Annabelle was always cautious when she journeyed through the woods. From the moment she could walk and wander the lands beyond her home, her parents warned her about the dangers that could be found in the woods.
“There are many strangers who wander the woods,” her mother said. “It’s important to be wary of who you meet.”
Her father agreed, “Being wary and cautious is good but you need to determine friend from foe. Villains are rather cunning, so you need to be wise, my dear Annabelle.”
Despite the warnings about the woods, many folk travelled through them. Most of the time, people came out unscathed but there were times where some were never seen again.
Annabelle always tried to avoid venturing through the woodland. Even though it took her an extra couple of hours to reach town, she often took the long beaten road around the trees instead so she did not have to go through.
However, on this particular day, Annabelle knew she would have to tread through the woods to make it home before dark. If there was one thing Annabelle feared more than the woods, it was the dark.
As Annabelle stood on the threshold of the dark woods, she reached into her basket and felt the reassuring touch of a wooden baton. When she told her friend Cecily she would be taking the woodland path home, Cecily gave her the baton and said,
“I agree, it’s only a small thing but this blunt club will take any harmful stranger by surprise. Be careful and be wary, my friend.”
At first, Annabelle felt silly for taking the baton but now that she held it in her basket as she watched the woods, it was reassuring.
Annabelle glanced at the setting sun. Knowing she could not waste another minute loitering, she started walking. Within minutes, she lost sight of the town behind her and was surrounded by dark, towering trees. Annabelle walked fast but made sure to tread carefully and quietly. She certainly did not want to attract anyone’s attention.
The woods were quiet. While Annabelle felt her heart thunder in her chest, she tried her best to resist the temptation to run. Running increased the risk of a fall or an injury. Suffering an injury in the woods would make her the perfect prey for a stranger with sinister intentions. She had to remain calm. She knew she would be home soon, warm and safe by the fireplace.
It was not long, barely ten minutes, when Annabelle heard a noise behind her. She did not stop to listen but she was sure they were footsteps. Swift, scratching steps upon the dry earth. Trying to swallow her fear, Annabelle reached a tentative hand inside her basket and gripped the baton. As the steps drew closer, louder, she stopped and turned around.
A few feet away, stood a fox.
The ginger fox wore a patterned cap, simple pair of linen trousers and a pale yellow jacket. A fresh dandelion peeked out of his chest pocket. The hairs around his jaws were trimmed finely and even the hair upon his head had been combed back.
The fox rose onto his hind legs, took off his cap and bowed, swishing his tail as he did.
“How do you do?” The fox said, politely.
Annabelle bowed her head politely too but she did not utter a word. Foxes were supposedly sly creatures devoted entirely to tricking and stealing. The fox gazed at her with amber eyes, his button nose twitched as he asked,
“Are you lost, miss?”
“No, sir,” Annabelle said.
“Are you sure? It’s rare to find a young woman wandering so deep in the woods, especially at such a late hour. If you wish, I can accompany you and help you safely home.” The fox offered his paw.
“No, thank you.” Annabelle took a step back, her hand tightened on the baton inside her basket. “I’m following the path home, where I live with my mother and father, and my many brothers.”
“Many brothers? How many?”
“Seven. And they are all hunters. Big, strong hunters,” Annabelle lied. She had one brother and he was still an infant, not yet strong enough to lift an axe.
“Oh,” the fox said, startled. All the hairs on his chin seemed to stand on their ends. Stories about foxes and hunters never ended well. The fox stepped back as he said,
“Well, I won't delay you any further. I'm sorry if I frightened you, miss. I only wanted to help.”
With that, the fox bobbed his head, dropped onto his four paws and scampered away. Annabelle waited until she could no longer see his ginger tail before releasing her hardened grip on the baton and continued along the path.
Minutes after her encounter with the fox, she did feel a little foolish and rude for the way she had treated him. He did not threaten her, in fact he had offered to help her and yet she had threatened him. Perhaps she had been wrong about the fox. However, as she thought about it some more, she remembered the importance of being wary in the woods.
Suddenly, Annabelle stopped. The sound was faint but Annabelle knew she was not imagining it. She could hear scratching. Her mind thought of a hard bristle brush rubbing against stone. The scratching grew louder, faster, closer.
Annabelle did not hesitate, she ran. Clutching a tight hold of her basket, she ran along the path. She did not dare to look back, she feared her heart would burst if she saw what horror chased her. The menacing scratching drew closer. Annabelle was sure she felt sharp hairs scratching against her neck.
