The forest enchantress of predominately noble intentions lets her powers overrun her during nights like these. The moon is high and any poor souls caught out of place could be in for the worst night of their lives.

The enchantress prepares to dawn her flowing red cape at the pinnacle of her strength. Alas, this power overtakes her and sees her most vulnerable moments of internal torment. Yet... Like an overjoyed child, she bounds from tree to tree expressing an outflow of love for the energy woven into the nature around her. This devolves quickly into a melting sentiment for the constrained beauty of nature around her locked in unassuming bodies.

This continues until the wrong creature steps on the wrong twig - thwack!... And all goes silent. The witch turns slowly to the pitiful fairy. She was locked frozen when they made eye contact. The witch's stomach churned with disgust, then rage. The river began to crystallize and a chilling fear set in. The witch did not retaliate at the fairy directly - no, she snatched up the fairy's greatest joys in life: her friends Toad and Robin.

The witch was going to teach her a lesson. One with no meaning other than a reminder to never fool around when the moon is high and the red cape is near.

Arriving at the base of the waterfall, Marianna felt the spray mist her face. It felt so cold and refreshing on her wind burnt cheeks. She’d been riding for days now. Weeks, maybe? Time kind of lost all meaning when she rode. The back of her horse transported her in more ways than one.

She’d been riding since she could walk. That was the way of her people. They lived in harmony and deep communion with the horses and the land. Each of them learned to care for and ride the horses as the learned to dress and walk and feed themselves.

The water fell in a silver scroll, splitting the air with a sound that was less a roar and more a hymn - an ancient voice echoing across the moss-draped stones. Beyond the waterfall, the forest hummed quietly with the murmurs of trees - pine, fir, spruce - leaning in like observers over the emerald glade in which they dominated. Mist rose from the river like a ghost, drifting in curling veils and catching the dim sunlight that fought through the overcast sky.

By the water's edge, a lone rider halted. The chestnut-pelted horse ran its hoof along the damp earth uneasily, its breath steaming in the cool air. The figure on its back, cloaked in tattered leather and shadow, leaned forward. Beneath the hood, his eyes gleamed like gold coins, alive with an insatiable hunger for adventure. He gazed at the falls as if reading an ancient script hidden within the cascade. He dismounted, the sound of his boots striking the stone drowned out by the song of the downpouring torrent. The air here felt alive, charged with some unseen force. The rider knelt and plunged a hand into the icy river. It burned, sharp and clean, a sensation that climbed up their arm and settled in their chest like a young ember.

"Finally," he whispered, his voice unheard to anything but himself.

From his belt, he drew a small iron key, its surface worn by decades of existence. He held it up to the gray sky, and for a moment, it caught the dim light and glimmered. Then, with a motion that felt both deliberate and reluctant, he dropped it into the pool at the base of the falls. The water consumed it, ripples spreading out in perfect circles, breaking against the jagged edges of stone.

Nothing happened.

The rider stood motionless, shoulders rigid and tense, watching the ripples fade into stillness. The waterfall's song of beauty seemed to turn into one of mockery. He turned as if to leave - but then the ground trembled. A low, resonant vibration, subtle at first, growing deeper and louder until the force pulsed in his bones.

The cascade parted.

Not in the way that water parts for stone, but as if the waterfall itself were a curtain, drawn back by massive, unseen hands. Behind it lay a cavern, its entrance unfathomably dark, rimmed with prismatic quartz that caught and fractured light like the edges of a dream. The mist thickened and swirled, wrapping around the rider like a shroud.

They turned to the horse, brushing its neck softly. "Stay here," he murmured.

And with that, he stepped forward, disappearing into the abyss beyond the veil of falling water.

I took a deep breath. We were here. The misty breeze might've been refreshing… if we weren't burying a body. The waterfall loomed over us, like a painting. I tried not to panic, but it was harder than it seemed. I was pretty sure Orion had no idea what he was doing. “Are you sure we should be doing this...” I trailed off. “We’ll be fine, quit worrying Artemis.” The fact that our parents had made us grow up as enemies, even named us after enemies, was disgusting. Their plan hadn't worked. In fact, it had failed miserably. We were best friends. Although it was daytime, it was dark and eerie by the waterfall’s cave entrance. “It's not too late to change your mind you know.” I looked at Orion nervously. His black mount seemed just as nervous. “Getting cold feet sister?” “You wish,” I replied, trying to sound confident. “Well let's go then.” He winked at me, and I took another very deep breath. Here goes nothing

Striding in a little less elegance than he usually would uphold, (though his lengthy robes made him no less so) Hamae reached a small stream of water and came to no quick halt, rising off of one foot to come over it.

