Whole

Whole -

The fog had quickly descended over the plains. Just a thin membrane of clouds over the surface, looking up you are gladdened to see stars blinking above, at least you could use them to navigate in the grass sea. You almost stumble into it. The ritual stone. A place where someone who failed to find affection in this world was turned into a hollow. Around it there is nothing but the scarred trunks of trees that have been burned by lightning. Hay extending at waist height into the gray fog. The air is still, it is silent. You know this is not a good place and you begin to turn to walk the opposite way of the rock. As you do, something rises from the grass with barely a sound, a figure so tall that it feels impossible that it had been in the grass. You both stand still.

"Ahh, no... you will not do..."

It's voice deep and raspy, like spoken through vocal cords not for speech.

"If you are here to take him... You may not have him."

The creature stares at you while one if its claws slowly and deliberately moves towards its chest. Until now, you had not noticed there is the faintest silhouette of a person inside it. Or the head of one at least.

"If you are not... then go... you will not do... Not for me..."

"What do you mean?"

There was a pause where it only stares into you with its eyeless face.

"You will not do... You don't have the fragrance of fey magic upon you... We will not become one... Never... You will hollow..."

It keeps staring into you as it steps back, disappearing back into the fog. You can still hear it, the raspy breath, even if you cannot see it. You slowly begin to move away from the rock and where you saw the creature disappear, then you run.

It is foggy for the whole night, but with the stars above remaining clear, you run the whole night. Sometimes when you stop, and let your heartbeat calm down, you hear something breathing in the grass. And you run, until the morning comes.