Dark Betrayal Chapter 4

“Ruussssty!” Anne cupped her hands and shouted; hoping that any second that her hyperactive dog would come bounding out of the forest and into the safety of their home. It was getting darker outside and it was unlike him to be gone for so long. Slamming the door behind her; she gathered her skirts and she ventured out into the darkness. The chirping of crickets and the bubbling of the quick running river filled the night with sound. Following the trail they frequently walked on was easy in the bright moonlight, she marveled at the whole new world that woke up when the sun went down. She stopped to look into a clear pool along the bank of the river; all she saw was a dim reflection of her dark hair and wide blue eyes staring back. Standing, she brushed a wisp of hair out of her face and continued on down the path. “Where are you Rusty?”, She called into the now eerily calm and silent night. She hadn’t noticed till just that moment that the forest had gone deathly quiet and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.
She whirled around to a sudden noise in the near by bushes.
“Rusty?” She whispered.
A large deer ran out of the brush, she jumped back to avoid being run over by the frightened deer and unknowingly stepped right to the edge of the river bank. The ground beneath her feet suddenly gave way and she found herself hurdling backwards towards the swirling black current of the water. A scream sliced through the air and Anne realized it was her own terrifying shout for help. She struggled against the rapid current pulling her down the river; panic seized her as she felt her limbs weaken and go numb in the numbing temperatures of the frigid water. She tried to cry out for help but it seemed that every time she opened her mouth to yell for help she was drug beneath the surface of the churning water. She made one last effort to reach the shoreline when she felt her body desert her, she felt herself go under again and everything went black.
She opened her eyes and found that she was lying on solid ground and after gathering her senses she realized that she was once again on the path by the river. She had absolutely no idea how she gotten out of the river; looking around she noticed she was not alone. She could make out the silhouette of a very well built man against the night sky.
“How did I get out of the river?” She asked, her voice quivering with cold.
“I pulled you out.” He said in a smooth, nonchalant voice.
“What brings a lovely young lady like you out here at this time of night?”
“I was looking for my dog, I was worried” She felt as though she had to tell him.
“He must be a very special pet.” He said in a chastising tone. He clicked his tongue and continued to walk just out of sight; within the shadows.
“Why are you walking in shadows? Are you afraid I’ll bite you or something?” she said with a flirtatious grin. Her own boldness shocked her! Why is she behaving like her sister with a man she just met! The remark must have caught him off guard because she heard him start laughing in deep amusement.
“Where do you live?”
Anne watched as he pointed up at the castle on the hill.
“You work for them?” she asked as she looked at the large, impending castle.
She turned back to ask yet another question and noticed that he was nowhere to be seen. In fact all she could see was a lone wolf climbing the hillside, her breath caught in her throat as the wolf stopped and looked directly at her before continuing up the hill. She would have to remember to send him a thank you note, she might have died if he had not been in the area. As she stood up and brushed off her skirt Rusty came running out of the bushes.