52 Week Short Story Writing Challenge - #8


Background:I have been sitting down to write a short story every week but latelyI've been suffering severe writers block both in short stories andthe novel series I've been writing recently. So this is my attemptat writing something while I'm in the middle of my writers block.
ShortStory #8 - The Nymph
Elliesat at the edge of the garden, looking down at the river that woundits way down the hillside. It glowed with light reflected from thedimming afternoon sky, turning the surface a pale purple as the suncollapsed behind a tree-covered hill. Her sister Rika was laughingnearby as she played with the farmer's son from down thecobblestone path, the children hiding in the trees as dusk neared."Supperis almost ready," their mother called. "Lucas, it's time foryou to go home now." The blonde-haired boy looked up and took hishat off, elegantly bowing."Asyou wish," he said. He turned to Rika, gently kissing the knucklesof her hand. "I will see you tomorrow." Rika blushed crimson andnodded, giggling as she ran to the open back door. Ellie got to herfeet, brushing clean the skirts she wore but stopped midway back totheir house. The darkening yard always had a multitude of noises,from birds to small creatures flitting through the trees but therewas nothing. Only the sound of the rushing river gave away herability to hear at all.Ellieturned to start walking but something caught her eye, by the stonefence. She turned to find a stranger there, looking down at a smallfigure in the palm of his hand. The figure wore wings and a dress ofthe palest blue, little ears pointed as she gestured in varyingdirections. Ellie took a step and the figure froze, looking at Elliewith horror etched across her elfin features. The stranger noticedher too and walked to the gate, their face hidden by the depths ofthe hood they wore.PanickedEllie ran inside the house and locked the door, taking the stairs twoat a time until she flung herself in her room and shut the door. Sheturned on her heel, leaning against it with her eyes shut butscreamed when she opened them. The figure was standing before her, amasculine hand covering her mouth. Her screams were dimmed andsuddenly she was over his shoulder and out the window. The free-fallto the ground below terrified her but the stranger landed with thelitheness of a cat.Theriver raged nearby as the stranger carried her writhing form over it,the nymph leading the way. Ellie managed to kick the stranger in thestomach and she rolled to the ground, taking off running the momentshe stopped. The skirts she wore were heavy and her hair came freefrom where it was pinned; her breath was laboured as she pushedherself to run faster.Shecould hear the boots of the stranger thudding against the ground, theslight tingle of the nymph's harsh but beautiful laughter. Itscraped through Ellie's head and left it throbbing. A tree rootjutting from the ground became her undoing as she lifted her skirtsand prepared to leap over it, the fabric snagging on a loose branch.She tumbled to the ground and a heavy weight came down on her,knocking her unconscious…Theynever did find her body, only the stains of blood from a shock animalattack. Only the nymph and her master know the truth.
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Published on January 10, 2012 01:57
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