Chapter Text
The story starts with a lady calling a name through her small village.
“Craig! Craaaig! Where are you, Craig?” she calls, worn boots kicking up dust as she half-shuffles, half-jogs along the dirt path, ignoring how the townspeople avoid looking in her direction.
This lady’s name is Maude, who lives not with the other townspeople but rather up on a hill in a cottage, with a rather spacious fenced backyard. She is not particularly pretty nor ugly, and she is not entirely fit and healthy, but any townsperson could tell you that she is a tough and stubborn soul, and what she lacks in body, she certainly makes up for in spirit. They could also tell you she’s a rude misanthrope, and that it is best to leave her alone with her beloved Craig.
Who, of course, is currently missing.
“Craig! Wherefore art thou, Craig?” she continues to call.
“Ye en’t gon’ see that one again, lass,” a hardheaded smith calls to her, making dear Maude stop in her tracks.
“Where has he gone,” she demands, “Where is my Craig?”
“In the forest, ‘e went - the old fool, ‘e’s as good as dead, ‘e is.”
Maude has half a mind to slap the smith in his arm. Instead, she hisses, “Don’t be a daft idiot. Just ‘cause he went in there doesn’t mean he’s dead!”
“Dunno, Maude. Craig might be a lovable fella, but not even ‘is charm could tame the beast lurkin’ in those woods.”
“Nonsense. I’ve never heard such utter hogwash! I’ll wander into those woods myself and fetch him out in one piece! You’ll see!” She steps forward, intent on just marching into the forest to find her Craig - but the smith puts out a hand to stop her.
“Ye en’t really ‘bout t’ march straight in like some dunce, are ye?”
“Why, as a matter of fact, I am! Do you care to try and stop me?”
The smith is silent for a few moments, then tsks. “Mind yer ankle, Maude.”
She gives a nod. “And you have a jolly morning, sir. ”
- -
To explain the forest - among the townspeople, they called it “The Dusky Forest”, for light rarely pierced through the thick foliage that gathered at the very top of the trees. As for the monster the smith mentioned - well, there is a long time tale among the townspeople that a creature lies in The Dusky Forest. A beast that is vile and could be called savage if not for the fact that those who have claimed to have seen it say the creature has intelligence in its eyes - and so the accurate word for it is not savage but rather cruel . Its fangs are sharp enough to pierce through bone, and its eyes could make a man’s heart stop beating-
Well, Maude thinks to herself at that thought, It’s quite fortunate that I am not a man.
Truth be told, Maude believes there could be a beast in those woods, but she hardly believes all the myths regarding it - most of which were sloppily spun by fear-stricken folk who had most likely just been searching for attention.
The point was; yes, she thinks a monster lurks in there - but no, she certainly is not afraid.
However long Maude’s been walking matters not to her - though, it matters some for her ankle - weakened by a past accident and now ached from the stress.
“‘Mind your ankle,’” she mutters under her breath in a mocking voice. Her eyes search for the lowest branch (which isn’t all that low for her, for she has to go on her tiptoes with one leg raised to reach it) and snaps it off from the tree with the intention of using it as a walking stick.
As soon as she continues on her way, she calls, “Craig! Craig, love, where are y-” Her calls stop at the sound of leaves crunching not far from her. She tilts her head. “Craig?” No response. She squints through her glasses - Blast this dark, she thinks, Couldn’t see a bloody bear if it were three feet ahead of me - “Who goes there?”
She hears breathing that is not quite human (though, it’s also not quite bear , either). “Come on out. I’m not gonna hurt ya’.” Right after she says this, she raises her stick. “Unless you plan to harm me - in which case, I’m armed!”
“What do you plan to do with that stick, ma’am?” a voice speaks from the dark. Maude doesn’t flinch - if anything, the voice mystifies her.
“Why, if you try to lay a hand on me-” Wait, perhaps ‘hand’ isn’t the right word. Oh well- “I’ll take this stick and gouge out your eyes!”
The voice gives a discontent hum. “That sounds...unpleasant.” Pause. “Alright, I’ll show myself to y - oh.”
Maude, who is not really one for dramatic reveals, steps forward to see the - “Oh! You must be the monster everyone speaks of.”
“Ah, so you’ve heard of me.”
“Well, a more fear-inducing version of you, but yes.”
“So that is to say you don’t fear me now?”
“No.” Silence. “Listen, I know we’re having a lovely chat, but have you perhaps heard someone come through this forest recently?”
“...Actually, yes, I think I did hear footsteps come through not 15 minutes ago.”
“Oh, brilliant! Do you mind leading the way, then?”
“You...want to be led by a monster? Are you not afraid of being misled?”
“If you stab me in the back, I’ll stab you in the throat.”
The monster visibly cringes. “It was but a question - no need for violence…”