Freya vision dazed as they ran down the stony path, their leg hitting the rough edges but they couldn't stop now. Not when they were being chased by something she thought was mere myth.
To think she thought she'd be able to take it on.
Her breath cane out in large puffs. They were nearing the village, she realized. She could see the small rusty houses almost hidden in the woods and guilt hit her like a trainwreck.
They shouldn't have led the beast to the village. She realized that a little bit too late. But they were far too close to turn back now. There was no way the beast wouldn't have sensed humans around.
But it was one beast. Maybe the men in the village could take it down.
A piercing scream tore through from a distance... particularly coming from the village. She hault in her steps, confused when she saw the smoke flaring from the direction of where Anabelle small hut sat.
Her heart thumped wildly and her first instinct was to run in that direction but another voice...shouts... stopped her.
" Beastmen!!!!!".
Maria turned to her, her eyes panicked. Her eyes dart around the surrounding, searching for the beast that had followed them but there was no sign of it. " We have to get away...we have to".
Freya eyes dart from the hut where the smoke intensified to the path that led away from the village. They could get away if they wanted to now but her heart pang at the thought of leaving without trying to help someone.
Anabelle was heavily pregnant and she has three toddlers and a grown teenage girl. How in hell will she be able to manage on her own? Plus she doubted Derek will be able to do anything....the man is a coward himself.
" You go on. I'll be join you soon". She sprinted ahead in the direction of the burning hut before Maria could stop her. All she had to do was help Anabelle and her children escape, it can't be that hard.
The closer she got to the village, the more she could hear shouts and terrifying screams. The sound of children crying, women screaming and growls undoubtedly from the beasts filled the normally eerily silent village.
No one knew a day like this would come...at least not so soon like this. No one was prepared for this attack and she doubted that the beasts wouldn't have their way.
They will.
Clouds of smoke surrounded her as she got closer to the small hut and she waved her right hand forward, trying to clear the smoke so she could see through. She could hear the cry of Annabelle's toddler coming from inside the hut.
" Ana...belle". She yelled mid cough as she walked further into the smoke " Anabe—
The air was snatched from her lungs as a powerful force yanked her backward. A rough, clawed hand wrapped around her torso, squeezing the air out of her chest.
Freya gasped, her nails clawing at the beast's arm, feeling the coarse fur and the heat of its skin beneath. The creature hauled her off her feet with terrifying ease, her legs kicking helplessly in the air. A deep growl vibrated against her spine, and she could feel its breath which was hot and heavy on the side of her neck.
" Freyaaaaa". She heard a distant voice scream. A distant voice that unmistakably belonged to Maria. Her whole body thrashed in protest, wishing Maria would not come any closer. It was crazy how she didn't care an ounce about her own live but desperately wanted to protect her.
" Maria...run!!!! Get away from here....I didn't ask you to follow me". She screamed, her voice laced with urgency.
A paw landed on her mouth, stoping her from yelling further.
" Freya!!".
Maria's voice sounded way to close, making the slender girl to thrash violently in the bear grip. She sinked her teeth into its paws but the only thing she could bite into was it's harir.
The beast began dragging her away, clearly unperturbed by the fight she was giving.
" Let her go".
Maria voice quivered. But her voice was enough to make the bear stop to analyse the wild woman that dared stood in front of it with a rusty sickle in hand.
The sickle she must have grabbed when Freya had dropped it. Even Freya was shocked by her audacity and before she could comprehend anything, Maria swung the sickle, slashing the beast across its arm.
The beast roared, a deep guttural sound that vibrated against Freya's terrified figure.
Its grip on her loosened and she fell hard against the dirt, coughing widely.
Maria, no!" she croaked, reaching out but the older woman had already lunged again, hitting the beast's side with all her strength. It staggered for only a second before another shadow moved behind her ...another beast, larger and from the look in it's eyes, angrier.
It happened too fast. In that second, the beast's claw sliced through the air, catching Maria square in the stomach. The wet sound that followed silenced everything. Freya froze, her scream catching in her throat as Maria's eyes widened in shock.
Everything else that happened after played in slow motion.
She watched Maria fall to the floor, her hand clutching to her bloody stomach. Freya rushed to her, kneeling by her side. Her hands trembled as she raised the older woman's head on her laps with her lips quivering.
The woman who raised her even though she barely knew her mother. The woman that was beside her through all her phase in her life. The woman that taught her everything she knew, the one that treated her with love and affection that no one could ever shower on her.
The same woman that was dying in her arms right now... because of her.
" Maria... please....you can't leave me....you cant—"... She sniffled, tears running down uncontrollable down her cheeks. The thought of not having her with her was suffocating. She couldn't imagine a life without Maria in it....she didn't want to live in a world where there was no Maria.
" Fre....ya".
Her sight was blurry due to the tears in her eyes but she could feel Maria bloody hand cupped her cheek and a small smile drew in her face though the pain in her eyes was very evident. " Sweet...hea...rt...don't cry. I... haven't...seen...you...cry since...you ...were t..en". She joked.
Mara could feel herself slip away but she did not regret doing what she did. What she regret terribly is leaving Freya alone in this cruel world. How in hell will her Freya survive in the beast's world.
" Freya...don't lose....your....". She coughed, splurting out blood from her mouth and a frightened Freya tried to stop her from talking but she needed to get the word out " don't...lo..se...your shine, ho...ney. You...re more... special... than you... could ever .. think of. Don't....ahhhh". Blood trickled from her mouth as her eyes suddenly felt too heavy to open.
" Don't ever give in to your beas—
Pain tore through Freya head as she was suddenly pulled up by her hair. Sge had totally forgotten that the beast were still there.
She thrashed, trying to get back to where Maria's bloody body laid but she was lifted up and thrown over the bear shoulder like a bag of potatoes.
Her whole body felt numb as the distance between her and Maria's body grew. It was then she realized she had lost the only person that loved her in this world.
And it was all her fault.