Chapter Text
“There are monsters trapped under Mount Ebott.” Stephen retold the tale that everyone had grown up with. Given that your village was literally four miles from the place and the mountain was in the background near-constantly, how could you not have heard it at least once before now? “They were trapped by the humans who had lived after the Great Massacre. Enough was enough. Many of the surviving humans knew that if they didn’t act then, they would be next to have their heads split open.”
“Stop that talk!” Joanna called out, her shoulders hunched a bit to show her displeasure. “It’s repulsive! And anyway, we’ve all heard the story before. No need to tell us again – unless you’re turning old already.”
Stephen grinned, his blue eyes bright with humor. “Old? Never! Not until I earn my fortune.”
“In any case,” Lawrence spoke with his deep voice cutting through effortlessly, “even if that story is true, the barrier didn’t work very well. Not if it’s true that a monster had come to the village two hundred years ago with that dead child.”
It was your turn to speak now as you often did when the discussion fell to this part of the subject. “It wasn’t a literal monster. Some savage down the road had killed the minister’s child and brought him back when he realized he had struck down someone so young. The town avenged the minister’s offspring. I wish you would stop mixing the stories.”
Bernard chimed in with a hint of teasing, “That sounds like something someone who fears the monsters would say. Denial doesn’t make them stop existing in that mountain there. But don’t worry,” he stepped forward, his movements graceful and light, “I’ll protect you as my friend and as my wife when we wed.”
You could feel the heat of a blush traveling up your neck. Your body would betray your attempt to look calm and collected, and Joanna’s giggle wasn’t helping. You and your four friends were outside, enjoying the cool shade in the otherwise warm day. At least, some were in the shade while you decided to sit on the grass just outside of the shade the tree offered. The sun had always been pleasant to feel, it had always been a favorite sensation. The heat and the warmth it provided was just too good to pass up – especially since it was known to get dark and dreary for several months of the year.
Joanna was seated on the grass against the tree trunk while Stephen had taken to pacing. Bernard had been pretending to fight with a sharpened stick, his makeshift sword. Lawrence had the nerve to climb up the tree and stretch out on a thick branch not too far above you. You had known these people since you were small, these were quite literally your childhood friends. And as of a month ago, one of those friends had become more. It was Bernard who was your fiancée, soon to be your husband in the next month once everything fell into place.
Bernard was an adventurous, hardworking young man. You were a quiet, dedicated sort. The two of you went well together. So well, as both of your families thought, that you were to be married. While you found Bernard amusing and warm at times, you would have never thought of taking his hand in marriage until your father had suggested it. Well, no, not ‘suggested’, but…stated. Almost ordered it. After all, his family dealt with textile and your family dealt with dyes. It seemed perfect for there to be an alliance in business and children from the line.
And while you saw the logic, potential profit, and the security in it…you couldn’t help but feel…a bit…sad. Bernard was a great friend and you knew he’d be a good husband and father in time, but that wasn’t what made your heart ache. In all the village, you didn’t fancy anyone else. You had consented to this arrangement willingly and truthfully…but there was a part of you that held back. It was just…when you were growing up, you hadn’t thought much about the future. If you had, particularly when the other girls in the village started to talk of marriage, you hadn’t thought you’d get married. So when it happened and you found yourself suddenly engaged, you couldn’t help but wonder…what might happen if you weren’t engaged or to be wed?
What were you missing in life by getting married so soon? What were you lacking in staying in this village instead of exploring the world? You saw the logic in marrying Bernard, but you didn’t feel much for him other than the fond affection of a good friend. But, you supposed, you would learn to love him. You supposed it was safer to stay here than go out into the unknown. You supposed life would supply plenty of treasures as a wife and mother, as a partner in the textile-dye making business that you two would form.
“I appreciate the sentiment,” you said as dignified as you could muster, “but I still say that monsters are not real.”
“I agree with her,” Stephen paused in his pacing near you, standing just on the line of the shadow of the tree.
Joanna gave a soft scoffing noise. “Of course you do, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s dangerous to be near the mountain. There are savages and wild animals!” There was a brief pause before she sighed, calling your name. “Will you get out of the sun? Or at least cover your face? The sunlight makes you grow older quicker.”
You smile at Joanna who had strived to have as soft and as white of skin as a baker’s daughter could. You recalled a time when she had tried to dust flour lightly on her skin to hide her freckles and red patches from the heat of the kitchen. It hadn’t worked out too well. “Afraid I’ll turn to dust, Jo?”
Before she could rise to the bait, Stephen cut in. “Fear not, fragile Jo, for you have myself, Bernard, and Lawrence to protect you! In any how, we’ll be back before night so no animal would dare bother us. As for savages…I’ll bring my father’s gun.”
