End Frí | Chapter 2

“Pfft… black may be my happy color, but I am not going to miss this place. Know what I mean?” Penelope nudges Ossifer.

Ossifer maintains his pace without a change in his expression. The two continue their journey through the fog, Penelope’s posture proceeding into a slouch as she further drifts behind. Her sunken eyes stare forward, averting to follow a stranded willow and then returning to watch Ossifer continue his never-ending gait.

Penelope finds herself staring down at her legs, which shuffle one in front of the other. She stops. Her paw digs into the dirt at the base of a small patch of grass growing out. She pushes her nose into the bundle of blades and takes in quick sniffs.

Spots of grass trail before her, appearing more lush into a towering wall of Conifers. Her neck cranes to look at the outline of trees which obscure into the mist on each side. Ossifer continues on towards the woods.

Penelope bounds after Ossifer, slowing down upon entering into the forest herself. She gazes upward, agape, at the dark green pines that loom over. A pale blue light emanates through the parted fog, casting an ethereal glow on her fur. Stars twinkle in the night sky with a half-moon inducing the gentle radiance.

“Last quarter,” she murmurs. Penelope bumps into the back of Ossifer. Her head peeks around him.

An extensive area lies where trees encircle an empty lot of land. In the middle lay a house. The wooden sides splintered and peeled off. Dirt clings to the cracked glass pane windows. A brick chimney rose above the rooftop. The roof bares from missing shingles with the remaining ones curled and discolored; slanting downwards towards the front, covering a wooden deck.

Penelope looks up to Ossifer. He stares at the abode, tilting his head slightly to the side. She returns her attention, her eyebrows kinked.

“Maybe we should leave the evil-looking house alone.” She walks away.

Penelope pauses and looks back at Ossifer making his way through the open area. Her teeth grit together, and she paces back and forth; fixating her glare towards the ground. She lets out an exasperated growl and trots after him.

The two reach the side of the building and walk around alongside the front deck. Penelope stares at a black cat sleeping on the wooden rail. Electric green eyes flick open and track her. She shivers and hurries up the steps. The wood creaks underneath her paws.

“You know, it’s not too late to go back.” Penelope shuffles. “I doubt anyone actually lives here, anyways.”

“You should listen to her.” A female voice spoke from behind.

Penelope and Ossifer look back. A girl sits on top of the rail with her legs crossed. Lengthy black attire underneath a matching short cloak, clasped with a bow tie, that dawned her. The peasant sleeves of her cardigan flow down, veiling her hands. Her green eyes stare through parted waves of jet black hair which brush her shoulders.

Penelope sniffs. “Cat?”

The girl smiles. “Meow.” She chuckles and hops down. “A familiar trick us venomancers are fond of using.” She forms a finger gun gesture towards Penelope and winks, clicking twice from her cheek. She continues on, hopping past them.

Ossifer glances at Penelope.

Penelope baffles. “What? I’m not a witch.”

“Anywho.” The girl in black opens the door. “Why don’t you two come in?”

They both follow the stranger down a hallway. Their footsteps muffled by a red tattered rug that stretches into the darkness, outreaching the feeble light of diminutive flames encased in iron and glass. Designed wallpaper peeled off the wall, revealing the rough plaster underneath.

A large room opens to the side through a wide archway. A woman sits with her arms crossed, leaning into the back of a cushioned armchair; matching in color of her royal green frock. Her frazzled hair pulses bourbon, and her brown eyes reflect the flicker of the fire. A dark figure stands in front of the fireplace. A slender golden chain coils around their neck, and disappears into a closed fist. Their shadow dances across the room.

The girl in black knocks twice on the wall… “Ahem…” She flings her arms out, exaggerantely, clipping a slender vase filled with roses sitting on a shelf and sending the vessel smashing against the floor. Shards of glass and petals scatter in a chaotic puddle.

Both girls across the room snap their attention to the sound, seeing the three stare at the mess.

The woman raises herself from the chair and walks towards them. “Katherine, who are these two?”

“Dunno.” Katherine shrugs her shoulders.

“Uh… Penelope and Ossifer.” Penelope gestures with her paw.

“Well, Penelope and Ossifer, I am Fae.” She looks them over. “How is it you two have found yourselves out here in the middle of nowhere? Are you lost?”

“N-nope, just passing through,” Penelope replies.

Fae raises an eyebrow, crossing her arms and tilting her hip to one side. “Just passing through? And exactly what on earth are you-” She closes her eyes and pinches her brow. “Katherine, will you please?” She flicks her wrist back, holding her hand in a submissive palm position.

Katherine stops waving her hand in front of Ossifer's face. “I'm making sure he's still alive.”

Ossifer side eyes her with a dull look.

“That’s Ossifer for you,” Penelope remarks. “I’ve only met him recently as I was on my way to find Frí.”

Fae and Katherine look at each other. Katherine jumps on top of Penelope, pinning her head to the ground.

“Hey, get off me.” Penelope kicks Katherine.

“Roe-,” Fae breaks off. She stares at the empty space in front of the fireplace. “Of course.” Her eyes roll. Fae stands over Penelope. “So, you’re with Frí, aren’t you? Where has he taken our father?”

“And where is our sister?” Katherine adds.

