CHAPTER 9
9 Dearest lovely reader,
I shall only touch on events rather than details to make this short. The Shepherds jumped at Mr. Jack and caught his left hand in their jaws. He screamed and pulled and was shaken again by that sickening sound of ripping flesh and bone. He thought he heard Raven giggle slightly but Mr. Jack struggled hearing anything over his own screams. Raven and Doctor then pulled him up to safety and Doctor looked away at the sight of blood and torn flesh. Mr. Jack couldn’t speak and only started as Raven held his hand closely. She rose his bleeding left to her lips and began to drink from the dripping crimson fountain. His ring finger and thumb had neither healed over and now he had only three fingers on his wretched hand. I shall spare you, lovely reader, the details of their escape, but with use of Mr. Jack’s twine and pieces of Raven’s veil, they escaped quite easily. My life is running thin so I shall hurry. The doorway of forest was very near and Raven easily lead the children to safety. When our heroes emerged from the darkness, Doctor was quite disheartened to see the shine of the bright lighthouse so very near. They were within a day’s walk of the end of their journey and decided to set up their camp on the outskirts of forest. At this time, it was only barely darkening above their heads but unsure of what time ever truly was, they guessed this slight dimness was as dark as it got this close to the lighthouse. And from just coming out of forest, anything more than black fog was bright. “I-I suggest w-we sh-sh-should sleep farther a-away than last n-night. S-so we c-can sleep more soundly.” Mr. Jack caught what Doctor was trying to say and agreed for safety reasons, to follow his advice. Doctor went closer to forest while Raven simply walked back into the darkness of forest. Mr. Jack wasn’t sure why he followed her. Nonetheless, he did. Trolling slightly behind her, he just felt protective of the bleeding little girl. He thought back to just hours before when, after giving her the spool of twine from his pocket, she sewed it through her very clothes. Upon finishing her project and sticking Mr. Jack’s needle into her arm with a quiet giggle, she sacrificed herself by being the one to distract the Shepherds. By tying the distraction to the tree by herself, she gave Mr. Jack and the poor Doctor, who still did not trust her, a chance to run first. Mr. Jack felt something for the first time. It was some sort of protection and wanting to run back to her and hold her. To hold the bleeding savage in his eight fingers and keep her safe. But dear reader, he followed her. He followed back into the dreaded hell of forest and met her beside a small stream. “Thank you.” for helping us.” Raven was, at first, startled by the sudden visitor. Walking towards him, she spoke quietly, “My dear Mr. Jack, I only wanted you to approve of me, to tell me you…you…Well, actually I…well…I “L” you.” Mr. Jack was shocked. Now my Reader, you might not be and actually closer to confused. To “L” one another was to truly and deeply care for them. It is the first letter of a long forgotten word unknown even to me. It is usually used when a sort of bond has been formed between a male and female. “This,” Mr. Jack thought, “must have been what I felt towards her.” He looked into her eyes and quietly whispered, “I-I…I “L” you back Raven.” The little girl, embarrassed, looked at the ground, failing to hide her smile. The child then spit a mouthful of blood onto the ground and moved closer to Mr. Jack. She looked up at him and slightly outstretched her arms. Mr. Jack did the same and, stepping forward, embraced the little child. My dear, it must have been beautiful seeing hope rise up in their eyes once more.
I shall only touch on events rather than details to make this short. The Shepherds jumped at Mr. Jack and caught his left hand in their jaws. He screamed and pulled and was shaken again by that sickening sound of ripping flesh and bone. He thought he heard Raven giggle slightly but Mr. Jack struggled hearing anything over his own screams. Raven and Doctor then pulled him up to safety and Doctor looked away at the sight of blood and torn flesh. Mr. Jack couldn’t speak and only started as Raven held his hand closely. She rose his bleeding left to her lips and began to drink from the dripping crimson fountain. His ring finger and thumb had neither healed over and now he had only three fingers on his wretched hand. I shall spare you, lovely reader, the details of their escape, but with use of Mr. Jack’s twine and pieces of Raven’s veil, they escaped quite easily. My life is running thin so I shall hurry. The doorway of forest was very near and Raven easily lead the children to safety. When our heroes emerged from the darkness, Doctor was quite disheartened to see the shine of the bright lighthouse so very near. They were within a day’s walk of the end of their journey and decided to set up their camp on the outskirts of forest. At this time, it was only barely darkening above their heads but unsure of what time ever truly was, they guessed this slight dimness was as dark as it got this close to the lighthouse. And from just coming out of forest, anything more than black fog was bright. “I-I suggest w-we sh-sh-should sleep farther a-away than last n-night. S-so we c-can sleep more soundly.” Mr. Jack caught what Doctor was trying to say and agreed for safety reasons, to follow his advice. Doctor went closer to forest while Raven simply walked back into the darkness of forest. Mr. Jack wasn’t sure why he followed her. Nonetheless, he did. Trolling slightly behind her, he just felt protective of the bleeding little girl. He thought back to just hours before when, after giving her the spool of twine from his pocket, she sewed it through her very clothes. Upon finishing her project and sticking Mr. Jack’s needle into her arm with a quiet giggle, she sacrificed herself by being the one to distract the Shepherds. By tying the distraction to the tree by herself, she gave Mr. Jack and the poor Doctor, who still did not trust her, a chance to run first. Mr. Jack felt something for the first time. It was some sort of protection and wanting to run back to her and hold her. To hold the bleeding savage in his eight fingers and keep her safe. But dear reader, he followed her. He followed back into the dreaded hell of forest and met her beside a small stream. “Thank you.” for helping us.” Raven was, at first, startled by the sudden visitor. Walking towards him, she spoke quietly, “My dear Mr. Jack, I only wanted you to approve of me, to tell me you…you…Well, actually I…well…I “L” you.” Mr. Jack was shocked. Now my Reader, you might not be and actually closer to confused. To “L” one another was to truly and deeply care for them. It is the first letter of a long forgotten word unknown even to me. It is usually used when a sort of bond has been formed between a male and female. “This,” Mr. Jack thought, “must have been what I felt towards her.” He looked into her eyes and quietly whispered, “I-I…I “L” you back Raven.” The little girl, embarrassed, looked at the ground, failing to hide her smile. The child then spit a mouthful of blood onto the ground and moved closer to Mr. Jack. She looked up at him and slightly outstretched her arms. Mr. Jack did the same and, stepping forward, embraced the little child. My dear, it must have been beautiful seeing hope rise up in their eyes once more.