Chapter Text
“Oh! Uh. Montressor! I caught her! I caught her!” Morella yelled across the creek, lying through her teeth. Montressor saw the tattered dress of Lenore peeking out the tree; he grinned knowing the prey was just waiting across the creek.
“Good! Good! You surely are a talent to have with us, Morella!” Montressor praised her and the pack behind him cheered for Morella. They were excited to taste fresh flesh, it’s been many moons since they had a proper hunt as successful as this.
“Can I?” She pointed her slightly clawed fingers at her bleeding thigh. Lenore stared down; she pieced two things together, this woman wants to help her, and she’s bleeding badly.
“Thank you. My name is Lenore, no last name.” Lenore looked at the woman's blue eyes, a tinge of relief washed over her.
“Don’t thank me,” Morella’s hands trembled, yet her face looked stone cold. Lenore felt a cold shiver run within her spine. She stared silently as Morella tore a piece of her own cloak with a loud rip.
Finally, the woman used Lenore’s still bleeding thigh, smearing her face and neck next. Lenore irking at the feeling of her own blood in her face and neck. The distant howling and the smell of her own blood wasn’t what she was expecting her night to go by. Morella used the freshly ripped fabric from Lenore’s evening dress to dress the wound in her left thigh in an amateur practice.
Lenore noticed her hands shaking in distress and let out a small sniff, then wiped it immediately.
“I- I’m so sorry... It’s- my-” Morella sobbed quietly. She pressed on the freshly dressed wound on Lenore’s thigh; still the blood seeped through the fabric. Quiet heaving breathing, and her hands jittered.
“Morella?”, Lenore placed her pale hands-on Morella’s heaving shoulder; She cried quietly and broke down kneeling in front of the woman she supposed to kill. Morella was a stranger to Lenore, but the feeling felt familiar between them.
“I can’t do this. I can’t do this- why would I have to kill someone- can’t do this.” She mumbled repeatedly just as quiet so Lenore wouldn’t hear; her words choked with guilt and regret. Morella wiped the tears welling in the corner of her eyes. Lenore couldn’t help but feel worried and sympathy for the woman, she seems so young, as she’s pushed into this brutality reality on her own...
“Shh... It’s going to be okay... we can find a way out of this without hurting each other, okay?” Lenore reassured, gently patting her shoulder.
“No! You don’t understand what they- no- we- are trying to do to you!” She angrily whispered, small tears in the corner of her eyes. Her claws slightly grew and scrunched the mossy grass in between her clawed hands.
“We? What do you mean...” Lenore didn’t get what Morella was leading until it dawned on her. The inhuman speed, uncanny howling, and that man. Lenore slowly gazed into Morella’s eyes; Morella’s small teardrops on her cheeks.
“Are you... a part of them? What are you? WHO ARE YOU? AND WHY?” Fear once again washed over her, no matter what, anywhere and in any situation, she cannot trust anyone anymore. Her ears rang as her heart banged adrenaline throughout her body. She tried to wipe the freshly applied blood dripping in her face
“I- there was only you in the forest at night! Who else am I going to kill just to prove myself?! A DEER???” Morella pointed at the fawn grazing just one yards away from them, but Lenore didn’t understand nor saw what Morella was pointing at.
Lenore stared in horror; she gritted her teeth.
“THEN IT’S BETTER BE NO ONE!” Lenore argued loudly, just loud enough for Montressor and the pack behind him to know that their prey is still alive and fighting back. Montressor quietly signaled the pack to split catch up to the prey’s location across the creek.
“Hey quiet! -” Morella hushed Lenore. Yet the two continued to bicker between themselves for another minute before Lenore stood up with a blank stern face, looking down on Morella.
“I can find help myself. Thank you for your help but this is the last we’ll ever meet. Farewell, Morella." She whispered the last words, she’s glad to be alive; then Lenore ran with a slight limp and made her way through the bushes away from the creek, away from Morella.
“Wait!” Morella shouted behind Lenore, then turned behind her to notice that Montressor’s pack disappeared from the other side of the creek, nowhere to be seen. Morella looked back just to see the raven-haired woman gone from the place she was sitting. She shed a single tear and watched Lenore already gone from where they retreated, away from her.
