Crouched in the darkness, her eyes flickered left to right. Joseph ruffled his feathers, clicking his tongue. She looked up at the pitch black sky and stood slowly. Taking a deep breath of air, she began trotting towards the pond. A crack of a twig made her freeze. Her breath caught in her throat as she inhaled the scent of an unfamiliar creature less than twenty feet of her. Joseph threw out his wings and let out a battle shriek. The creature jumped up, grabbing her by the shoulders. She spun it off, crouching in a protective pose. Her thoughts became sharper as she waited for the next move. The creature leaped at her, claws extended. She danced out of the way and jumped back a few feet. Run, run to the pond! The voice seemed to waft into her mind at the perfect time. She spun on her heel and ran.

As the edge of the forest came to view, the creature grabbed her shoulders and slung her down. Letting out a whimper, she sprang to her feet. Joseph screeched and dove at the creature, talons ready for assault. Seeing her opportunity, she escaped into the open meadow beside the pond. She immediately saw the king, standing in the center of the water. As she began to run to him, an intense pain stifled her movements. She crumbled to the ground as the black creature looked down at her with vivid azure eyes. Liar, liar, fly a little higher. The voices chanted in her head.

She let out an agonizing scream as the creature grabbed her throat. The king stood, watching silently. His eyes vacant, though she could have sworn she saw him cringe as the claws dug into her flesh. Gasping for breath, she struggled against the creature’s iron grasp. Cold hearted, sick minded. She went limp. The final thing she saw was the king smile at her ever so slightly as the world turned black.