Two lovers and a loner (Training Part 1 - Bride and her beauty, Soul stealing, selective imperceptibility)

Adirondack Mountains of New York State, a winding terrain that was the perfect holiday destination for families who wanted to escape the dreary happenings of city life and experience the gentle, sublime wilderness that offered great camping grounds and various other recreational activities. Above the hum of the whistling wind and the moaning trees, children would scuttle around the forestry, under the watchful eyes of their parents and explore the lush greenery that as so foreign to any person who originated from the concrete jungle. Nature had a way of bringing out the best in people, its calming and motherly qualities were just a few aspects that enticed people to return to the camping grounds. Although in some cases, where a person has not immersed themselves in the slightly disconcerting ritual of camping there will always be the few shocks and surprises that come along freely with doing so. Maybe they'll encounter a lot of mud, possibly a bear or in the most rarest of occasions an otherworldly spirit who they had merely, and unexpectedly bumped into on their adventures into the great pine forests of New York.

A young couple, more than likely originating from the upper east side of manhattan had wandered off into the grand expanse of the forest, their preppy white and blue outfits a sore sight to behold amongst the soft greens and gentle earthy colours that swamped the surrounding areas. What was originally planned to be a private evening of romantic frolicking and passionate love making by the lake soon turned into something much worse, something particularly henoius that if the other campers were to find out what had happened the Adirondack Mountains would never see the tourism industry again, all because a weeping spirit had her evening 'stroll' interrupted with the grunts and squeals down by the lake. The Revenant, the infamous wraithlike creature who has baffled supernatural experts for decades had simply drifted into the American wilderness, floating above the trees as she silently mourned, mourned for the man of her dreams. There was no warning, no provocation as to why the mourning spectre found herself here.. just a horrid voice that echoed its ghastly commands into the very fibre of her being. She could not ignore it. No it made a promise and promises are never broken so she heeded to its will...forever hoping that the entity would grant her eventual release from the sins she committed at its bidding.

"Give me...that girl" was all it whispered, knowing full well that the Revenant would succumb to its command. The nagging hunger that burnt its way at the back of her throat doubled in intensity and all she could do was weep, weep for yet another innocent girl caught in this never-ending cycle of death and satisfaction.

The young couple did not see her coming, nor did she expect them to...she was completely invisible in the growing dusk, nothing could alert their feeble human senses to the faint scent of roses or the cold chill that slowly edged its way across the woodlands. They were simply too focused on each other that the arrival of the pale lady was the last thing to cross their mind, the arrival of bear would have been less surprising. However the blonde haired girl, panting between the haze of lust and passion caught sight of the unblinking, motionless figure that gradually hovered closer and closer. She gasped, eyes wide in a mixture of horror and embarrassment. A macabre groan pierced the lust ridden veil of the night as the pale woman floated closer and closer to the exposed couple, completely shrouding the once calm area with a horrid fog, completely shrouding the starry night sky with the inescapable mist.

"Dispose of the man"

The Revenant let out a haunting sigh, like the sound of whispery wind through a creaky window watching with unblinking eyes as her naked prey shuffled frantically. They were barely adults, probably 18 or 19...young lovers if one were to use a dictionary definition. The blonde haired girl, who had lost all libido upon the Revenant's arrival, was screeching for her lover all the while trying to cover up her own body.The boy on the other hand had a dazed expression on his youthful facade. He slowly stopped his panicked movement as his young, naive fear ridden eyes locked with the ageless, silvery green gaze of the wraith in front of him, his limbs began to shudder as an uncontrollable infatuation slowly burned its way through the pit of his being, causing his limbs to drop weakly and collapse...not even his body could refuse the beauty of the woman that floated towards him. The pale lady took one silent, predatory step forward, "Come...to...me..", she whispered, a haunting ballad that echoed throughout the nearby area, disappearing into the thick fog as she extended her hand out to the stumbling boy in front of her.

"Wh-what do you want?" the teenage girl sputtered out, clinging to her lover's arm as his legs began to take his body towards the ethereal beauty. Tears were streaming down the blushing naked face of the girl, her hands shook with fear as all of her attempts at keeping her boyfriend by her side failed miserably. The Revenant let out a soft gurgle, slowly cocking her head to the side as she bore her deathly gaze into the girls panicked eyes. "Such a...pretty girl" the woman uttered in a barely audible voice as she flickered her gaze back to the stumbling male. By then the boy had yanked his arm out of his partner's, taking feeble steps forward like a drunk man as he swayed from side to side...a strange grin plastered on his lips. Every step forward was step closer to his death.

One step. His girlfriend screeched for him to stop..stop? Why would he stop ..there was a beautiful lady in front of him.

Two steps. The growing cold of the mist around them slowly crept its way across his shivering exposed skin but he ignored it..he needed to get to this woman.