Another betrayal, her friends, her parents and now a stranger. How unfortunate for her. Maybe the moonlight above will give her enough light for hope, but the stark grim night will overcome her. Like always.
~
“Remember this, Lenore: A suitor for you will not just benefit our family, but to you as well.” His voice echoed in the hallway. Lenore found it rather odd that her father personally came and escorted her.
The long stretch of walls, paintings and windows seems to be endless in Lenore’s mind, every time she and her father would accompany each other; the lessons for life are given to her in a form of ‘father-daughter bonding’ in her own mother’s words.
Lenore internally groaned every single time her father mentions the word marriage, suitor, benefits and the most mind rotting of all: monotony. This is the life she swore would never commit to.
“Lenore, are you listening to any of the lessons I’ve spoken to you?” Thaddeus slightly turned to the right, eyeing Lenore, who was deep in thought.
“Yes, father.” She lied confidently, turned to her father with a false-placid smile on her face. They resumed their quiet walk of doom.
“Where did Theo go?” Lenore wondered as she glanced at the large family painting of her, Theodore, father and mother, all neutral faced.
~
Running and dodging through the tree branches of the forest, hearing the creek’s raging current fade away behind her, Lenore quietly wept to herself. Then her mind wondered about Theo.
“Is he doing well? I hope he didn’t know I'm gone now, he always cared for me, such a burden to have. I’m sorry Theo but you deserve a better sister.”
The dinner party today was the breaking point for her. Thinking about what her father spoke of in his words was beneficial for the family to give her enough migraine to last a lifetime.
“What does father know...” Lenore scoffed; her brows furrowed. “ None!”
-
“So, what you’re sayin’ is little ol’ runaway escaped from you? Huh.” Montressor questioned; his brows twitched with utter annoyance; “how can a wounded woman fight back?” He thought.
“Uh- I don’t know... I thought she’s already dead, Montressor, I’m so sorry, this won’t happen again.” Morella replied quietly while fiddling with the strings of her cloak, twisting them together and forming ties. Knowing Lenore was the brutal reality check she never thought of getting today.
“C’mon now, dear sweetie Morella! This is just your first time; sure, she ran away but that’s why we hunt in a pack!” Montressor patted her back and so did the pack around them agreed to Montressor’s words.
“Now! We gotta hunt a raven for tonight!” He cheered; the pack howled and cackled in broken unison; Morella joined in but with a weak howl in the rain.
She looked down in her hands, the now washed-up traces of blood still lingering. Then at Montressor, who was smiling at the rest of the pack, then at her.
“Maybe today’s the day, eh? Morella!” Montressor patted her shoulders, then his clawed thumb pointed at Morella.
“Don’t. Fail. Us.” He whispered to her.
She nodded quietly, “Of course, I won’t”
-
His fastidious approach is almost like one of a hunter, except he’s not out to kill, but to search for someone. Theo rode his white stallion faster than ever, but not too fast for it will tire his dear horse. Approaching the area from when Lenore screamed, a dark decrepit forest. Its branches whipped and snapped in every direction.
Torn frills and fabric, from Lenore’s cream-colored dress are now muddied and made a trail leading deeper through the darker parts of the forest. He noticed that Lenore’s horse was the same horse missing from the stable earlier. He would’ve worried that his father would reprimand him, and his mother would sit back staring, if he knew Lenore’s safety, he would rest peacefully. But his worry and panic caused him to run after Lenore. If only he had been at the dinner party earlier all of this wouldn’t have happened.
“Oh Lenore...” his thoughts echoed within. His father may hate him for this, but his sister’s safety is his top priority as of right now.
The tracks were fresh but almost destroyed beneath him as he trotted on horseback. He followed closely and surely to ensure Lenore’s last known location. His undying determination to look for his sister despite this never-ending rain remained unchanged.
Inspecting further, deeper into the woods, just as before he reached the creek, he stopped midway, noticing the signs of struggle; a bed of moss, but the center is dug out and the shape is almost of a person’s hand and a small splash of blood in the tree just behind it.
Lenore’s horse wasn’t present in this scene, the forest floor beneath him showed not just Lenore's and her stolen horse, but multiple tracks, he couldn’t make what animals Lenore encountered earlier, but the way her foot tracks- she ran, and they followed.
