Page 1 of Ruining Red
Chapter1
Teagan
Frost nips at my skin, biting against the tender flesh of my face.Blinking against the light flurry swirling around me, I glance back down into the basket.With the tight covering, everything should be fine, but I don’t want to take the chance of anything either freezing or somehow going to ruin.
Heart in my throat, I stare at the dark expanse of forest as it yawns before me, threatening to swallow me up.Shivering, I burrow deeper into my blood-red cloak and force one foot in front of the other.Whispers surround me, calling to me, but I ignore them.
The forest is full of evil and secrets.Stick to the path and heed not their alluring words.My grandmother’s warnings echo through my mind as I seek out the way, barely seeing it through the undergrowth, and the snowfall threatening to erase it completely.But there it is; I just have to concentrate.
Glancing back up at the sky, I study the gray blanket stretching over the expanse.It turns the world a muted, milky white.However, as I squint, I can just barely make out the sun, watery behind the clouds as it struggles to break through.If I can just see the sun, I can find my way if the path disappears.
Heat flashes through my body, nearly driving me to my knees.It’s not caused by the cloak to be sure.Could it be that I’m sick with whatever ails my grandmother?My fingers flutter to the opening of the thick fabric, pulling it closed despite the warmth that spreads through my limbs like wildfire.
The sensations swirling through me are altogether different than anything I’ve experienced before.My stomach clenches as an odd wetness coats my thighs.How can I be sweating this profusely?
I bring my fingers up to brush against my forehead and cheeks, expecting the skin to be damp.But it’s not.Though warm, my face is perfectly dry.Dread settles low into my gut, forcing me to curl in on myself.
What sort of madness is this?To my knowledge, no one else in the village is ill, so why me?Pausing, I rest my hand against the nearest tree, propping myself up as I take in a deep lungful of cool air.
Betwixt my thighs, an odd ache throbs.However, this is not painful like a cramp or a wound.I have no words to describe the sensations pulsing through me, but I do know I crave relief.Snarling, I slam my palm against the rough bark, bringing my focus back to the task at hand.
The odd ache dies down; however, the heat does not.How I want to rid myself of this cloak, but to do so would leave me vulnerable to the sprites that lurk in the forest.Realization floods my system, forcing me to stand erect.
That must be it.The forest is already weaving its magic around me, doing its best to deter me from my mission.And just like that, as if my thoughts alone can cut through the haze that surrounds me, I feel perfectly fine.
An eerie feeling threads through me as I restart my journey, venturing into the woods itself.Dead twigs snap under my feet.The crunch of snow vibrates through my ears.Every nerve stands on end, my body jumping with each new sound.
Just concentrate on grandmother, I whisper through my mind like a mantra.She is sick, and if reports are to be believed, on her deathbed.I must help her before she succumbs.Glancing down, I clutch the basket even tighter.
The healers worked tirelessly night and day to concoct these herbs and medicines for her.What type of granddaughter would I be if I allowed her to lapse because of my fear?Keeping my eyes straight ahead, I continue forward, one step in front of the other.
If I’m being honest, it’s not her health that has me the most worried.Although we are kin and she has dedicated much of her time to my training, my grandmother has never shown me affection.Thus, the fact that she asked for me instead of one of her immediate children or the healers themselves gives me reason to believe she wishes to pass the mantle of matriarch to me.It’s an honor I’m not ready for.
At eighteen, I should be exploring life, getting into scrapes, messing up.But now, there’s a very real chance all of that will come to an end.Gnawing on my bottom lip, I slow my steps, taking my time as I mull my fate over.
It would be selfish for me to turn and run, leaving her with no one to help.And yet… I turn back, glancing down into the valley where fires gleam.Though I can’t hear the merriment of those gathering for dinner, I see the twinkling of the dancing flames, my heart heavy.
We all have to grow up sometime.I just never expected it to be so soon.Shaking my head, I resume my journey, determined to actually grow up and face my fate.I should have known this would happen, should have prepared for it.
It seems as if the whispers surrounding my birth were true then.I always knew I was destined for something, but no one ever told me what.But now, everything seems to make sense.My head reels as everything narrows down into stark focus.
This is why they never allowed the boys to play with me.This is why the other girls granted me a large berth.All the pain and loneliness in my soul led me to this moment.It’s why I was forced to stay inside and learn the way of the healers instead of playing with the others.
Granted, knowing now helps, but it doesn’t erase the pain of the past.It’s still with me, pricking my heart at every turn.The one good thing about becoming the matriarch is that I can change things, make a difference in the next girl forced to take over from me.
My soul lifts at that thought, allowing me to breathe.Besides, now that my fate is before me, they can no longer deny me the joy of interacting with others.Besides, it’s not as if Grandmother stays to herself up here in the cabin.She comes down fairly often, less so as her health has been failing her.
Again, a surge of heat coils up within me, cutting off my thoughts.My feet falter, pitching me to the side.Keeping a tight hold on the basket, I slump over into the shelter of the trees.
I know I’m supposed to stay on the path like a good girl, but no one can deny me refuge among the foliage.Not when everything heaves and sways, threatening my insides.Curling in on myself, I nestle into a space where the roots form a circle.It’s a nice place to shut my eyes for a few moments.
Silent, I listen to the branches creak and groan as the wind howls through the leaves.I should be scared, terrified, and yet, there’s a sort of kinship there.A storm brews as my mind whirls about, just as tempestuous.
It’s a lullaby of sorts as I find a cadence, a rhythm to the noise.Deep in my cloak, the warmth is no longer stifling.Instead, it’s an embrace, and soon, I find my eyelids are too heavy to keep open.
Odd dreams flit through my subconscious.Phantom fingers drift over my arms and face, but I cannot see them.Is it the spirit of the woods?Try as I might, my eyes stay shut.I move to lash out, to thrust the trickster aside, but find that I cannot move.
My limbs are heavy, wooden, and refuse to respond to even the simplest of commands.Dark eyes bore into me.I see them, clear as day in my head.But there’s no face, no body… just eyes.They stir something within me, feelings I don’t understand.