It was a rather nice day to stay outside, even to go for a walk. You knew winter was coming soon and days like this would be nothing but a faint memory until spring. Soaking in the sun like this wouldn’t happen for quite some months soon enough. And an adventure…you hadn’t had one of those since you were a child. You looked up at Lawrence on the branch, then at Bernard who had stopped swinging at a pretend enemy, and then back to Jo and Stephen. “I say let us go! We will prove these stories to be wrong…and it will be a nice walk. Who knows what sort of flowers or berries we may find.” You hinted heavily to Jo who had been wanting to pick wild blackberries for a while now. Given her father’s recent health, however, she hadn’t been able to venture out too far. Today, however, seemed to be a blessing in both the weather and his health though, as she was free to roam freely.
Lawrence gave a murmur of agreement. Bernard had turned to study you – you could feel his gaze lingering on you, as it had more frequently since the engagement was announced – but he seemed to want to go as well. Finally Jo sighed and shook her head. “How do I let you talk me into these things? Alright, let us collect our things and meet back here.”
~
So that was how you, your three friends, and your fiancée ended up walking the four miles to Mt. Ebott. You all had just reached the base of the mountain – Stephen wanted to climb to the top to prove there was no monsters lurking underneath, that there was no barrier, and you wanted to join him – when you noticed the sun wasn’t shining as bright as it was before. You glanced up through the canvas of trees and squinted. The wind felt a bit cooler too, but you didn’t feel the need to worry. Neither did Jo, once she had found a stash of blackberries.
The night wasn’t due for a few more hours. You all reasoned, almost like convincing one another as well as yourself, that you should be able to reach the top and return to the village just as it got dark. So close were you all to the fabled monsters that the thought of a storm coming had never crossed your mind.
This was exactly what you needed though, a sort of adventure. You were all smiles even as you found yourself to be sweaty and tired. You were seeing new things, feeling new things. You and your friends were climbing this mountain regardless of the motivation. It was different, it was new, and it was fun.
“What would you do if there were monsters up here?” Stephen called out over his shoulder.
You couldn’t help but grin a bit. “What, are you changing your mind? I thought you didn’t believe in them.”
A snort left Stephen. “Not at all! I’m just saying, what if.”
“And what if flowers could talk, what if skeletons could walk, what if fish could fight? So many ‘what ifs’.” Lawrence pointed out with a mixture of amusement and patience.
Bernard nodded. “Well, if flowers could talk, we’d trade secrets. If skeletons could walk, we’d ask the secret to life after death. If fish could fight, we’d probably think twice about Lent. And if there are really monsters up here – we’ll send them back into the mountain where they belong!” Ever the brave one of the group.
Jo sighed softly. “Bernard, since you seem to be so full of energy, I may make you carry me back to the village after this – if that’s alright with your fiancée.”
You laugh softly, covering the noise of the wind making the trees shiver. “Only if I could have some of your blackberries.”
When everyone was just about at the top of the mountain – and what a lengthy travel this had been, far longer than anyone anticipated looking at it – it was a bit startling to realize that the sky was dark. It had been getting progressively grayer until it was as dark as the blackberries Jo had picked. The wind had picked up abruptly with no warning. You had to raise your hand up to your face to keep the leaves around you from blinding you.
It felt longer than it was though it only happened in mere minutes. The group had agreed to turn around and head back down. Before anyone could actually do that, however, there was a flash of lightning and – BOOM! Thunder made you cry out in surprise. In the moment your heart beat once more, a sheet of rain came pouring down relentlessly. You shouted for Bernard and you could hear your name in the thick of it all as well. You couldn’t see though! The rain and the darkness acted as a blindfold. You tried to go towards where you thought you heard him calling for you – the wind was so rough, so harsh that you weren’t sure if it was him you were actually hearing.
Lightning struck again and the tree next to you lit up bright – the tree was on fire! You gave another shout and started to run. You had no idea where your friends were, you had no idea where you were, but you had to get away. You had to find shelter somewhere, you had to find safety.
You kept running, tripping, falling, sliding in the mud. There looked to be a large rock a bit further up, assuming the rain wasn’t playing a trick on you. If you could get to it, you might be able to duck under any shelter it might give. Maybe your friends were there already, maybe they were safe too.
As you took a few more steps, you jumped at the sound of the thunder. You were absolutely soaked to the bone, but you kept moving. Just as you got closer to the rock, however, you felt something wrap around your foot. You gasped as you fell, tripping…falling…you were falling!
You saw darkness before you as you fell into the abyss. Your heart stopped beating for a moment and your eyes widened. Your blood ran cold as your body fully comprehended just how far you were falling. You gasped at the sensation of something brushing over your entire body. Just as lightning from above flashed once more, you saw green and yellow not too far – the ground, you realized belatedly. You had just enough time to hold your arms before your face before you hit the ground – SPLAT!
…
Everything hurt. Everything ached. You tried to open your eyes. Water fell on your face, you felt like you were on ice. You tried to see the hole you had fallen from, you tried to call out to your friends…but darkness swallowed you whole.