Worry started to paint his skin, could it be Lenore’s? Theo hastened his movements and snapped on the reigns to canter towards the creek that was known to be peacefully flowing from the stream above- now it raged its violent currents downstream. Theo whipped his head left and right- and left again. Peeking out of the bushes is a familiar shining item; Lenore’s scissors were a gift made and given by Theo, now they’re stuck on the ground near the creek.
“Yah!” He cantered to the left side of the creek and unmounted as he went near the scissors area. Grasping the scissors with his bare hands, he detected a tinge of blood within the blades. Another item he noticed is the satchel Lenore took suddenly with her after that dreadful argument earlier this evening. He noticed another set of wet footprints, it’s wide and big, same as his except it’s barefooted and dug deep into the muddy ground and it’s surrounded by unknown animal tracks.
Theo scanned the surrounding area with a keen eye. If it hadn’t been raining the moment Lenore ran away, things would’ve been made easier for Theo. But now, he’s lost within the sprawling trees of this dark forest.
Over the distance, a broken unison of howling wolves can be heard.
He whistled for his horse and mounted, galloping downstream of the creek.
After a few miles galloping downstream, Theo came across a stone bridge in between the creek and saw a speck of ember-like light approaching it.
Slowing down his horse, Theo carefully approached the coach; its body made of a dark material with intricate gold engravings and the windows to the inside tinted black. The lone driver at the seat noticed his slow approach and cracked the stick to slow down the coach.
“Hey, uh, Hello sir!” Theo greeted the driver, but the driver grumbled “Hello.” back to him and spat out chewed tobacco.
“Sorry to interrupt your travels, sir, but you know where the center of the forest is?” Theo enquired while holding the reigns steadily. Crossing the bridge at a steady pace, Theo observed the lone driver from behind, the hulking broad shoulder slumped while holding the reigns of the two large black stallions.
The driver replied with a deep grumble and stopped the coach to the side of the road. He left his seat to talk to someone inside the carriage.
“Just a second.” He flatly spoke then turned to the passenger from outside the door. Theo couldn’t hear the passenger’s voice; the rain made it hard for him to know what’s happening. He grumbled while rubbing his head and whispered to the tinted windows, then nodded in agreement.
“The miss said: This road, turn right and the big stone is the center of the forest. That’s where it should be.” The driver answered. Theo scanned the face of the driver but couldn’t make most of the features except for a scar across the lip and well-kept mustache but most of the features are obscured by the shadows of his hat. Despite being mounted on a horse; the driver’s height and his height are eye-to-eye level. Scary.
“Ah, thank you!” Theo immediately dashed onwards. Leaving the coach behind him. The driver witnessed Theo fade into the rain.
The driver returned to his seat with his stick in hand, the two black stallions huffed and neighed as the coach started moving again. The lone driver grabbed the only lantern and blew out the fire with a small puff of air from his bourbon infused breath.
Scratching his bearded chin, the wet and muddied path made it rather difficult for the coach to start moving; He grumbled as the horses huffed in annoyance as they dragged the coach at an even pace back on the right track.
“Oh, C’mon now! Let’s get going boys, yah!!!” The lone driver felt the carriage slightly rock sporadically against the rocky, muddy road. The storm made this travel to the Whitlock estate more treacherous than it should be, risking the life of the young woman inside the coach. If the weather were any better than this, all would be good.
He hummed, with the rain and the young woman as silent listeners to his newly improvised tune. A minute after his performance the lone driver heard a muffled clapping from within the coach. Then a single word, “Bravo!”.
“Oh- Thank you, Miss Whitlock.” rubbed the back of his head bashfully, his eyes still fixed in front of the road. Another minute passed, then a single audible knock from within the coach caught his attention.
“Yes? Miss Whitlock.” The lone driver answered, he slightly turned his head, but his eyes were still on the road ahead; the coach turned left, with the trees arching and twisting, forming a new path ahead.
“Of course, Miss Whitlock. We are almost at the estate.” He replied, the young woman asked another question.
“That. I don’t know, miss.” He felt the young woman lean into the tinted windows, sighed depleted.
