothing. After making sure that she was not being followed, the girl trudged along.
    “Four days, still no sign of civilization” huffed the girl, as she broke into a light jog; she had to get moving if the woman in black burst out of nowhere all of a sudden.

    It has been four days ever since she arrived in this surreal, yet unknown location with a few companions. Unfortunately three hours prior to her arrival, her companions were killed, eaten even by a woman dressed in a black silk robe. She can still remember the horrifying sight of witnessing her companions be devoured mercilessly by the woman.

    The girl only managed to escape by allowing her last companion to sacrifice herself in the girl’s place, an action that tugged the young lady’s heart, but strengthened her will to live at the same time.
    It was supposed to be a simple outing out of her estate, until it turned into this troublesome nightmare.

    Small shrubs stung her legs as she jogged, yet she ignored her body’s protests and continued moving. She cannot stay within one area for long in fear that she would be caught, thus making her labor all for naught.
    A nagging voice within her mind told her that someone was following her; it was like that for days already, though she did her best to ignore it. She regarded it as her paranoid self, trying to take over her composed and calm state; however it was only now that it began to badger her frantically.

    For a fraction of second she saw the silhouette of a person jogging beside her at the corner of her eye, yet disappeared as soon as it came. At first she thought it was only her imagination, but a large part of her knew better. Without thinking, she broke into a sprint.
    Crickets chirped, owls hooted, the wind blowing through her ears as she ran her hardest throughout the quiet night.

    She heard someone or something following her close behind, though she dared not look back. She tried to calm herself, to control her fear of her impending demise, just so she can focus on running. She managed to gather enough speed to leap athletically over a fallen log, before making a sharp turn towards east.

    The cool midnight air either rushed past or entered her panting lips, stinging her lungs with every breath she took. She ran and ran with that unknown being close behind. Her breathing was shallow and she began to slow. She had to rest, she cannot run forever. She saw how that woman fought, she would stand no chance with the weapons nature has available, consisting of rocks and sticks. No, but she knew in her heart she would not die running like a child frightened by a thunder storm.

    One part of her mind told her that it was only an animal after her, that she still has the chance to fight it, the other part of her frantically screamed that it was the black robed woman. She decided that it was the latter, for her luck has always been pointed downhill. As she ran, the girl came across a creek which she wisely leapt over, however a chill went down her spine as she heard a loud splashing noise sound close behind.

    Her heart was beating so fast as though it wanted to escape its cage in a futile attempt to avoid being devoured by a raging cannibal while her brain throbbed as it fought to keep the girl calm and clear minded, however it did not seem to do much good.
    Fear began to creep in, as did hopelessness similar to that of an iron needle piercing the human skin.

    Her footsteps fell in synch with her heart beats. Her already tired limbs began to protest from being pushed past their limits while her speed began to slow down.
    No, not now! She screamed internally, Please, just one more mile!

    A seemingly impossible plan was formed within her mind as she ran, however she had to break past her endurance’s current limit for the plan to work. She was competing against the woman in black for having the greatest stamina at running, in hope that the woman will tire and give up the chase, giving the girl enough time to escape, however the only problem was she did not know her limits until now.

    The girl had never participated within sporting events due to her position in the family.
    It already surprised her that she lasted this long for the last four days all alone, for a person who has led a sheltered way of living all throughout her life.

    Before she realized what happened, the girl had fallen face first into the unforgiving earth.
    Damn it all, she cursed mentally, as she forced herself up her feet. She felt the warm gush of red trickle down from her forehead down her cheek. The dull pain above her brow indicated that she hit her head and cut the thin layer of skin between her skull. With her last remaining strength, she forced herself to stand and begin running once more, only to find out that she sprained her ankle causing her to limp.
    The injury is not that bad, but it will cost her very precious time with every second she delays.

