FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

“You're a fool."

The trees of the dark forest swam past him as he ran, tumbling over roots and shrubs, plowing forward with a burning fury matched only by the heat of the stars in the sky.

“You can't. It's ridiculous and you know it."

No. He wasn't a liar. He wasn't crazy. He knew what he saw. It was everyone else who was wrong!

“You're chasing a damn myth! You saw something that wasn't there and you're letting it take control of your life. Look at what this is doing to us! Please!"

He'd seen her. He HAD seen her, he knew he had. And he was going to see her again.

Three weeks ago, that's when she had first appeared before him, the spirit of the forest that the townsfolk whispered age-old tales of.

He had been lost deep in the woods, after a day of foraging the bounties that autumn brought. Not his usual degree of lost however, this time he had been horribly, hopelessly lost, with no chance of finding any trail by wandering aimlessly.

The sky was growing dark, the brightest stars starting to poke their way through the umbral hues above. The vivid colors of the foliage faded rapidly, but not as fast as his own footsteps were increasing. The forest was dangerous at night, even more so for someone carrying baskets filled with such delicious things. In a panic he had begun to run in any direction he could find an opening in, praying for anything that could save him to do so.

Running.

Running.

Still more running.

Branches were snapping, leaves crunching underfoot as he blindly sprinted forward. They whipped and scratched the bare flesh of his legs, leaving their marks and taking their tolls. Soon he could run no longer, and stopped, his bare chest heaving and ears ringing from exertion. But as he looked up, he saw something; a light in the distance.

It was pale, a small glowing dot casting an ethereal white around it. He could barely see it, but it was the only thing giving him a place to move to. He started towards it, hoping it wouldn't vanish and leave him in the dark again.

It was slow going forward, but soon the light began to grow brighter, cleaner, more pronounced. It was coming from a lantern, held by a large figure draped in robes of pure white. It wasn't only the lantern glowing either, the shrouded figure also gave off a bright shine, looking nearly transparent as it stood silently In place, back turned to him.

He hid behind a tree, looking around its base as stealthily as he could, not knowing what this strange being was, or what it was capable of. But almost knowingly, the creature turned its head, showing its face to him, looking at him with it's... no, with her, sad, glowing eyes.

Her face was of a wolfs, bleached white fur covered by her hood blowing slightly in the dark forest breeze, and even through the robes he could make out the curves of her form. One clawed hand held the lantern tightly, black nails glinting in the ethereal light. With the other she turned and pointed to her side, eyes still locked onto his own. He turned and looked in the direction she was pointing, and saw the faint lights of trail markers in the distance.

In an instant the light next to him vanished, and though he ran to where the creature had been standing, he could find nothing. She had disappeared without a trace. He knew that now wasn't the time to investigate, and took off for the trail, finding it soon after and making his way home quickly, falling into a deep and exhausted sleep.

Before his eyes had closed, many questions had still lingered behind them. Who, or what, was the glowing person in the woods? She had been so... beautiful.

The next weeks were a blur. He told every person he could find his story, desperately trying to find out any information he could. People looked at him like a madman, and maybe he was, honestly, but not in the way they were branding him. He hadn't eaten too many of the red mushrooms. He knew what he had seen was real. The only thing he was mad for was the truth.

They quickly grew sick of his pleas. They shooed him away, called him a liar, an idiot, a fool. They gave him snide glances as they passed him by, slammed doors in his face, cursed his intrusions.

But someone had to know something. Someone had to have had something similar happen.

Despite all his perseverance, the best he found were a few others who had experienced similar things, though none had had any details other than a ghostly light, and being sent in the direction of home.

That decided it. The only way he was going to find out more was if he were able to see her again. She and the mystery surrounding her were all he could think about. If he went deep enough into the forest, he would be sure to run into her again, somewhere, eventually.

When he announced his plans his friends and family both skipped trying to talk him out of it and went straight for telling him how stupid and selfish he was, how it was going to affect them, but never caring about what he wanted. He knew what he had to do, and damn if he wasn't going to do it!

Now he was sprinting through the woods again, not quite lost, not quite aware either, voices of everyone against him echoing in his head as he moved.

Ducking branches, jumping bushes, trying not to think about how stupid he really was, there were many obstacles in his way. Which were worse though, the mental or physical ones, he couldn't decide. They were both awful... but the abandonment was almost worse.

