Hello, my name is Gashbeen. I am an aspiring writer, and I really like to write poems and short stories. This is one of my short stories.
The Lady and the Forest
By Gashbeen Saeed
The howling wind swept through the towering trees, rustling the leaves as the father stumbled through the dense forest. In his arms, the frantic man held a small bundle. He held the shivering child within close to his chest, desperately attempting to keep him warm in the icy greenwood.
The snow came down upon them with the burning rage of a thousand suns, and the cold cut through their layers of clothing to their bones. The moon loomed above the pitiful pair, its eerie light illuminating their panicked flight. As the father flew over the ground, held up high by his despair, his last child cried out in fear.
The man's heart twisted with the agony only a parent can feel, and he asked in a wretchedly sorrowful voice, "Why do you hide your face, son? What frightens you so?" The boy clutched his father's ragged shirt with terror as he wailed miserably, "She comes, Father! The Lady of the Forest comes for me! Do you not see her pale face, glowing triumphantly in the moonlight? Do you not see her cloak, fluttering in the vicious wind?"
The father forced himself to run faster as his legs grew heavier and his breath grew ragged; he replied comfortingly as his heart sank into the dark abyss of hopelessness, "Calm yourself, my son. The Lady of the Forest is not here with us. It is the mist you see." The child nodded, yearning for the comfort of the words his father spoke. His eyes then focused on a figure lurking behind his father, a gentle smile spreading across her lips.
The Lady of the Forest reached her arms out to the boy as she kindly spoke. "Come with me, sweet child. We shall play together on the banks of the river, and I shall spin you clothes of the finest gold. You'll have a full belly, and you will be warm all winter. Join me, beautiful child."
The son held on tightly to his father, his tormented face turning paler with fear. "Father! The Lady of the Forest calls to me! She beckons me to go with her! Do you not see her, Father? Do you not see her emerald eyes, shining brightly with mocking laughter? Do you not see her silky black hair, flowing behind her as she rides her magnificent steed?"
The father answered sternly, "Calm yourself, my son. You see things that are not there. That is no Lady of the Forest you see. It is the trees, shadowed in the darkness, that you see. The Lady of the Forest is not with us."
Looming over the father, the Lady of the Forest laughed, her joyous laughter ringing throughout the forest. "Come with me, sweet child. My sons shall play with you, and my daughters will sing for you. You'll never be lonely, and you will never know sadness. Join me, beautiful child."
The son shook violently as his youthful heart pounded with utter terror. As his father sprinted past the ominous trees, his breath escaping him in ragged gasps, the child cried, "Father! The Lady of the Forest calls to me! Her sons and daughters beckon me to go with them! Do you not see the Children of the Forest, with their clothes of gold and their silky hair? Do you not see the Lady of the Forest behind them, with her beautifully evil smile and her gleaming crown?"
The father replied reassuringly, although slightly uneasy, "Calm yourself, my son. I see what you mean. It is the shadows that you see. The Lady of the Forest and her children are not with us."
The Lady of the Forest reached an arm out to the child as she rode her colossal steed. "Come with me, sweet child. Your youthful beauty and beating heart enchant me. If you won't come with me, then I will take you by force!"
The child wailed with overwhelming terror as the Lady of the Forest clutched his arm in an iron grip. "Father! The Lady of the Forest has me!"
The father shuddered as the end of the forest came near. Gasping desperately for air, he reached the healer's cottage. As he fell to the ground with relief, his legs aching, he froze. Lifting his hand to his son's cold face, he realized that he . . .
The Lady and the Forest
By Gashbeen Saeed
The howling wind swept through the towering trees, rustling the leaves as the father stumbled through the dense forest. In his arms, the frantic man held a small bundle. He held the shivering child within close to his chest, desperately attempting to keep him warm in the icy greenwood.
The snow came down upon them with the burning rage of a thousand suns, and the cold cut through their layers of clothing to their bones. The moon loomed above the pitiful pair, its eerie light illuminating their panicked flight. As the father flew over the ground, held up high by his despair, his last child cried out in fear.
The man's heart twisted with the agony only a parent can feel, and he asked in a wretchedly sorrowful voice, "Why do you hide your face, son? What frightens you so?" The boy clutched his father's ragged shirt with terror as he wailed miserably, "She comes, Father! The Lady of the Forest comes for me! Do you not see her pale face, glowing triumphantly in the moonlight? Do you not see her cloak, fluttering in the vicious wind?"
The father forced himself to run faster as his legs grew heavier and his breath grew ragged; he replied comfortingly as his heart sank into the dark abyss of hopelessness, "Calm yourself, my son. The Lady of the Forest is not here with us. It is the mist you see." The child nodded, yearning for the comfort of the words his father spoke. His eyes then focused on a figure lurking behind his father, a gentle smile spreading across her lips.
The Lady of the Forest reached her arms out to the boy as she kindly spoke. "Come with me, sweet child. We shall play together on the banks of the river, and I shall spin you clothes of the finest gold. You'll have a full belly, and you will be warm all winter. Join me, beautiful child."
The son held on tightly to his father, his tormented face turning paler with fear. "Father! The Lady of the Forest calls to me! She beckons me to go with her! Do you not see her, Father? Do you not see her emerald eyes, shining brightly with mocking laughter? Do you not see her silky black hair, flowing behind her as she rides her magnificent steed?"
The father answered sternly, "Calm yourself, my son. You see things that are not there. That is no Lady of the Forest you see. It is the trees, shadowed in the darkness, that you see. The Lady of the Forest is not with us."
Looming over the father, the Lady of the Forest laughed, her joyous laughter ringing throughout the forest. "Come with me, sweet child. My sons shall play with you, and my daughters will sing for you. You'll never be lonely, and you will never know sadness. Join me, beautiful child."
The son shook violently as his youthful heart pounded with utter terror. As his father sprinted past the ominous trees, his breath escaping him in ragged gasps, the child cried, "Father! The Lady of the Forest calls to me! Her sons and daughters beckon me to go with them! Do you not see the Children of the Forest, with their clothes of gold and their silky hair? Do you not see the Lady of the Forest behind them, with her beautifully evil smile and her gleaming crown?"
The father replied reassuringly, although slightly uneasy, "Calm yourself, my son. I see what you mean. It is the shadows that you see. The Lady of the Forest and her children are not with us."
The Lady of the Forest reached an arm out to the child as she rode her colossal steed. "Come with me, sweet child. Your youthful beauty and beating heart enchant me. If you won't come with me, then I will take you by force!"
The child wailed with overwhelming terror as the Lady of the Forest clutched his arm in an iron grip. "Father! The Lady of the Forest has me!"
The father shuddered as the end of the forest came near. Gasping desperately for air, he reached the healer's cottage. As he fell to the ground with relief, his legs aching, he froze. Lifting his hand to his son's cold face, he realized that he . . .
He was dead.