Terror plagued me as I ran through the never-ending Wandering Woods. The monster chasing me was the ruler of the forest and somehow, I had angered him.
Everyone had heard of Brett Wander, but I had been the only mortal to see his face. He was a legend, a fantasy. A myth. I had wanted to prove everyone wrong, for I still believed the legends were true. I had crept to the edge of the Wandering Woods, camera in hand, determined to catch that game-changing, history-rewriting shot. Seeing nothing, I plunged into the dark foliage. Nearing the heart of the Woods, I came upon a gleaming stone palace. There were no guards, for no one could penetrate the outer wall. A throne was perched on a golden balcony.
"Hail, outsider!" a voice called from above. I looked up to see a man, no older than twenty, resting on the throne, a crown situated upon his royal brow. I executed a less-than-perfect curtsy, and he ordered the gate lowered. I passed under the magnificent archway and stopped beneath the balcony.
"Outsider," the man declared, "I am Brett Wander, keeper and lord over the Wandering Woods. You have angered me greatly. No mortal is allowed in my Woods without paying the piper. You shall be justly punished for this grave dishonor."
I was hardly listening to this cry of murder, for I was infatuated by this king. He was handsome, in every way the perfect man. His eyes, from here, appeared to be the color of pure emerald; his hair as black as night, long enough that it fell into his eyes and gently framed his chin. His muscles rippled beneath his tunic, suggesting a lifetime of work and perhaps a life as a warrior. He was perfectly groomed, yet he seemed disheveled in all the right places. His hair stuck up in a few places, and his garments were wrinkled.
I remembered the legends. His good looks earned him hundreds of slaves, yet he never spent a minute with any of them.
I tore my eyes away from his just in time to hear him shout "Guards! Seize her."
I dropped to my knees, forgetting the legends, the warnings, holding my hands out to this king. My camera fell to the ground, long forgotten. "Your Highness! I pledge my life to you. You are the most glorious being I have ever beheld and I would give my life for you."
The king smiled. "Add her to my collection."
My mind turned back on and forced my legs to run, away from this Prince of Power, this King of Crime, this Emperor of Enticement.
A terrible laugh sounded behind me. "Guards! My horse!" Soon enough I heard the thud of hooves on the earth behind me. I lost the path I had followed into the Woods and stumbled through branches and bushes. A mist rolled in, enveloping me in blindness.
The mist clung to me, permeating my skin. It felt like needles stabbing into me. My heart stuttered, my brain shut down, and my legs buckled. As I fell into the mud, Brett Wander pulled up beside me on a midnight black stallion. He jumped off, spattering his boots and my face with dirt. He squatted down beside me and cupped my face in his hands, gently brushing the mud from my cheek.
"Yes, guards, add her to my collection."
He leaned over me and kissed my lips, nothing but cold disinterest in his handsome features. As his lips brushed over my face, I felt the life being sucked from me.
The last thing I heard before his kiss stole the last of my life was Brett Wander, King of the Wandering Woods, utter these words.
"A shame, really. If you hadn't run, I would have married you, Carsyn. After all, my kiss is only bestowed to those that earn it."
ns 15.158.61.23da2