‘Had I known you were in such good shape, my lord, id have invited you to sparr with me much sooner.’

Kayaras followed from behind at a similar pace, but didn’t struggle in the slightest to reach his trained lord. Having been exhausted countless times taught his body well, even if it hadn’t been used for it’s intended purpose in a while.

Yes, a breath of fresh air and free reign is exactly what he needed after being cooped up in that estate for so long.

‘I’m afraid I don’t have as much free time as you do.’

Hamae continued.

‘Not that i’d wish to spend any spare moments clashing swords with a shirker.’

Kayaras had nothing much to say to that.

The further and further they ran, the clearer a distant waterfall had come to be. Clear water, clear river.

The two men came to a stop by the edge of the riverbed.

‘From here? What are we doing?’

His noble did not reply, crouching instead with a gloved hand on the wet soil. To observe the water? To pluck a cattail from its stem? Kayaras would never know. This noble was hard to read.

Nevertheless, kayaras stood standing by his side and kept his gaze on the large waterfall that guided the rivers water, along with pebbles of all sorts, down its steep path. It cascaded beautifully, heavy in its course, but beautiful. Very much so.

He smiled a rare smile for a careless man such as himself at noticing these captivating details.

Then, he shifted his gaze over to his lord on the ground, still curious as to what exactly Hamae was examining with such focus.

‘Kayaras,’

‘Yes, my lord?’

Hamae stood up and fixed his clothes with the hand he hadn’t placed on the ground, turning his head to face the other.

‘I plan on searching the area for a few hours. Will you stay or go?’

‘I have no objection to staying, my lord!’

He may have spoken in a little more excitement than he intended, but anyway, there was no chance he was returning to the estate after just now realising how good the air smells (mind you, the estate isn’t really as cramped as he makes it out to be).

Having shown more eagerness to spend his time boring outside rather than working on something useful, Hamae, understandably, looked at kayaras disappointed and unsurprised. Well, it’s not as if this behaviour was new. Don’t look at him like that!

The noble sighed and looked away. He supposed it was on him for giving the man a choice.

‘Very well. Get to searching.’

A waterfall poured out the mountains

The sunshine burst through the clouds

My group roared in excitement

The ground was damp

The trees were swinging

I watched a group of birds fly by

Naming each one after a person in my group

The horses neighed

The rocks grumbled

Then Finally

The water bursted downhill and took us with it

One of my favorite memory’s i can remember to this day.

We have stopped riding at a river. I peer at a raging waterfall and then to the sky, so open. My friend Glaya sits atop her horse, speckled with a mixture of amazement and befuddlement. She smiles at me, and I smile back.

Imagine living everyday with silence. It is peaceful. But it is also unnerving. One never knows what’s to come next when they can hardly tell what lurks behind.

A shadow moves over my face—Glaya, waving her hand to catch my attention. She signs to me. “Why have we come here?” she says.

I scan the open fields, hills, and flowers with trees set atop great mountains in the distance, once more. The wind is cool on my face, and I breathe it in. This is my favorite spot to go when I need an escape. I unwind here and truly begin to think upon the events of my life; the beauty of little things too, and how those little things can make your heart slow just enough to lend you a moments bliss.

I can feel my friends impatience next to me. Finally, I meet her eyes, and use my hands to form words. “This is my relief,” I reply.

“It is enchanting.” She nods with an understanding expression.

A moments silence. Glayas head turns upward, suddenly. A flock of birds fly overhead in a race to see who can get to the destination they seek, first.

I form my mouth the right way to say “Hey.” Glaya turns her head and giggles. “Have I said something wrong?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “No,” she explains. “The way you speak is funny.”

“What does it sound like?” I sign.

Her head tilts. “Well, you sometimes say ‘hell’ in the place of—”

“Not my pronunciation—this place.”

She nods and opens her mouth in realization. It takes a still moment before she responds. I know this must be difficult. How do you explain sound to someone who’s never heard a thing in their life?

After closing her eyes, she regards me with a face full of pure calm. “Like you imagine.”

That’s what I was expecting. And I don’t know how to imagine anything I’ve never heard before.

“I apologize,” she says. My face must have releaved my dissatisfaction.

“Let’s head back.” I pull on the reins of my horse. The brown mare turns and the picture of rivers and waterfalls, wild beasts, and swaying grass is left behind. I don’t check to see if Glaya is following. I know she can’t help it. I know not everyone longs to hear, but I do. One could say I’ve never gotten used to it. Perhaps I never will.

Hopefully scenery is just as beautiful as sound. It’s melodic in its own way.