She dashed around a tree, screaming with absolute terror as she crashed into someone. The collision forced her and the stranger onto the ground, and her basket fell from her hand. Slightly dazed and holding her head, Annabelle started,
“I’m sorry, I-” Annabelle stopped.
The stranger she had crashed into slowly rose onto his hind legs, his powerful paws crunched on the broken bits of branches and his muscular body towered over her as he stood tall, at almost two meters. His charcoal fur was mostly hidden beneath his dark navy suit but nothing concealed the size and truth of the wolf’s face. Annabelle gazed up at the wolf, unable to think, unable to breathe.
The wolf’s snout wrinkled as he drew a wide smile and bowed smoothly.
“It should be I who must apologise. I wasn’t watching where I was walking.” The wolf chuckled, “To be honest, I was not expecting someone to come running towards me like Terror was chasing them. Are you alright?”
The wolf offered his large paw to help Annabelle up, she glanced at it and scrambled to her feet without aid.
“I am fine,” she said, quietly. She grabbed her basket and stepped back from the wolf, “I am sorry for charging into you but I must be going.”
“What’s the matter?” The wolf asked, concerned. He seemed sincere. “You poor thing, you look absolutely terrified.”
The wolf took a step towards her, Annabelle took four back. She reached a trembling hand into her basket.
“I’m not going to hurt you.” The wolf did not take another step, his tail grazed the forest floor behind him, scratching against the dead autumn leaves. The same scratching sound Annabelle was sure she had heard minutes ago.
“Were you…” Annabelle stammered, “Were you following me?”
“Excuse me?” The wolf frowned, “What are you suggesting? That I followed and terrorised a young woman through the woods. You insult me, miss!”
The wolf crossed his arms and looked away, clearly insulted. Annabelle took a deep breath and stepped carefully around him, she said,
“I apologise if I offended you but I must be on my way.”
“Wait,” the wolf took her arm, his claws pressed roughly into her skin. Annabelle winced at the foul stench of his breath and his sharp pale teeth. The wolf looked around the forest as he said, “If you thought someone was following you, I will gladly accompany you the rest of the way through the forest. No one would dare threaten you with me by your side.”
“No,” Annabelle said, she pulled away from the wolf. She did not trust him whatsoever. While he did act like a gentleman, she could not forget the stories she had heard about wolves. They prowled in the shadows and tore families apart, figuratively and physically speaking.
The wolf blinked, clearly taken back by Annabelle’s tone but he was not easily dissuaded.
“Please, miss. It’s no trouble on my part to accompany you. I would not want to see any harm befall you in the woods. Cunning and terrible creatures linger in the dark.” He reached for her again. “Please, let me accompany you.”
“I said, no!” Annabelle tore the baton from her basket and raised it over her head. “I want you to leave me alone.”
The wolf raised his paws defensively and staggered back, he gasped,
“Lady, I did not mean to scare you. I was only trying to help.”
“That’s what you say but you’re a stranger. I don’t know you and you don’t know me. How can I trust you? And you’re also a…” Annabelle looked away from the wolf. “I want you to leave me be.”
“I see.” Pain flickered across the wolf’s face as he turned away and fell onto his four paws. He looked back at Annabelle once more as he said, “I understand it’s important to be cautious around strangers but please know that not all wolves are wicked. Some of us are kind gentlemen who would offer a friendly paw to a stranger in need.” The wolf bowed his head and said, “Good day, miss.”
The wolf bounded into the woods and within seconds, Annabelle lost sight of his smart navy suit. She lowered her baton and returned it to her basket. She looked around the forest, fearful the wolf would suddenly reappear and attack but there was no one, no sound, only her, standing alone in the woods.
Annabelle started along the path again, the wolf’s words lingered in her mind. She did feel harsh for the way she had treated the wolf and the fox but she believed it best to be wary of any stranger she met along the way. Even if the wolf and the fox were smartly dressed and acted like gentlemen, they were still strangers.
The forest grew steadily darker. Annabelle could barely see the setting sun through the trees. She increased her pace, hoping she would get home and shut the door behind her by the time the sun had finished for the day.
Annabelle stopped again. She thought she was imagining it but she knew her mind was not playing tricks on her. She could hear scratching, the same sound she had heard earlier. The image of the wolf’s tail brushing against the dry leaves flashed in Annabelle’s mind and she broke into a run.
That terrible, terrible wolf, she thought.
Wolves enjoyed the excitement of a chase. She wished she had hit the wolf now. It may have deterred him from coming after her.
The scratching grew louder. Annabelle was sure she could see something moving in the branches. She kept her focus on the path, only the path.