    The girl quickly turned around, causing her long skirt to ripple along the sudden movement, only to find no one behind her once again. She could have sworn that there was someone breathing down her neck just moments before. The girl kept turning her head from left to right, taking every detail of her surroundings from the calming aroma of the forest to the slightest sound of the leaves of the tall trees. Her right hand trailed towards her left arm and began to rub it slowly in an attempt to warm her from the cool evening air.
    She took a step back, before turning around again so that she can continue her way, but was met by a flash of black and a fist to the stomach.

    The woman in black’s monstrous strength lifted the poor girl off her feet causing her to crash at the far end of a clearing she had just entered. The girl fell into a thick tree stump with a dull thud, causing her to lose the little air she had left within her lungs. The force of the impact made her think that she had just broken her spine, lucky for her such a thing did not happen. The pain from being hit blurred her vision and made her head throb.
    Dum, Dum
    Went the girl’s heartbeat. Her breathing became slow, yet still shallow from her stinging lungs. Lifting her arms became a struggle as she willed her right hand to touch her bleeding forehead.

    She heard the soft falls of feet crush the grass that was beneath them, the rippling of cloth, and the ragged breathing of a human being.
    It seems like she caught me, thought the girl, as she waited for death to claim her. She closed her eyes and silently prayed.
    For a few moments there was silence, save for the unknown person’s ragged breathing. The girl was confused; this person had murdered her companions in cold blood without hesitating, yet now it stand before her as if waiting for something. The clearing suddenly became quiet, the person’s breathing has ceased. The girl mustered her remaining courage and opened both of her eyes. As soon as she did, she greatly regretted it for her already cold blood froze in fear.
    She was staring into two crimson pools of blood with a narrow shaped islands resting at the middle, only to realize that the pools were actually eyes. The black robed woman’s face was inches from the girl’s, her crimson eyes gazing deep into the girl’s very soul.

    The girl held her breath as she realized what happen. She could feel the small puffs of warm air that was exhaled from the woman’s lips on her own, and for some horrible reason, exhilarating her despite her current situation.
    After a few nerve wrecking seconds, the woman pulled away and loomed over the injured girl.

    “Please, don’t kill me” pleaded the girl, hot tears forming within her eyes, “I don’t want to die”
    The woman gave her a cold look with her hungry looking eyes. The woman looked the same as she was four days ago. Waist length blonde hair, a beautiful inhuman face that would have rivaled those of beauty queens if it were not smeared in dry gore. A black flowing silk dress beneath a long dark robe that reached her ankles, her wrists bearing two obsidian bracelets each respectively, and a red neck tie at the middle of her chest.

    What the girl found frightening about the woman was not the obsidian black broadsword with crimson linings hanging at her back, neither was the dried blood of the girl’s companions which the woman in black licked passionately as she gazed at the young lady before her. But it was the fact that the woman seemed hungry.

    The woman’s eyes bore unto her as if finding the best way of butchering the girl with her eyes similar that to a starving wolf, ready to tear its dinner apart.
    She’s insane, screamed the girl mentally, her eyes wide as the woman drew her sword from its sheath, damn, all of those hours running and this is my reward? How fitting… I didn’t even get the chance to be married before I die. Mother, Father, please forgive me…
    The girl managed to plead out once more, as the madwoman raised her blade. “Please, anyone, save me…”

    The sound of the falling blade was never heard, the girl stared in shock as she watched the woman stop her blade just as she was about to bring it down.
    T
    he girl waited… Was the she going to live? Has sense finally appeared within this madwoman’s mind?

    The woman gave her a soft, kind hearted smile, which made her feel a wave of warmth envelope her, replacing the cold, mind numbing fear she was experiencing earlier. The girl could not help but crack a smile at the hope of being set free and left alone.
    This hope however was shattered by the woman, smiling in a twisted manner, before saying, “Is that so~?”

    The girl’s hopes were crushed as the sword’s sharp blade fell.
    Blood sprayed upon the surrounding trees’ barks as the sound of a body fell limply to the ground. And so another soul fall under the fangs of the Night.