I had always felt peace here. My tall, young but steady, bay mare stood beneath me. Laney’s nose reached into the mist from the tumbling waterfall. It was a gift to us. He was saying that all would work out if you just listen to me. And because of Him, I now had a well paying job I loved. I had the sweetest husband I could ever imagine who loved and cared for me. I was blessed with a big house and land, with three horses. That was the best part. My husband and I could ride off into the sunset. And the third horse. For the baby boy I was now carrying.

It’s been two months since the zombie apocalypse. I was in my history class when it started, and I’ve survived almost every obstacle I came across. My parents got turned in the apocalypse and I can’t find my friends anywhere. Right now all I want is to find someone out there that’s still alive. I don’t want to be the only person left in this world. The only thing I could hear is the sound of my horse galloping as I rode on his back the wind hitting my face. Riding into the forest I felt free but also…. I felt lonely. I kept riding into the forest raising my hands up enjoying the feel of the wind while my horse kept running. I giggled and grabbed onto my horse again. You ready boy? I asked my horse as he neighed telling me his ready. I smiled and squeezed my legs to make him go faster as we ran fast ahead and jumped over a lot and other obstacles like gaint rocks and fallen trees. That I put so we could jump over. Whoa that was amazing princess. I said as we came to a stop and I scratched my horses fur and petted her before jumping off her back. I heard a waterfall and pulled my horse with me as we saw a river and a huge waterfall. Whoa I mumbled while looking around the place. Until I spotted something moving. I narrowed my eyes to see what it was. It looked like a monkey….. no more like a gorilla. Did it come from the zoo? I mumbled and narrowed my eye even further while putting my hand up to block the sun from getting in the way of my veiw. After a bit I finally figured out what it was and my eyes widen with shock, I froze for a minute unsure of what to do. It’s been a while since I’ve seen another human I thought to myself. As the figure moving in the trees was a human. A guy he was filling up a bottle full of water. It seems he didn’t even notice me watching him. Until my horse neighed, causing he to snap his head up and we locked eyes. Who are you? He asked, his voice harsh and cold and he narrowed his eyes at me, looking at me up and down. Um h-hello my names M-Mia I said as I fiddled with my fingers and avoided eye contact. It’s been a while since I’ve talked to another human, I don’t even know what to say. He sighed and put a hand on the bridge of his nose. I slowly walked over to him with my horse, but I kept at least a 5ft distance. Are you real or am I hallucinating I mumbled while looking at him like he was a ghost. Yes, I am real he said with a raised eyebrow and stood up to his feet. He walked away and said now scram I don’t have time for you. He said as he walked over to the waterfall and behind it as I followed after he ignoring what he said about me leaving. I was too excited too leave it’s been so long since I’ve seen another person I spoke as I smiled happily and speed walked behind the waterfall. Whoa I said as I looked around at the cave behind the waterfall that had been decorated by him. There was a small square shaped redish brown carpet and a few lanterns on the wall and a fire place in the back with a mattress on the other corner with a single pillow and blankets. You still here he said with a sigh and had a annoyed look on his face. Picking up his bag and swinging it over his shoulder he walked past me, ignoring me. Where are you going? Can I come with? please I said as I followed after him. No he spoke firmly aww but why not pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee please please please pleaseeeeeeee I said over and over again as he kept repeating no. Until fine geez why are you so annoying he said as he put a hand on the bridge of his nose clearly annoyed, but I didn’t care I was just happy that I could go with him. My first time in two months that I saw a human other then myself. I walked by him with a happy smile and grabbed my horse to follow me. So how old are you? What’s your name? How did you get here? Are there other humans near here? I asked him excitedly I kept asking more and more questions not giving him time to reply. Can you shut up! I let you follow me now stay silent he said as he lifted me up from the back of my shirt. Narrowing his eyes on me as i dangled in the air. I nodded slowly and made my fingers move from the right side of my mouth to the left in a way of locking my lips like a zipper. And smiled. He sighed and dropped me back on my feet, walking at a even faster pace as i speed walked to catch up with my horse.watch your back cause I’m not saving you if you get bit and I don’t expect you too either. He stated as we ducked behind a tree from a zombie. The undead was dragging one of his feet and groaning with saliva coming down from his mouth his face peaked off and on the verge of being ripped guys were hanging from his stomach as he walked past the trees and the cost was clear again. I looked at my horse and whispered stay here if a zombie comes run away okay. I said softly as my horse neighed softly it seemed he understood me. I let go of his leash and walked after the guy as he didn’t bother to even look behind him at us and kept moving towards an empty food store. I ran after him finally