Chasing Red

Jiya Grade 10

The dead, brown leaves scrunched and crumbled under her heavy, rapid steps. She turned her head back; sweat dripped down her blotched and swollen face as she craned her neck to see if the vicious being still lurked in the shadows. To her immense relief, there seemed to be no movement. The forest was quiet once again. Her breath calmed down as her back glided along the thorny, ant-filled trunk of an oversized baobab tree. She tilted her head back and tried to think of a way to get rid of the tormenting memories that haunted her every time she closed her eyes. 

The red slits, the claw like fingernails and the disparaging height of the disenchanting figure. Each detail was vividly engraved into her mind. Although, between all the crooked teeth, there was one gold tooth, a detail that always baffled her. It was the only form of light that existed inside this inhumane creature. She remembered the scales it had on the inside of its wrist and the identical imprints on its bare chest, indicating each victim it had agonized and slaughtered. One hundred and forty three unfortunate victims. A melancholic feeling overcame her as she forced herself to focus on not being victim number one hundred and forty four.

The forest was growing thicker and thicker, becoming darker by the second. Just when she thought that all hope was gone, a silhouette in the shadows caught her attention. She tilted her head to the side, trying to make out who or what caused the movement. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and looked around for a weapon-like object to defend herself. She stood up with a spear shaped stick and stabilized herself.  However, to her surprise there was no monster. There was in fact a handsome looking young man. Finally, a human. She sighed in relief as she dropped her make believe weapon and took a moment to observe his contoured features. 

He seemed around six foot with piercing blue eyes and curly brown locks which fell down perfectly onto his forehead. He had a rucksack on his back which looked like it was only big enough to carry water and maybe a jacket for when it rained. Her eyes travelled from the top of his head right down to his feet, before she gave him the slightest smile. He wanted to do the same, but instead stopped at her hazel eyes. Their eyes locked as they stayed in each other’s deep, comforting gazes for what seemed like eternity. She drowned into the deepness of his eyes and sighed in content. She felt a magical course of sparks run through her veins. 

But suddenly he dropped his gaze just as fast as he had found it. He threw his bag at the trunk of the tree she was once sitting against. She studied him with curiosity as he retrieved a mysterious looking object from his black bag. He turned around slowly, and hid the object from her as if she had never seen it. 

Her breath hitched in her throat as her blood froze in its place. Not because of the object, but because of something else. How could she not have noticed? The marks on the little of his chest that were on display, or the golden tooth tucked away and hidden as one of his back teeth. He noticed her change in behavior and chuckled lightly to himself. A smirk swiped across his face as his eyes went back to being tiny red slits. His hair disappeared slowly, and his skin changed to a pale shade of brown. She retreated slowly, step by step. She put her hands in front of her and started to shake her head, tears streaming down her beautiful face once again. His chuckle turned into a laugh as he turned the mysterious object into a knife. A knife that was stained with blood from his other victims. 

Soon enough a loud scream echoed through the dark, gloomy woods. The monster took the body of the sweet, caring girl and disappeared. But he left behind a doll. A doll that looked exactly like her. Only this version had a knife through her head and drops of blood which slowly streamed down the knife, then her head and the rest of her body. 

They say that it’s still out there. The vicious monster, looking and eyeing its next victim to agonize and slaughter.