1 Escaping Hell

Ravynne laid on the cold and wet stone floor - her breathing was labored and blood flowed out of her veins into a pool around her. Her eyes fluttered as she looked at her surroundings, her vision was blurring and it was already quite dark, making it too difficult for her to get her bearings. The sound of rushing water and hushed voices engulfed her as she felt her arms and legs being grabbed and lifted from the ground. As she slowly faded out of consciousness, the memories of that day rushed back into her mind.

A crowd formed around Ravynne as their village was ablaze in the background. "You filthy evil witch!" yelled a red headed woman as she stomped up and slapped Ravynne, sending her to the ground. Ravynne held her hand to her cheek and looked up at the woman with teary eyes. "Etelia....I didn't mean-" Etelia didn't let her finish.

"I took you in after your parents died and this is how you repay me?! Look at what you've done!" the woman motioned to the engulfed buildings behind them, "You've ruined us! We were barely holding on and you could have saved us but instead you doomed us all!"

"Yeah! We could've had premium livestock and fertilizer to improve our crops!" a voice from the crowed yelled. "We could've had gold to live comfortably!" chimed in another who pulled on his torn up pants. Suddenly, everyone began pitching in with what they 'could have had' while cursing Ravynne and her late parents. She looked down at the ground as tears flowed out, her sobs garnering no pity from her neighbors.

"You didn't mean to?" the red head continued, "You meant it with every fiber in your being!"

Ravynne shook her head violently, "I just didn't want to marry him! If I knew that this is what he would do-" she was interrupted yet again, this time by the head of the village.

"You didn't want to marry him. We didn't want to starve. King Vendyss offered us a relief from the starvation and discomfort that plagues our homes. You chose yourself over everyone else. He came to ask for your hand so many times, what king wouldn't be embarrassed by that? Of course you knew what would happen." He was an elderly man who was respected by everyone in the village. A wave of silence washed over the crowed as they hung on his every word.

"So, just as you followed what you wanted I hope you will give us your blessings to do the same?" Ravynne flinched in fear as a smile spread across his face. It was calming to the point where it made her feel as though she could run into his arms for comfort, but there was anger behind it. It was a trap, like a beautiful spider web.

"Do you really believe that? What king do you know keeps his promise? I'm not a thing to be bought. If he wanted to save himself embarrassment then he should have walked away after my first rejection!" A flood of emotions burst through Ravynne's voice causing it to crack and shake.

The elder knelt down and hugged her gently, "Of course child," he whispered softly in her ear as he stroked her hair, "You just did what you wanted. Just like we will do what we want. This is how I know that you will be a willing sacrifice tonight. The Gods will surely send good fortune our way!" He laughed joyfully as he let her go and faced the crowd who were all cheering in unison.

Ravynne's face went pale and she suddenly felt her limbs go numb. "No! You can't do this!" Her body began to shake with adrenaline as panic set in.

"You sacrificed us for your own ideals. Why can we not do the same? If you are admitting to your wrongdoings then you'll be our sacrifice to make it up to us! Or are you saying that what you did is fair? Well then, if that is so then you'll understand what we are doing is the same." The village head's confidence did not waver and stood tall and strong as he gave his speech.

Had he always been such an evil man? It wasn't the same. If she had known that King Vendyss would come and set fire to all of their homes, destroy their fields and murder their friends and family, she would have agreed to the marriage. She didn't know it would come to this. She wouldn't willingly and knowingly sacrifice their lives, unlike what they were trying to do to her.

The villagers were now dancing around the head of the village, celebrating and cheering, commending him for his wisdom and genius solution to their problem. Her eyes darted around, she wasn't ready to die yet. There had to be something she could do. Just then her eyes met the forest entrance. The sun was already beginning to set. She hesitated. She'd never been in the forest after it got dark. Ravynne shook away the worry, there were bigger issues at hand, and bolted into the lush green woods.

"Hey! She's escaping!" "That wench!" "Don't let her get away!" The villagers noticed right away and she could hear their uproar as she hopped over fallen logs and through thick brush. Twigs and rocks scraped her legs and feet but she continued to run. There was no time to stop, she could hear them getting closer.....they were hunting her.

Suddenly, she yelped in pain and clutched her arm as a burning and stinging sensation whipped across it. "She's over here!" In front of Ravynne lay an arrow with red liquid covering the tip. She looked at her hand, it was covered in blood. Her eyes widened and an involuntary moan escaped her mouth as an arrow plunged into her shoulder blade.

Adrenaline kicked into hyper drive and her body was seemingly moving on its own as it quickly dashed through the thick trees. The shouts and commotion of the villagers began to sound further and further away. She couldn't see much of anything but somehow was almost flawlessly navigating through the numerous obstacles that lay in her path until there was no ground left underneath her and she felt her body falling through the air.

Ravynne fell from the high cliffs above into the water below. She waved her arms and gasped for air as she tried to stay afloat, pain from the arrow shooting through her body, the ice cold water stabbing her flesh and rushing into her lungs. It was almost debilitating, but she had to survive.

Miraculously, her hand reached up and grabbed onto a rocky ledge nearby and with her last bit of strength she hoisted herself up and rolled onto the ground. She coughed up some water and felt all of her energy and strength flow away. She didn't know how long she had laid there before she lost consciousness and didn't know what was going to happen, but anything would be better than just accepting her own slaughter....right?