Into the forbidden forest
The Snow Princethe April snow came early this year. Aoihoshi is covered in thick snow, but the whitest, most mesmerising snow scenery lies in a distance. three high school art students suited in thick, warm clothes decided to venture into the forbidden forest to catch a glimpse of the beauty within.
"oh no, I forgot to bring my paint brush!" the clumsy Miku exclaimed, leaving her friends Umika and Suzuka giggling.
"don't worry, I brought an extra one. I'll lend you... for a price" Suzuka offered cheekily.
Miku pouted, but feels grateful anyway.
"Umika, why are you so quiet? and your eyebag is awful" her friends mocked.
"I couldn't sleep yesterday, thanks to my grandma. she told me a story about this snow queen, it's so horrifying I just can't sleep" Umika said.
"oh that. please, it's just a legend. besides, what better place can offer a captivating backdrop which will earn us an A+!" Suzuka brought up their school art assignment which requires them a paint a scenery.
"I know it's a legend, but how do you explain the countless notices of missing people who entered the forest" Umika protested only to be hit on the head by Suzuka.
"it's simple~they got lost inside. that's why we agreed to stay close and not venture too deep in right." Miku explained on behalf of Suzuka. Umika knew her worries are completely naive and stupid, so let her friends lead her into the mysterious forest.
"besides, I am yearning to meet her son... the snow prince." Suzuka giggled.
"ah I heard he's a real handsome dude!" Miku added.
"you girls are really obsessed with guys. I'll be the first to run if we meet him. His mum is so evil, his son should be no better" Umika protested.
the forest is much colder than the outside, but few steps in, the 3 friends are already mesmerized by the scene that greeted them. the trees and ground are coated with pure white snow, and the dew drops that dangles on the trees like ornaments seemed to resemble the stars in the skies.
"it's beautiful!" the three friends exclaimed at the same time, and giggled.
"I bet the lake will be even more pretty. lets go! it's this way" Suzuka led the way. Umika trailed behind and immerse herself in the environment. she felt convinced that this forest is nothing but a site of beauty and those horror legends shouldn't be distracting herself from the rare beauty.
"oh my! this is heaven!" Miku shouted as they finally approached the lake.
before they could move closer and set up their art equipments, a howling sound stunned the paranoid Umika.
"you heard that?? that sounds like a fox, but then it doesn't sound quite like too." Umika trembled.
"stop it Umika, you're scaring us!" Miku and Suzuka both punched Umika lightly and decided to ignore her paranoia.
Umika was the only one who wasn't setting up, she was looking left, right and all around as she felt uneasy by her surroundings.
seeing that her friends have already settled down, she consciously unpacked her stuff.
"Wahhhhhhh!" something jumped out and knocked over her stand which hold her drawing board. her screams scared her friends and when they turned to see what's wrong, they spotted an adorable rabbit beneath her fallen board.
"Umika, it's a rabbit. don't be a scaredy cat. you're scaring the cute little thing" Miku said.
Umika held up her drawing board, and indeed a white rabbit was right there. its red eyes looked into Umika's eyes as if trying to talk to her. Umika looked intensely into the rabbit and she felt foolish that she seemed to be connecting with the rabbit.
"oh no, you're injured" Umika said as she noticed the rabbit's bleeding leg. she knew it wasn't because of her board because the rabbit left a blood trial when it hopped to her.
"oh my. it is hurt. Umika, it's limping" Miku noticed as the rabbit tried to avoid Umika who was intending to hold it up.
Umika aimed and quickly carried the rabbit in her arms and patted it lightly.
"I won't hurt you. let me see, I should have something in my bag for your wound." she dug in her bag with her free hand and found her clean handkerchief.
Though the rabbit still seemed scared, and it still fidgeted alot, she held on to it tightly as she bandaged its leg with her handkerchief.
it's only after she bandaged its leg that the rabbit seemed to finally understand that she meant no harm.
"it must be the fox you were saying earlier" Suzuka analysed. Miku nodded in agreement.
"poor thing" Umika embraced the rabbit and patted it continuously to calm it down.
The rabbit finally cuddled in her arms, knowing that it's safe.
after a moment of silence, something happened around them that send chills down the 3 girls' spine.
"OMG, girls, do you feel that eerie feeling?!" Umika said and now she knew she's not the only paranoid one. her friends' fearful expressions tell her that something is really wrong.
the rabbit reacted too and tried to wriggle it's way out of her arms as though it sensed danger. but Umika held it tighter in her arms to protect it.
"look at the lake!" Miku screamed and all three girls were shocked to see the lake turning to ice.
"omg! lets get out of here! something is wrong!" she looked at her friends but they didnt move.
"girls!!!! we can go somewhere else to complete this assignment, we have to get out of here. I don't feel good about this!" her friends still didnt move an inch, and didnt make any sound.
she moved forward and grabbed Miku's hands with the intention to drag them out if they are persistent on staying, but to her horror, Miku's hand is.... is ice cold! she went forward and when she faced Miku and Suzuka, her heart almost stopped. both her friends are frozen literally with expressions of lost!
"oh my goodness!!!!!! Miku! Suzuka!!!! "she called out but to no avail. her friends are like statutes.
she tugged the rabbit closer to her like as if it's her only companion. she realised the rabbit is looking at her with sympathetic eyes...
"what's going on?" she cried as she spoke to the rabbit. tears dropped on the rabbit and it seemed as thought the rabbit wanted to comfort its saviour.
"who's there!" Umika saw a shadow approaching her and it stopped at Miku.
"pretty girls... am I right, Ryosuke?" the shadow which appeared to be a beautiful woman in white, majestic gown spoke. Umika looked around but saw no one other than herself, the frozen Miku and Suzuka, the rabbit in her own arms, and the mysterious woman. she wondered who the woman was speaking to.
"don't touch my friends!!!! let them go, you !!!!!" Umika shouted.
"that's no way to greet a stranger. didnt your mum teach you~. what's your name dear?" she came forth and ran her cold hand gently on Umika's cheeks.
Umika looked into her eyes with fury but unknowingly, the fury within her dissolved into admiration for the woman. she's so beautiful that Umika was captivated. she looked at the woman's eye without blinking.
"Itai!" the rabbit bit her hand and blood escaped out from her tiny wound. to her horror, the rabbit hopped to a spot beside the woman as if it was comfortable with her. it's only this instant that she suspected that the rabbit belongs to the woman. if it is, then she has just invited trouble by saving the rabbit. this woman must be here to retrieve her pet back.
the bite on her fingers by the rabbit sent a sharp pain that travelled through her veins. the woman froze her friends, her pet rabbit must also have evil magic to kill people like her.
"good job my son~she'll serve our needs." the woman said...Umika didn't understand what she meant, and didnt know who she's speaking to. there's only the rabbit here, but she called her son? before Umika could ponder further, the woman came even closer and touched her hand. the very moment their skin touched, Umika could feel her body freezing up to the point that she couldn't feel her limbs. her vision blurred and before she completely blacks out, she swore that there was a moment of connection between her and the rabbit....she and the animal looked into each other's eyes and at the very last moment before she loses complete consciousness, she thought she saw the rabbit morphing... morphing to .... "a human?". she could barely see him, only his back view, but the rabbit did change into a young guy who is about the same age as her, slightly taller than she is.
that is all she got before she shuts her eyes and await her impending death, along with her friends.
is she the legendary snow queen?
who then is the rabbit she saved?
who is the young man who she could barely see from his back view?
what will be the ending of her and her friends.
would the ending have not become so tragic if she hadn't save the rabbit.
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