catching up and we stood outside the store looking at it trying to determine if it’s safe. I have a bad feeling about this are you sure this is the right store? I asked in a whisper like tone just in case of any zombies. Well I’m not sure but if you want to leave cause your scared then go on ahead. He whispered back and walked to the front door of the store opening it slowly and looking around with his hand on his machete that I didn’t even notice that he had. I tilted my head slightly a machete is a interesting choice how would you cut through their hard head’s though? I thought to myself not risking saying something out loud that would alreat the zombies and get us killed I followed right after him slowly. Once he made sure the coast was clear he pulled his bag off his shoulders and started to throw whatever he could find in his bag. I grabbed some stuff as well and put it inside of his bag. Why are you helping me, shouldn’t you be looking for something to help you survive not helping other people get food? He looked at me with a riser eyebrow as I could see the suspicion and confusion in his eyes. It’s a little embarrassing but I’ve just never seen another person in ages and it’s been lonely so when I saw someone for the first time, so when I saw you I got excited and I wanted to……have a chat. I said as my face while avoiding eye contact on how stupid I sounded he probably thinks I’m weird since I want to make friends in the end of the world. I thought to myself and I looked down at the food I was picking up. He sighed and ruffled my hair your a strange weirdo, but let me give you some advice don’t trust anyone you see their not as nice as me. He huffed and walked around looking for more food to stuff in his pack. Wait, he was being nice I tilted my head a bit confused and concerned does he think his acting nice because his also been here for too long to remember how sad. I looked at him with pity and I saw him tighten his jaw and turn to look at me. Don’t. You. Dare. Pity. Me. Or. I’ll. Throw. You. To. The. Zombies. He said and went back to picking up food. I could feel that he really was going to do it if I didn’t stop. Talk about angry issues, so I looked away and went back to picking up food. After we filled his bag up to the brim we went towards the door to leave when suddenly we heard something clatter to the ground loudly. Loud enough to alert a few bloodthirsty zombies they ran towards us. In full speed. My face paled a bit and I looked to the guy beside me and stared we need to go to the back. I said as we ran out to the back. You think I don’t know that. I looked at him and narrowed my eyes at him Are you seriously thinking about arguing right now!! We need to go. I grabbed my dagger and opened the back door. I dodged the teeth coming at me quickly and stabbed the zombie in the back of its head pulling my dagger out quickly. Running towards the next zombie and ducking fast to slice his ankles and then stabbed him in the forehead causing him to fall backwards. Come on let’s go-!!! I said as I pulled the dagger out of the zombies head, but when I turned around to face him, my breath caught in my throat and my eyes widen. He was fighting a zombie off but another one was biting at his calf. N-no no no no NO!!!! I yelled as I ran and stabbed the zombie on his calf pulling him off and then helping him with the other. Y-you got bit we need to stop it from getting to your head. I said as I had panic in my voice, I really really didn’t want to lose another person I don’t want to be alone. He took in a deep breath and stepped back away from me and said it’s too late you know how fast the zombie disease spreads. Just go and leave me here. W-what but no I can’t just leave you you’ll get eaten alive!!! I said as other zombies started to run towards us. He glared at me and said Go. Now. I glared right back in defiance as I said No he gritted his teeth and for a moment I saw a bit of desperation in his eyes. It was the look of someone who doesn’t want another person to die because of them. The zombies charged at us and in a flash he pushed me away and got biten….. again and again and again. What was wrong with me why can’t I move my body I thought I had gotten used to this it’s been two months this shouldn’t affect me I should be able to move to help him. But I’m as useless as always. My vision blurred as tears threaten to fall down my face. A few of the zombies looked at me and I shook my head from my shock, I need to go there’s nothing I can do now he’s dead and it’s my fault. I thought to myself as I stood up and ran to where my horse was. The zombies running after me growling in hunger. I grabbed my horse and swung myself on his back as we rode as fast back to waterfall. I will save people and stop being useless.

I wish I knew what was going through the mind of that horse, having bucked it’s owner to the lake. Was it an accident?, a local spook?, Or was it a conscious move, that he had no choice but to take.

The horse, as stone, glares to the icy plunge, Swaying slightly to the wind that flutters through his mane. This was no tragedy, this was purpose, Bred from a lifetime of endurance, maltreatment and a patience that has waned.

The bristled grey Strands reach finally the surface, Face down, eyes front to the abyss. I’ve never seen a horse smile, But I’ve ever seen a horse happier than this.

The horse rips his gaze away from the final view, Of the man that held him hostage, a well groomed slave. The horse leaves his former master behind, Delivers an eye shot of victory, then returns to the cave.