image from image from dearscotland.com
~~~~~~~~~~
Bitter
Frost ridden wind
Caught deep inside her throat
Swirling
Like wraiths amongst the trees
Gnarled
Roots seemed to pull her feet
Gripping tightly to
Her satin slippers as she ran
A mournful howl
Echoing intense dread
Ripped across the silent moors
Glancing back
She could see a pair of blood red eyes
Peering hungrily in her direction
Heartbeat
Hammering in her veins
She pushed herself even faster
The trees themselves seemed to reach towards her
Welcoming in their evil embrace
The spell caster had wrought his magic well
Find
Bind
Kill
But never to let her go.
~~~~~~~~~
Ahead
The merest lightening of the sky
As the moon rose over the horizon
Time
Was running faster now
A consequence
Of the spell caster’s work
His Lord’s desire
Never to relinquish his claim
Over her body
But her heart
Belonged to the one who awaited her
On the far side of the portal
Between the standing stones
~~~~~~~~~
Finally free of the overhanging trees
Her dress blew free from her entangled legs
As she sped across the hillocky ground
Ahead the stones stood proud
Silhouetted in the growing brilliance of the moonlight
Suddenly
A blood curdling howl ripped apart the silence
Stumbling, she risked a glance behind
To see two evil red eyes
Their heat scalding on her back
~~~~~~~~~
image from owlsandorchids.com
Her trembling feet hit the smooth ground near the stones
The moon rose high in the sky
Just to her right the glistening light of the portal
Fetid breath almost overwhelmed her
An arm reached through the portal
Taking hold of her hand
Bringing her a new found strength
An eldritch howl pierced the night
She smiled at the sight which welcomed her
Through the swirling portal
Between the standing stones
Sighing
She stepped through.
image from eltoron.com
Blessings, Susan
© Susan Jamieson 2014
Owls and Orchids 