~
Lenore ran towards a big oak tree to shield herself from the constant downpour. Finally found a place to rest, Lenore sat in the tree’s large roots while patting her now extremely tattered dress, it’s original color now replaced with brown mud and the occasional blood.
Soaking in the sound of the rain violently pelting against the leaves, the smell of her own blood has weakened. She rubbed the soles of her feet; Lenore’s heels became useless after a mile of running away.
“Heugh-, goodbye stupid heels! I won’t be wearing you anymore, but you’ll be useful for something else.” Lenore swung her heels around like a maniac in the rain.
She finds it rather weird to be barefooted outside, a totally new experience for her. One step at a time, she felt freer than ever; the life she had before this was full of limitations and expectations from everyone she knew. All she felt was the mud beneath her feet, the smell of nature surrounding her and the sound of everything, a total opposite to upkeeping her social status in Manhattan’s high society just to please whatever her family needed her to do.
“For your own sake.”
“We know best.”
“It’s for the betterment of the family.”
“Behave well, don’t be brash.”
“It’s what’s best for you.”
“Your life is sealed in paper, Lenore.”
These same words have been drilled to her head ever since she drew her first breath. Lenore slept, ate, and lived her life hearing these words repeated like a mantra in her mind. At first, she believed and trusted her life in the hands of others, then something changed within her, a cog misplaced. It started small, Lenore started to place her interest in topics deemed too “unladylike”, her father and mother, Thaddeus and Lucille Vandernacht made sure their daughter wouldn’t be easily swayed by the eccentricity of society’s failures. Their grip on Lenore’s life tightened every time she expressed interest in exploring the arts beyond needlepoint and her eccentric behavior that drove away twelve potential suitors the moment she debuted at the age of eighteen and number kept rising until her father made the decision to choose for her.
“Oh well, those are not my problems anymore! They can consider me good as gone for all I care.” Lenore grumbled; she jumped over a shallow puddle; though her injuries hadn’t healed she smiled at her own new-found independence. Ignoring the forest and its seemingly inhuman inhabitants. Finally, the weather weakened from its thunderous rage earlier to a gentler rainfall.
Lenore learned from her mistake of being out in the open for too long, so she kept walking as moonlight guided her. Even though her leg limped for every step she took and the absolute disheveled state she’s currently in, and the rain constantly pouring down to her, the walk itself was surprisingly quiet and peaceful. She basked in this melancholic solitude under the moonlight. Her walk ended when she reached an area with a large single stone monument at the center.
“Odd, I never knew the forest had this in here...” Lenore thought to herself, stepping closer and circling the large stone monument. Curious about its domineering structure, she saw chiseled engravings of an unknown language. Lenore felt every groove of the engravings under her fingertips.
Then for a split second, she felt her spine chill, then it dawned on her. One experience is enough for a person to recognize dread and malice, Montressor’s deathly blood lust. And Lenore is point-blank of Montresor’s gaze.
“A lil’ pup told me that you’d wind up here... err... Miss Lenora? Laureen? Layla?” Montressor fiddled with his toothpick, picking off remnants of raw flesh off his gums. He looked different from their first encounter earlier, he’s more... presentable to say the least.
“It’s Miss Lenore.” She corrected him indignantly. Montressor chuckled, building up into a laughing fit. He wiped a singular tear while attempting to suppress his laughter any further.
“Usually, I don’t care much for introductions and all that high society’s bullcrap etiquette, since yknow, you’ll be just another dead prey eaten. But I'll make an exception tonight’ just for ya.” Montresor stepped closer, and with each step, Lenore stepped back until her back came contact with the stone monument.
“My name is Montressor. Sure, is a pleasure meetin’ a fine dine as yourself.”
“Don’t step any closer!” Lenore gripped her heels pointed at Montressor.
“Woah there, you’ll get yourself hurt- just kiddin’, I don’t care. Also, why not?” He stepped closer.
“Y’know the greatest meals are made with the finest and freshest ingredients can taste so damned delicious? Miss Lenore.” He grinned; a full set of sharp canines bared at her. Lenore’s eyes quickly noticed a trail of blood smudged on his stubbled chin. Her eyes flicked in between the blood on his chin and his protruding clawed finger ready to strike.