Penelope struggles. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Liar!” Katherine pulls a thin knife from her sleeve and raises the blade. Her arm jerks back. She looks at a hand gripped around her wrist and looks up at Ossifer.

Ossifer pulls Katherine away and lets her fall to the ground. He looks to Penelope. “Run.”

Penelope scrambles to her feet and rushes back through the archway, closely followed by Ossifer. A dead end looms in front of her, and she skids to a stop. Her eyes glare at the wall, and she exhales through her nose. She turns around to face another wall.

“Ossifer?” she calls out.

Turning back, A long corridor lined with many doors on either side stretches out before her. As she creeps forward, her ears twitch at the sound of footsteps ahead and her breaths grow heavy. She spots a door slightly ajar. Rushing over, she pushes through and closes herself in the pitch-black room. Penelope leans against the wall beside the door. Her breathing subsists… She blows out a puff of air once the sound passes by and disappears. A sniff follows the twitch of her nose. Penelope gasps and whips her head towards the far corner.

“You can see me?” Katherine asks.

“Yes.” Penelope stands guard.

“Good.” Katherine lunges at Penelope.

Penelope jumps out of the way, colliding into a wooden chair, which topples over with a thunk.

She stammers getting up. “Stop this! I didn’t do anything.”

“Keep playing dumb. I don’t care. I’m sure your little pal Ossifer knows more than what you let on.” Katherine toys the tip of the knife with her finger, snickering to herself.

Penelope pauses and a growl emanates. Katherine’s laughter cuts, she winces to a screeching sound on the hardwood floor, whilst a visceral series of squelching snaps and grinding pops elicit. A drawn out tearing reverberates and growling intensifies into a guttural rumble.

The room quickens into a hushed stillness. Katherine’s eyes open and dart around. She freezes at the nape of damp breaths which push and pull strands of her hair. Her eyes widen, and her grip tightens on the knife in her shaking fist. She recoils the blade and jerks her body.

Katherine screams as a gash tore into her shoulder, coinciding a crunch and resonant snap. A wet patter trickled on the floor underneath her. She drops the knife and backs away whilst gripping the wound. “You bitch!” She trips over the chair and tumbles to the floor. Katherine pushes herself back against a wall. “No!”

A deep drone resonates alongside a sharp chuff of air. The slow clack of claws approaches. The chair nudges to the side with a faint grating sound.

A quiet voice calls from outside the room.

Penelope perks up.

“Penelope…” the voice whispers.

She scurries over and puts her ear up against the door.

A sigh lets out, “I hope you’re okay.”

Penelope scratches at the door. “Ossifer!”

The door opens, and the small canine jumps up on her hind legs; leaning into Ossifer. Katherine watches through watery eyes, half her face revealed from the light outside. A streak of crimson stained her jaw and coated her neck. The door clicks shut.

Penelope plants her paws on the ground and looks down the hall. “This place is a nightmare, there's no way out.”

“So it seems,” Ossifer remarks.

A loud thud resounds from one end, shaking the walls. Penelope and Ossifer turn in the opposite direction. A door swings open and a pair of hands grab the two and violently pulls them in.

“No.” Penelope plants her face into her paws. “I’m too ignorant to die.”

Roe rolls her eyes and glances up and down the hall. She steps back into the room and closes the door behind her. Ossifer kneels down and shakes Penelope’s shoulder. The pup uncovers her eyes. Transparent antlers fabricate atop Roe’s long brown hair, casting a soft blue light.

“Always with their nonsense,” Roe mutters as she passes between Penelope and Ossifer.

She kicks a circular rug aside, stoops down, and digs her fingernails into a gap between interlocking wooden planks. Penelope and Ossifer watch her hands work to remove several loose floorboards, uncovering a dark tunnel underground.

Roe dusts off her hands. “You can use this to escape.”

Penelope tilts her head to the side. “Why are you helping us?”

“The others may still be fixed on what happened prior, but even I can tell you have no relation to who my sisters misconceive you of… what with those friendly, warm eyes.” Roe giggles. “I can make that decision on my own.”

Penelope wags her tail, smacking Ossifer on his side. She stills. “What happened on that day?”

Roe thinks. “I was too young to know fully of what occurred, other than what my sisters have told me... Our father left one day with someone called Frí; saying not to worry, that he would come back soon.”

She fidgets a deep red crystal attached to her necklace. “Our eldest sister Syndraline, or Syndi as we’ve always called her; left to search for our father when he never returned. Before she went, she left me this charm. Whenever she wore the other one like it, they would hum and glow, and you could feel the rhythm of her heartbeat. But, one day, it stopped…”

“Must've been rough,” Penelope replies.

“Yes…” Roe pats her lap. “Now, let’s get you two out of here.”

Penelope crawls down into tunnel, followed by Ossifer.

She pokes her head back up. “Why don’t you come with us?”

Roe pauses for a moment and gives a slight smile. “That’s a kind offer, but this is where I must stay. Besides, someone has to look out for these idiots.”

Penelope proceeds back.

“But before you go,” Roe says

Penelope looks at her.

“If you find my father and sister, please tell them…” Roe freezes.

Penelope nods with a smile.

Roe reciprocates. “Thank you.”

Penelope drops back down into the tunnel, and Roe slides the rug over the entrance.

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