The Skraeming DehvilKin sucks in a harrowing breath, as if in complete euphoria over the taste of fresh meat and blood. It chews quickly, in a frenzy, before it dives back and snaps at the second half of her neck. Only a sliver of flesh remains, and the woman’s head swings like a pendulum beneath her breasts, her eyes and mouth wide and empty in a terrifying mock of a grandfather clock. The faerie beast claws hold her meal upright and steady, ready for devouring.
I pull myself from my terror, giving myself a giant mentalget yourself together and fucking run!
And I do.
I run.
The high-pitched giggles follow me as I race for my fucking life. Because I know it’s coming for me next.
Chapter Sixteen
My chest wheezes and aches as I crash through the thick foliage of the forest. I don’t know how long I have been running for, but I can feel that I am being chased. The faerie creature has finished its main course and is coming for dessert.
The high-pitched giggle is distant, but it’s closing in. Fast.
I gasp as my dress snags on an overhanging branch. It cuts the strap of my dress and bra clean off, before taking flesh and blood as its reward.
“Fuck!” I hiss.
My feet thud to an unsteady stop, and I twist to see the damage. Gods damn, it got me good.
My hands fall to my knees as I gasp for breath, my lungs desperate and dry. After a beat, I become aware of the sound of running water. A river? Waterfall? Whatever it was, perhaps the Skraeming Dhevilkin would lose my scent if I waded through it for a bit.
ClickClickClick. Your blood smells delicious, my sweeting. Let me taste you!
“Shit!” I take off again, angling for what I hope is the direction of the running water.
The muscles in my legs tremble as I push myself onwards. I wouldnotdie today. I would not become a meal to any freakish creature of Faerie.
The water is getting closer, but so is the Skraeming Dhevilkin. Its steps are nothing but rustling leaves, yet it’s closing in. I can feel it with therising of the fine hairs on my arms. The Skraeming Dhevilkin giggles and clicks as it nears. I know I am slowing. My body is exhausted, physically and mentally. I stumble onwards. I have to reach the water.
The idea of the source of water has somehow transformed itself into a safe haven in my mind, as if I could survive this if only I were to reach it.
Is that you, my sweeting? You are so near!
I break through a final shrub that nicks and tears at my skin, and there it is. A river. And it’s fucking wide. I was a decent swimmer, but I was exhausted right now. My limbs were jelly, and I knew they wouldn’t carry me far. But the water meant safety. It justhadto. If my mind has tricked me into a false sense of security over this, I would die believing myself to be a traitor to my own self.
Wait… Wait! Sweeting! Step away from the river, my precious.It sounded terrified.
The water is ice cold as my feet find the licking tongue of the river’s edge. I try not to slow as it wraps its icy embrace around my aching legs, but water does what it will, and I’m forced into a walk as if in slow motion.
No!
The anger of the Skraeming Dhevilkin inches beneath my skin and tears at my bones. I fall, then, the gentle sweeping of the river taking my exhausted body beneath its surface. For a moment, I let myself sink, too weary to save myself. Too resigned to my fate to hope for even a second that the waters’ kiss has somehow saved me from the faerie creature.
When my lungs begin to burn, I realize I haven’t been yanked back out of the water by flesh-tearing nails. The realization kick starts my fight-or-flight senses, and I fold my legs beneath me and push up. I haven’t driftedtoo far, but I’m steadily being dragged further towards the center of the river, where it grows more rapid.
Gasping for breath, I face the Skraeming Dhevilkin. It has left its hood off as it paces furiously at the edge of the water. Its agitated clicking is almost too quick to follow as its eyeless face follows my drifting body.
Suddenly, it screams.
You! You selfish little whelp! Get back here!
Yeah, that was a firm no.
I tread water as my feet lose purchase on the rocky river bed, and I bob up and down like a buoy.
“The water is lovely,” stupid, stupid god’s damn mouth! Why was I like this? “You should join me.”