“What. Are. You.” Lenore gritted her teeth. Her grip tightened around her broken heels, ready to strike once again.
“Glad ya asked, Miss Lenore! My name’s Montressor, the last person you’ll ever meet in this damned forest.” He smiled before continuing,
“Ya see, outside the realm of humanity, we are what y'all like to call ‘Monsters’, creatures that shouldn’t exist in the first place, but we’re real.” Montresor did a mocked curtsy bow at Lenore. Then resumed nitpicking the last bits of flesh in between the crevices of his canine teeths. Lenore doesn’t want to know what he did prior to this moment nor for Montresor to keep nitpicking in-between his teeth.
Montresor noticed Lenore eyeing his chin, rubbing his fingertips at his bloody stubble to see left-over blood trickle down.
“Oh this? I had a little snack earlier.” He picked the last bit and spat out his chewed-up toothpick onto the ground.
“Eugh- you are a monster.” Lenore grimaced in pure disgust.
“Yeah yeah, so what, I’ve heard that many times already. We'll just continue living while you’ll just rot in a ditch somewhere else.” He shrugged nonchalantly while Lenore felt a wave of nausea at the thought of his remark.
“So, Miss Lenore. Unfortunately, our nice chit-chat will have to end right here. I have a pack to feed; they’re starving for taste of flesh and so am I.” Lenore’s eyes widened as Montressor strides the remaining distance between them, but Lenore dodges the incoming clawed hands from Montressor just barely grazing her skin.
“FUC-” Lenore swore as she almost face-planted on the ground; Lenore wiped the remaining mud splashed unto her face and swore another profanity under her breath.
“Wow- that was really pathetic.” Montressor tilted his head; he took out another toothpick from his pocket.
Lenore peeked from the corners of her eyes, through her drenched hair; Montressor leaned closer to inspect the fallen woman, his ears slightly twitched as she muttered words in hushed breath.
The moment felt quiet.
“What was that? I really expected more of a fight from yo-” Lenore instinctually sliced Montressor’s nose with her full strength just by using her now broken heels.
Montressor fell back unto the ground, thrashing and yelping in pain as he sputtered blood in the stone monument’s engravings; blood seeping within the grooves. It took him a good minute to regain his composure.
“I said, close enough.” Lenore weakly stood up, looking down on Montressor’s current state; holding his bleeding crooked nose while giving Lenore a death glare then looked behind her. He whistled.
Lenore turned around; she saw bright eyes peering from the darkness. Stuck in a trap in the center of the forest. Lenore whipped her head; Montressor’s sharpened finger gestured towards her back.
“You see, there’s a reason we don’t hunt alone.” Montressor weakly chuckled behind her, wiping the remaining blood off him.
~
“BACK OFF!”
Theo heard the screams of his sister clearer as he approached the center of the forest. He witnessed Lenore on top of a large stone monument while surrounded by a pack of large creatures. His eyes widened as he approached the scene; abnormally large and bipedal creatures resembling wolves. Nothing but a single thought crossed his mind.
“ What are these...?” He thought to himself as a tinge of fear washed over his mind; no matter what his body instinctually wants to run away, his hands shaking in fear. Even his stallion – who knows no fear even at a difficult hunt – started to buck aggressively. Gritting his teeth with determination, trying to overcome this fear of unknown creatures. He snapped the reigns and pushed forward despite him sweating in fear.
“I SAID BACK OFF!!!” Lenore swung her other heels at a werewolf, it flinched and snarled in return. The pack have her surrounded, Montressor and the werewolves spoke amongst themselves.
“Wolves? No...” Knowing he had nothing but himself to fend off against these monsters from Lenore, he gripped the only available item he picked up; earlier he pieced Lenore’s sewing scissors at the end of a strong oak branch together using the string from his cloak to create a makeshift spear.
In the corner of her eyes, Lenore caught a glimpse of an incoming man, her face lit up in hope seeing a familiar stallion from afar.
“LENORE, STAY THERE!” Suddenly caught off-guard, Theo suddenly dashed in between Lenore and the pack of bipedal creatures with his makeshift spear in hand. Theo reached out his hands to Lenore. Their eyes met, both in desperation.