Her lungs burned, her legs begged her to stop but she did not dare. In the distance, she could see light seeping through the trees. She was almost home. As Annabelle looked away from the path, her foot caught on a root, she fell through the air and tumbled across the ground.
Annabelle cried as a throbbing pain shot down her leg and blood soaked through her sock.
“Oh, my! You, poor dear!”
Annabelle looked up and found a beautiful young lady. Dressed in a white lace gown, the lady’s silver curls flowed beneath her delicate bonnet. She held an intricately webbed parasol over her pale face. Without a doubt, she was the most beautiful woman Annabelle had ever seen. Her skin was like polished ivory, the faintest hint of rose pink bloomed on her cheeks while a vibrant rose red coloured her lips.
The lady almost dropped her parasol as she scurried over to Annabelle.
“Are you hurt? When I saw you fly through the trees I thought something awful had happened! Oh my gosh, you’re bleeding.”
As the lady tried to dab Annabelle’s leg with a very fine handkerchief, Annabelle looked behind her. She could see nothing and hear nothing. Had she imagined a pursuer? Perhaps the woods were playing tricks on her.
“I’m fine, miss,” Annabelle attempted to stand but her ankle shuddered under her weight.
“Come here, let me help you,” the woman said as she wrapped an arm around Annabelle.
“Please, I wouldn’t want to ruin your clothes,” Annabelle tried to pull away. She was covered in dirt. The thought of ruining the lady’s fine clothes felt unforgivable. “I’m almost home. I can make it.”
“I could not possibly leave you out here alone,” the woman smiled warmly. “I don’t live far from here either, it would be no trouble at all.”
“Very well, thank you for your kindness,” Annabelle said, she was so relieved when the lady took her arm over her shoulder. It was so nice to take the weight off her ankle.
The lovely woman half-carried Annabelle along the path. She noticed Annabelle’s basket.
“Here, let me carry it for you.”
Before Annabelle could resist, the lady took the basket under her arm while she supported Annabelle with the other. The lady’s brown eyes were almost ebony and they gleamed as she smiled.
“You looked so terrified when I found you,” said the lady. “What happened?”
Annabelle told the lady about her encounters with the fox and the wolf. The woman listened intently and when Annabelle finished her tale, she murmured,
“Wolves are troublesome beasts. They always put their snouts where it doesn’t belong. I’m glad I’ve never had to face one. You must have been so frightened.”
“I was,” Annabelle admitted. “But, what are you doing out in the woods alone?”
The young woman smiled at her as she said,
“My family’s dinner table looked rather bare so I thought I’d go out and find something more appetising. It’s surprising what you can find in the woods.”
Annabelle was surprised to hear a woman as finely dressed as her was forced to go out and find food. Did she not have servants to do that kind of work for her?
Annabelle started to smile as she saw a familiar shape through the trees. Her family’s house. It was an old stone cottage, the front door needed a fresh coat of paint, the cold wind often blew through the cracks in the stone and the roof had a habit of leaking but she was so relieved to see it all again.
“Thank you, miss,” Annabelle began. “I can travel the rest of the way home by myself, thank you again.”
Annabelle tried to pull her arm but found it stuck. As Annabelle looked, she noticed her arm was caught on the lady’s dress. The white lace had managed to thread itself around her arm. She tried to tug it free but the strands were strong and did not stretch. The lady spoke softly,
“I could not possibly let you wander through the woods alone, imagine what terrible strangers you may encounter.”
Annabelle looked at the woman’s face and shrieked. Instead of two eyes, there were four. Suddenly, another four dark eyes appeared. All eight eyes blinked as the woman smiled, showing her sharp fangs. She threw Annabelle’s basket on the ground. The baton flew out. The woman gripped Annabelle tightly,
“I was lucky the wolf found you first, otherwise you could have hit me with that foul club of yours. It’s useless to you now, all the way over there.”
Annabelle tried to pull away but the woman’s dress was threading around her, around her waist, her shoulders, making it impossible to pull away. Beneath the lady’s skirts, long pale legs sprouted out, lifting the woman higher until all eight legs dug into the ground.
The lady held Annabelle’s face as she grinned,
“Nobody can help you now. You would have been better off letting the fox or the wolf accompany you. They would have seen you safely home to your family while I am more interested in seeing my family is properly fed.”
Annabelle looked up. The trees swayed as creatures scratched through the trees, staring at her with hungry, dark eyes. She screamed and fought but it did not matter. She was trapped in the lady’s web.
“It’s a pity the strong hunters you call brothers are not here,” the woman laughed. “You really should be wary of the strangers you meet in the woods.”
At that, the spiders leapt down and enjoyed their feast.