Into the Maze
Excerpt from the Wisp ...
Bara took the diary from her bag. The amber was blinding in the bright sunshine. She and Colin joined Amy on the bench.
Colin read.
…
I waited for Guenevere to come to town. She didn’t. I had to go to her. Fortunately, I knew the Windfall forest well. Unfortunately, everything had changed. Clearings disappeared and new ones formed. A lake sprung up overnight. A wolf too large to be of our world, its teeth and claws like blades, attacked. Armed only with a pen knife, I fended it off, but it was a battle I’d have soon lost. My throat was all but in the creature’s jaws when a glowing sight appeared. The apparition challenged the wolf and led it on a chase. Seeing my chance, I ran—ran for my life.
Hours passed, the sun set, and I found what I sought. The maze. But what a sight I was. Bloodied and battered. My clothing was in such a state I was tempted to go back. Then the day’s heat was slipping away and the night’s cold rolling in. The need for warmth overcame my vanity. Comforting myself with the thought of taking shelter with Guenevere, I entered the maze.
I didn’t dally. A wolf howl urged me on.
The maze wasn’t more than thirty yards deep. Its twists and turns should have been few. Yet night fell and I hadn’t found its center. A cross and its steeple remained in sight but gave no clue what direction to go. I was lost, hopelessly so. The hours passed. The air grew colder, the wind sharper. I had no choice but to give up. My real defeat came when I realized I couldn’t find my way out either. I was trapped and about to freeze to death.
I found a sheltered corner to settle in and pulled my wolf-tattered cloak close. The cacophony of my chattering teeth broke the silence of the night. I wanted now only to see another dawn. Deep down inside, I knew I had little chance of doing so.
Black and enormous, I saw its shadow first. The wolf had returned. I heard its snarl. In my mind’s eye, I remembered its teeth before seeing the pearly glint in the scant light. I was exhausted, hungry, and cold. I knew. There’d be no fighting it off a second time. Still, I raised my little blade. I knew now I should have brought a pistol. I readied myself for the coming of canines and claws. I waited … I waited … nothing. The wolf did not attack. Struck by a daze, it was stopped. Its paw hung suspended. I turned to what had its eye.
In the glow of a lantern, her hair was liquid gold. Rays of light shown through the pale pink of her billowing skirt, outlining her slender, long legs. Her face was a pearl under moonlit water. It was Guenevere. I yelled a warning, certain the wolf would kill us both. She came ever closer, not stopping until she was at my side. The wolf broke its trance and snarled again. Guenevere wasn’t frightened.
“This man is not for you, Brynndalin," her musical voice sounded in the savage night. "You belong to me. I will not let you have him as your plaything.”
Brynndalin? The wolf had a name. Was it her pet? A disobedient one? It snarled yet again.
Guenevere brought from beneath her cloak a metal locket. It opened to reveal a large piece of amber. As the amber swayed, the wolf’s snarls turn to whimpers. The clouds were cut in two and the moon shone down. The amber caught the moonlight, magnifying it. Bright yellow and orange flashed and reflected onto the silver of the wolf. The light spread, gaining heat and intensity.
The wolf backed away.
“Be gone,” Guenevere said in the sternest of tones. “Do not come again, not until I call you.”
The Wolf snarled one last empty snarl and then turned on its heels. It disappeared into the shadows of the hedges. I rejoiced. I was saved … or so I thought.
The Wisp, a paranormal thriller, and its sequel the Tall Man, is published in paperback and digital, link in my profile. Happy Halloween:)
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Words and Poetry are my own. Images unless otherwise attributed are a collaboration between me and AI, Grok. They should be viewed visual haiku, in that they contain symbolism. I include multiple images to hint at the process, which can be lengthy at times.The concepts are my own creation and the rendering AI. Keep drawing and painting. AI cannot replace your hard work and excellence. All titles below, including the Wisp and its sequel, the Tall Man, represent lengthier works and are available in paperback or digital through amazon and your local libraries and bookstores. Click on any title below to further explore and support my writing.
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