“STOP THAT MAN!!!” Montressor immediately ordered one of his members to stop Theo in his path to rescue Lenore.
One of the werewolves – bigger than him and his stallion combined - tried to seize Theo from up front, but to no avail their clawed hands met the end of his makeshift spear, cutting deep within the furred hands of the werewolf. Montressor and his pack ears perked; shocked to hear one of their comrades' screaming in pain.
“THEO!?” Lenore without a thought grabbed his arms in return. Surprised to see Theo in the same place. The makeshift spear dripped blood at the tip while he panted heavily. Lenore clumsily jumped off the stone monument, now sat behind him in his white stallion. She felt his shaking stature; he had a sense of fear that she didn’t know was inside of him until now.
Nonetheless, he snapped the reins to flee from the scene with Lenore finally found. Montressor and his pack chasing the two siblings behind them. Lenore could not help but close her eyes for a moment and focus onwards as the werewolves jeered amongst themselves incoherently.
“WE GON’ GET ANOTHER MEAL!” Montressor hyped the werewolves behind him.
“YEAH!”
“They’re behind us, Theo! We- We need to get out of here!” Lenore alarmed Theo worryingly. Both siblings can feel the pack of blood thirsty werewolves fixed on their backs. Lenore turned her head as one of Montressor’s werewolves approached just mere meters away from the stallion’s rear. The werewolf cackled.
Another thunder struck its frightening boom upon the forest.
Lenore snatched Theo’s makeshift spear; she saw a familiar object as a spear head hastily strung together by a string to an oak stick. She knows Theo loved the arts and crafts ever since their shared childhood, but this is an ingenius way to craft a weapon.
“Is this my sewing scissors???” Lenore turned to her bother; his eyes still fixed on the path ahead but felt a wash of guilt hearing that. Using Lenore’s gift just to be tainted with blood. He stayed quiet before answering.
“Yes...” Theo whispered,
“Breathe in and then breathe out.’ She gripped the firm oak stick, feeling its rough texture against her dirtied hands. The werewolf behind them is inching closer and closer, panting with every stride it takes while its brightly lit crimson red eyes fixed on Lenore’s back.
Lenore then looked at her trusted sewing scissors for the last time before striking the werewolf’s shoulder with all her might. The werewolf screamed - a warbled inhuman scream - and stumbled backwards, falling behind the rest of the pack. Montressor came pass at the injured werewolf; it pleaded for help reaching his clawed hands Montressor, but to Montressor’s eyes, he merely glanced at the injured werewolf with such indifference and mouthed “Pathetic.” to them. The werewolf crumbled in shame, to be disregarded and discarded, wishing to be buried in the same ditch they were born in.
“Drats!” Theo noticed Montressor, and his pack just behind them joking amongst themselves, he sped up against them; the fast pace of his stallion was no match to the dogged pack of werewolves as their incessant jeering continued.
“Did you get them?!” Theo slightly turned his head around while Lenore hugged his back; Montressor ordered his pack to fall behind and go prepare.
“Yes- Look out!" Lenore ducked her head and so he ducked his head right before a broken low hanging branch was about to hit his face.
“Theo, they’re- That man in the rider’s pants is Montressor! He’s behind us!” Lenore warned,
“Montres-”
“Shit!” Theo swore as Montressor swoops in behind them just a meter in between him and the stallion. Lenore and Montressor made eye contact, unlike the other werewolf in the pack, his eyes didn’t glow nor hold any crimson-like colors. But they held pitch-black irises, they didn’t reflect anything or anyone, but they felt humane, Lenore felt a cold shiver run up her spine when Montressor revealed his fanged smile.
Just barely dodging Montressor’s clawed hands, Lenore screamed to her brother,
“Theo, watch out!” Lenore screamed at the same time she noticed Montressor’s pack on the other side of the road closing in front of them, and Montressor sped too close behind them.
Thankfully, Lenore’s warning was more than enough for Theo to speed up against Montressor, but he felt the claws of death inching to his neck, so he snapped the reins further again, trying to gain a big distance away from Montressor.
For a split second, he saw an opportunity to lose them by entering a beaten old path; taking a detour within the forest, where it’s known to be darkest at night. Lenore looked behind her, Montressor was nowhere to be seen.