Last step. The shimmering white dress of the Revenant fluttered against a non-existent breeze and the smell of roses filled his nostrils as he felt all of his senses get clouded by an unfamiliar blur...

"You're..you're so bea -", the boy had no time to finish his sentence, a pained gasp escaped his lips instead as something sliced through his soft, warm chest. There was no blood, no noise, no weapon she procured...just a delicate hand that plunged through his heart and out through his back. A startled look flashed across his youthful face as blood sputtered from his quivering lips, all colour on his skin began to seep away as the the life from his eyes began to flicker away. The Revenant had quite literally phased her entire limb through his chest, stopping his most vital organ in the process and as his body collapsed in front of her own the spirit could not help but tear her gaze away from his own...he smelt like John. John smelt like pinecones and mint, this boy smelt like pinecones and mint... but this boy was not John..John was dead and so was the unlucky boy in front of her.

His girlfriend stood horrified, mouth gaping in fear as she clutched her shuddering body her eyes never leaving the now motionless body of the boy she so dreamt of marrying one day. He was no but a lifeless corpse, his last breath escaped his lips..drifting into the murky fog as the air around him grew cold. The girl stared wide eyed at at her lover, tears rolled down her cheeks as she dug her manicured nails into the palms of her hands..not knowing whether to cry or scream as she gazed through teary eyes at her dead lover. She collapsed, shaking as she did so..too afraid to look at the murderous creature in front of her. This girl was now completely exposed, both physically and mentally and as the silent footsteps and suffocating chill approached her quivering body she managed to utter some words, "..A-are..y-you gonna-a kill m-me to?" she blubbered, hyperventilating as she did so. Pleading with innocent eyes at the hollow shimmering gaze of the pale lady who hovered just above her frightened form.

The girl received no answer. Nothing but a soft crooning noise that drifted out of the Revenant's black lips..as if the spirit herself were trying to comfort the quivering teenager in her last moments of life. The girl screeched, the sound getting lost in the intense fog that embraced the surrounding area...this was the wraith's domain, nothing could stop the inevitable. The girl tried to roll out of the way, she tried to scratch at the woman, she wanted to strike the beautiful predator with all of her limbs...but she could not. Her body was simply not obeying her frantic commands, her breathing was becoming increasingly shallower and in the final second before she realised it was too late she gazed into deaths face. So beautiful. So flawless. If deaths as this attractive why didn't many others embrace it?

The girl's vision began to blur. Her heartbeat increased to an unbearable level. The blood in her veins began to freeze in their place. The warmth in her body slowly began to seep away, it felt like a blanket of ice was suffocating her, constricting all the life from her young body. This was in fact a somewhat true. The Revenant herself was embracing the huddling, limp form of the girl, her pale arms cradled the blushing flesh and the cold grasp of her deathly embrace was what was sucking the very life out of the teenager. Death itself was embracing her victim as she perished...


***

The sky had turned into a polished black sheet, stars sparkled in galaxies far beyond..weeping for the two innocent lives that perished that evening. A silent breeze flowed across the sleeping trees, brushing against the foliage as the many woodland creatures slumbered in their comfortable dens... however regardless of the comforting breeze and the chirping crickets nothing could excuse the stench of death and horror that reeked near the lake. What would have been an evening filled with the exploration of love and youth had been massacred by a monster, a relentless creature bent on satisfying her burning hunger. This woman sat still, legs crossed and crossed against her bare bleeding legs. Her eyes glazed over the calm waters that reflected the bright silvery face of the moon that peeked behind the clouds. A family of ducks floated by, the mother defiantly treading the water as her children eagerly followed behind her, letting out high pitched quacks as they floated past the statuesque form of the Revenant.

She delicately brushed a pale, slender finger against her cheekbone her watery eyes glazing across the lakeside as she tried to imitate the loving caresses of the two lovers she murdered hour before. "John..." she whispered, closing her yes as the thoughts of her fiancé from years gone by flashed across her grief stricken mind.

"Soon my dearest...soon"

It was silent, the scenery took on a magnificent hue of silver, black and blue furthering the grand nature of the mountain range.. the two corpses sprawled across the lakeside however painted a macabre tattoo on the impressive landscape. Taking in a deep breathe the woman closed her eyes, lolling her head back as she listened to sounds of the insects and the gentle moans of the lake and its steady movements. Nature witnessed her crime and yet still went along its business, it had no qualms with the Revenant, she was a unnatural force and yet she felt at home amongst the trees..she would be able to mourn in peace. She was a killer, she was alone, she was death herself and as she quietly scrambled her mind for the lasting images of her long lost lover a brief flash of light in the corner of her eyes caused her to jerk back to reality, a raspy whimper escaping her midnight black lips. It was an unnatural sight during this time of night but she could see it very clearly..a modern contraption...a mobile phone.

something or someone was coming...she could see it...and she was ready..