The barrier of plants tore open, and he burst into a cliff-side clearing, panting heavily once more as he stopped himself from running off the edge. The view was incredible, the entire countryside lit by stars, but it wasn't enough to satisfy him.

“Hello!? Where are you!? You know who you are, I need to see you again!" he screamed in near frenzy, causing the cliff walls to answer him with the same question. He stumbled over an old fire pit as he walked and bellowed, splinters digging deep into his hand as he broke his fall on an aged chunk of charcoal.

He looked at the blackened, bloody wounds and slumped to the ground, holding back tears. What was he doing?

He sat and wept, watching the stars slowly move through the sky. How would he go back after this? After his behavior? Before he could finish thinking, a soft voice spoke to him from behind.

“Why have you come back, weeping child?"

He jumped to his feet and turned, seeing the wondrous apparition he had been searching for. Her furred face bore a gentle smile, but her eyes were filled with unease.

“Most don't return after getting so lost. Why would you come back to such a dangerous place?"

His words were stuck in his throat. There was so much to say, to ask, but nothing came out. Instead he quietly walked to her, entering her glow and taking her warm, fuzzy hands into his own. Their eyes met, and they both stared into one another. Finally a few sounds escaped his mouth, breaking the silence.

“I needed to see you again."

“Why?" She asked in response.

“Why would you come back to see such a beast? People are supposed to flee from me, not take my hands."

Still looking into her eyes he answered, the words slipping out easier now.

“I think I'm in love with you. From the moment I saw you I knew I had to be with you."

She dropped his hands and turned, taking a few steps away towards the line of the forest. Her feet left no marks on the ground as she moved, and the grass stayed still as she passed over.

“You're a silly human boy, thinking you know of love. And I'm a spectral monster, cursed to wander. You should leave. As should I."

He took half a step forward, stomping his foot down hard in defiance.

“No! I'm no boy! I made the choice to come and find you, I needed to know that you were real, just like I thought. You saved my life, please let me do the same for yours..."

She turned back around, facing him once more, damp streaks running from her glistening canine eyes.

“Please, stop. Think of what you're saying, and what you have. I have no life. Think of what you would be leaving behind if you chased after me."

“I've already left everything behind chasing you. All I have now is to move forward."

She moved to a fallen log and sat, beckoning him to join her in watching out over the cliff. He quietly followed and planted himself close by, placing his hand onto hers as they sat. She made a small laugh as he did, but didn't pull away.

“You're a silly human man, chasing after ghosts in the woods. Through the many, many decades that I've been cursed to this form, and of all the lost souls I've helped guide to safety, you're the first who's come back looking for me. And out of blind love, of all things. Let us talk, while you reconsider.

I do appreciate the company. It has been ages since I've been near anything that did not run away."

And so he talked. He talked, and he listened.

Time passed, marked by the heavens passing overhead, and soon sunrise had grown near. They continued talking, until finally the spectral, bestial woman rose from her seat, and hugged him tightly.

“I have missed talking, you've reminded me how nice it is to be wanted. But now it's time to part ways, and for you to return to your life."

He took no time hesitating, and wrapped his own arms around her form and held her tightly, feeling her claws scratch into the flesh of his back. It hurt, but it was a good pain.

“I still want to stay with you." he whispered.

She paused, and pulled away to look at his face.

“Think again, silly man, about what you stand to lose. Your friends, your family, everything just to stay with something not even tied to your world."

He thought back, to the last thing he heard before he had left his home, the last thing the people he thought he loved had told him:

“If you leave, don't come back. Someone so foolish is no part of this family."

With fierce conviction he returned her stare.

“I'm leaving nothing, and I've everything to gain. Please, let me stay with you."

They embraced tightly again, smiling. She took his hand and walked forward, tugging him along, looking back to watch if he would leave. But he did not, and followed her as she led them both into the rays of the sunrise, to new horizons he had never thought possible. But whatever happened next, as long as he was with her, he knew he would be happy.

Epilogue

The constable picked up a nearby stick from the ground.

“Looks like a suicide. Must have jumped from up there." His officer said, pointing to the top of the imposing cliff above.

The constable grunted, prodding the mangled corpse in front of him in an attempt to dislodge it from the bloody rocks that had broken its fall.

Suddenly they gave way, and the lifeless form spilled over, landing at his feet with a thud. He gasped and stepped back.

The deceased young man was smiling, and across his back were the scratches of wolves.