Theo threaded carefully while still maintaining the speed of his stallion. Finally, a chance of peace for the Vandernacht siblings, yet an air of tension still lingers between them. Lenore stared at the distance, while Theo quietly guided his stallion to stay on the path.
“Brrr...” Lenore shivered from the cold night, her torn evening dress looked different from the elegant and intricate design it once was.
“Here,” Despite the cold night, Theo removed his cloak and gave it to Lenore. The ride was quiet,
Lenore looked down at her tired and dirtied feet compared to her brother’s riding boots. She really didn’t think far as packing extra clothing back at the manor. Now she’s paying the price for leaving unprepared.
Theo wanted to ask Lenore a question, and Lenore wanted the same. Both siblings spent a minute in their minds to collect their thoughts, before speaking at the same time,
“Why did yo-”
“Why did yo-”
Both siblings spoke in unison, then looked at each other awkwardly.
“Uh- you go first.” Theo suggested and Lenore complied so.
“W- Why did you look for me?” Lenore asked, she tried to fight her voice from cracking, but Theo noticed his own sister’s change in tone.
“Because you are my sister, Lenore. My only sister in this world,”
“You worry me, Lenore. You really do.” Theo spoke in genuine worry.
Lenore looked away, not in shame but in internal conflict; she wanted to tell Theo that the life set out for her wasn’t her true self, however a lingering fear deep within her mind restricted herself from confessing her own thoughts to Theo, her only brother and friend. Taking another deep breath, she replied,
“I know,” The only words she can muster out of her mind,
“You know???”
“Lenore, you don’t know how worried mother, father and I are for you. Since you decided to run off in the middle of the night!” Theo added, and Lenore burrowed her brows at the mention of her parents. She thought for a second, weighing her options between telling Theo the truth or avoiding the subject at all.
“You have no idea what it was like – fulfilling to be the ideal daughter in their eyes have torn me apart, bit by bit for years until I no longer recognize what it was like to have an identity,” Lenore spoke in utter scorn that Theo was left speechless and surprised to hear her comment.
“I didn’t-” Theo opened his mouth just for Lenore to interject his words.
“And them worrying about me is just them worrying about the wealth and prosperity of our family, not me. In addition to that, father already found me a suitor at the dinner party.” Lenore finished her mini rant with a annoyed huff. She whipped her head away to diffuse her rising anger from the mere mention of that damned dinner party.
Theo stayed quiet and let Lenore’s words dwell within his mind. He sighed; he looked behind him to see Lenore holding back tears.
The darkness of the forest gave them enough privacy to talk to each other, yet they stayed quiet as the rain fell.
“I'm sorry, I should've been there to protect you, Lenore.” Theo broke the silence between him and Lenore. Taken aback by his sudden words, Lenore wanted to reply, but a lump in her throat denied her to speak so she instead quietly hugged Theo and sniffled as she struggled to find the right words.
Theo heard quiet sniffling behind him and looked at Lenore rubbing her tears with her muddied palms and placed them back to hug Theo. He knows Lenore enough that she needs a moment of peace and quiet, so rather than speaking affirming words, he patted Lenore’s hand reassuringly.
“It’s okay now, I’m here for you. Please, don’t put yourself in danger again.” He continued to pat Lenore reassuringly, Lenore’s sniffled more quietly as time passed and Theo felt Lenore’s breathe more evenly.
~
Morella felt the breeze flow below her as she perched on top a large branch. She furrowed her brows as she dwelled within her mind “Do I have to do this?” she quietly muttered to herself as she waited for the unsuspecting siblings to pass by.
Montressor personally gave her the detail regarding Lenore and the man she’s with, they’re the target for the night. The way he looked, he was annoyed by the fact that this was the pack’s first unsuccessful hunt and angry by the fact a mere human was able to outsmart the whole pack.
She stopped her arm from shaking in nervousness. Breathing in, and out, her blue cerulean eyes focused on the task at hand.
“I have to do this.” Morella narrowed her eyes; her gaze landing on the incoming siblings. She faintly hears their chattering, a mixture of chuckles and contented sighs between them. Morella can’t help but feel guilty.
“No, this is wrong. I must help them.”