The Challenge

Mariapusa stroked the gold locket and took a deep breath of frigid air. It curled over her frozen cheeks like fingers, icing them into porcelain. Chestnut curls swirled, obscuring her view of the blue and white forest.

She took a step. Mathias had dared her to go. And she was not a coward. Especially not when her brother were watching.

“Snow, shadows, and fading sun make the weary traveler run and run. Though he travels deep and across, he remains lost.” She took the first step. Alive and watching, the wind howled. Hesitating, her single foot hung in the air. “A chosen few find northern star, to guide them through and far.”

A shadow glided on her right, growing as it passed her until the whole wood was dark, as though someone had blown out a candle. Growls joined the howls. Then shrieks. Immense shapes flew above her, circling like vultures. But these were bigger than houses. Even the massive trees swayed in their wind.

Time froze. Empty, her legs seemed to float underneath her. Her feet would not move. The only sound was her own heart, ready to break out of her chest. The dark presences started to float down.

“No!” She screamed and sprinted into the heart of the twisted branches. “It’s part of it. It’s part of the challenge.” Desperate, she felt a scream bubble in her throat. Terror, like someone had caught her naked, snaked through her chest. She ran.

Scanning the brush for the easiest path, she hurdled her steps to avoid tripping in the darkness. Her nose tingled and pinched. A slimy drip numbed her upper lip with frozen wetness. Deathly stillness fell upon wind, bats, and swaying tree limbs. It sucked at her soul till her insides may have been dried raisins. Her run turned to a walk. Dragging each foot as though the earth herself magnetized it to the ground, she pushed on.

Blotches of moonlight illuminated large logs, crisscrossed and covered in balls of dried brush like hair. When she reached the first bright, she sprinted light as air. Through the shadows, she had hunched over gasping for breath.

Breathe and sprint. Gasp and limp. Breath and sprint. Gasp and limp. No more wind. No howls. No night sounds. Dead, true quiet. Not a single whisper of a bat flapping its wings or chipmunk scurrying into his hole. Not even a bird rustling its feathers. She took another step.

“Mathius never should have dared me to do this! He knew it’d be too much. Competitive fool!”

Something moved in the treetops. Freezing mid-shadow, she let her gaze drift up. As they rested, her legs pulsed and fluttered in exhaustion. Trembling at her sides, her hands brushed the soft fabric of her pants leg. She pulled back her shoulders.

A blur of black and yellow hunted amongst the thick twists of tree limbs, always blocked by some puff of thistle or another tree. It paused, its massive paw curling over the wood revealing claws like tiny daggers. Muscle bound its furry leg and shoulder with ripples in the moonlight. It moved like a dancer. Awe dimmed her fear. It dropped to the ground.

Its monstrous face spanned two times more than her. She whooshed in a breath of air.

“What do you want?” The beast’s yellow eyes devoured her as he circled.

“Just to get home.”

“Follow me. I will show you the way out.”

As she shook her head, it filled with a pressure against her skill. Her mouth went dry. Sweltering heat pressed down on her until she wanted to beg for a drink. “The poem says to wait for the North Star.”

“What if I am named the North Star?”

She paused. Clicking ticked in her ears. Every second she managed to force concentration was interrupted with useless, disjointed thoughts. Was it still cold? Was she barefoot? Why was she here? Shaking her head, she furrowed her brow and focused on the beast’s swimming image. “No. The North Star is strong and anointed with fire. You reek of rot.”

His lips curved back to show fangs. She swallowed, digging her nails into her palm. “I am not her, you are right. But I am able to give you great things.”

“I—”

“The great respect you crave. The beauty you want others to admire on you. Soon you will be seventeen, the age of womanhood. Your necklace will buy you a pitiful plot of land to grow. A sad, dry spot where nothing will grow. You must choose me to have a life worth living! You must remember all the beauty and happiness here. You must remember and choose it. Choose to love it.”

“Great beauty turns to a great burden when ill-gotten and ill-used. I am not a pawn. And happiness is in my heart, even in the midst of danger. There’s nothing you can tell me, Forked One.”

He stood on his hind legs and howled. The ground rumbled. The wind pounded her to her knees. She stayed there with tears leaking out against her will. “Mathius! Please, come.”

At once, it all ceased. She looked up. The monster was gone. Light and heat flooded the scene until she had to shade her eyes.

“Mariapusa Confidia!” A voice called. “You are chosen. Walk forth. I am the North Star you sought.”

The brilliance shimmered and disappeared. A woman clothed in a dress like satin and as smooth skinned as a newborn glided forward. Her gentle smile made peace weigh down her soul. As it settled, joy and pride grew. “I did it. I made it through. Mathius can eat his words!”

The woman bent down and kissed her forward. A glow shot through her. Clarity freshened her vision. She stood tall and noble.

“You made it.” The beautiful woman brushed back her cherry-red hair, the linen hand arcing elegantly. “And you can give this to him for proof.” She handed her a velvet box. “He should be proud, but you should be prouder.”

Mariapusa rocked on her feet, excitement mounting. “I am.” She opened the box. Inside, a gold chain held two charms. One a butterfly and the other a spiderweb.”

“You have conquered where many wise have failed. You are blessed to float in life with ever-abounding joy and connect people to each other, nature, and life. Walk in confidence, child. This is just the beginning.”

Mariapusa held the jewelry up. A smile overtook her gawk. It didn’t make sense, but she believed every word. “Thank you.”

The scene faded. Summer returned, and a creek gurgled past her. She was home. Mathius stalked about, scowling into the air. He caught sight of her. She opened her mouth to berate him, and he stopped her with a bear hug. “Put me down,” she wheezed between her laughter.

“I was so worried. I never should have challenged you to enter that realm. There’re some things best left unexplored.”

She held up the necklace. “It’s okay. You were right.”