Shadows and Arrows

Keisha had never imagined what her death would be like.

If anyone had told her that she'd be killed by a demonic creature while handcuffed in the middle of nowhere, she'd have laughed in their face. Yet here she stood, a few metres away from being in the belly of the beast.

The gory creature growled at her, baring its blade-like teeth menacingly. It prowled toward her, its bloodred eyes glistening ferociously, readying itself to pounce.

Panic overwhelmed Keisha, and she tried to violently force her wrists out of the handcuffs. Ignoring the intense explosion of pain in her wrists, she yanked her arms down as hard as she could, blood beginning to trickle down her hand as the handcuffs cut into her flesh.

She didn't want to die. Not yet, not like this.

The monster roared, and launched into the air, flying straight at her. For a split second, the world moved in slow motion as Keisha watched in horror as the grotesque beast hurtled forward, its claws stretched out to attack. Her body stood motionless, fear paralyzing her as the distance between the beast and her began to disappear.

This was it. This was her end.

The swift woosh of an arrow tore through the air, piercing through the monster's skull and knocking it off its intended course. Its body fell limp a few metres off from where she stood, a trail of black ooze splattering across the forest floor. Some of the putrid black liquid had splashed on Keisha, specks of dark monster blood now decorating her arms and torso.

Keisha screamed in horror, nauseous at the sight of what she assumed to be the creature's blood spattered everywhere. She fought the urge to gag, instead looking away from the gruesome scene.

What the hell just happened?

The beast that was about to attack her had just been shot dead with an arrow to the head; but who fired the arrow? Keisha jerked her head up, her eyes searching for the archer to whom she owed her life. She noticed a tall shadow hiding amongst the trees, and for a split second, she felt déjà vu. What if it was another monster?

It was as if the figure sensed her distress, and it stepped out from its hiding place. Despite the darkness surrounding them, Keisha could tell that it was a human male. A hood covered his head and he wore a mask beneath it, hiding his features from view. His tall build seemed to be athletic, a quiver of arrows slung across his broad shoulders. In one of his hands was a bow, tilted downward as a sign of amity.

Not sure who or what she was looking at, Keisha squirmed with unease. If the past few minutes had taught her anything, it was not to trust shady figures in a creepy forest.

Why was he walking around with a bunch of arrows? Was he some kind of Robin Hood or something, and why did he save her?

Feeling cautious, Keisha gingerly took a step back, trying to put some distance between the man and her. Her heart was beating hard in her chest, her breath still ragged from the encounter with the monster. The last thing she was looking for was a repeat.

The man suddenly lifted his bow, pulling out an arrow from his quiver. Keisha's eyes widened in horror as he aimed it at her, and before she could react, he fired.

She felt all the blood drain from her face as the arrow flew above her head, cutting the rope that restrained her in an instant. Her hands fell limply, numb from injury and being held up for so long. The handcuffs were still tightly clamped around her wrists, covered in partly dried blood from her fresh wounds.

Realizing that she'd been set free, Keisha looked up at the man, distrust evident on her features. She was grateful he'd freed her, yet she was scared he would harm her. Unlike the creature from before, he didn't exude any kind of supernatural aura, and Keisha wasn't sure if this was a good or bad thing.

Trying to slow her uneven breathing, she slowly backed up against the tree, her body shaking in fright. She ignored the burning sensation in her wrists, instead fixing her gaze on the hooded man before her, her lips quivering as she spoke.

"Please don't hurt me."

He tilted his head to the side, not immediately responding to her. He stayed silent for a few seconds, studying the bleeding girl in front of him. When he finally spoke, his voice was coarse and low, commanding in its tone.

"If I were you, I'd run."

It was as if a light bulb flicked on in Keisha's head, and she immediately took off from the clearing, heeding the strange man's advice. Scared and injured, Keisha ran as fast as she could, not sure were exactly she was going but desperate to go nonetheless. She didn't want to spend another second in this awful place.

She needed to find her way out of this nightmare!

Her steps were wobbly and uneven, her body exhausted from the physical trauma she'd been through. The rough forest topography wasn't helping much either, exposed tree roots and low-hanging branches consistently tripping her as she ran. Owls hooted wildly in the distance, their eerie cries filling the dark night with a bone-chilling symphony.

Something sinister was going on in the forest that night; something diabolical. Keisha could feel it; a powerful demonic aura radiating throughout the woods, and it terrified her.

She didn't stop running however, despite the numbing ache in her body and the gripping fear in her heart. She was scared and confused, tears threatening to spill from her eyes as her legs began to give out.

Unable to withstand the searing pain ripping through her body, Keisha collapsed face-flat to the ground, bruising her arms and knees in the process. She yelped in pain, bitter tears streaming down her dirt-covered cheeks.

No, she had to leave this place!

She tried to get back up, but her arms gave out immediately, too weak to bear her body weight. A burning hot sensation began to spread from her bloody wrists throughout her body, and she cried out in agony. The sensation was excruciatingly painful, and it felt like her body was on fire!

Screaming, Keisha writhed her body violently, the burning sensation traveling slowly up her neck and to her head. She shrieked loudly, tears spewing from her eyes as her entire head felt like it was about to split open.

"Make it stop!" She screamed painfully, pulling at her hair. "Please make it stop!"

Somehow, through the mind-numbing pain, Keisha could hear the swift rustling of trees and a sudden gust of wind blew over her. Looking up through tears, she was met with the most terrifyingly beautiful thing she had ever laid eyes upon.

There stood Luka, his ceramic-like skin pale as a full moon, sharp fangs poking out of his pink pouty lips that were slightly parted as he panted heavily. His piercing gaze cut right through her, his mesmerizing eyes glowing brightly with the most magnificent shade of gold. A powerful aura radiated off him, dispelling the dark air that had settled around the area.

A soft gasp escaped her, suddenly hypnotized by the glorious creature before her. This was the infamous Prince of Hell, and he was absolutely breathtaking.

Specks of darkness filled Keisha's eyes, and she felt her vision begin to blur. The last thing she remembered was someone shouting her name, before the world around her faded to black.