éphagon

The call came again as it had countless times before; billowing forth from the forest at the onset of dusk with a cadence not unlike a heavy breath. It washed over Eyuri in the same familiar manner, giving rise at once to an equally reminiscent yearning that he was powerless to understand. He had tried a number of times to put that strange feeling into words; however, it had proven to be a somewhat fruitless effort. "A whisper of satiety carried softly on the winds of famine," he murmured raising a glass of amber colored liquid to his lips. "...no....still not quite...." His words seemed to float away on the breeze and were quickly forgotten, never to be finished or truly examined.

Eyuri sat beneath the lonely sycamore behind his home, which had become a nightly ritual, and peered at the swaying woodland multitude through the twilight.  The smell of bourbon mingled with the autumn air; whispering to him of the credence of his peculiar interests, the effects of each serving only to renew interest in the other. He scarcely moved, save to savor another sip from his libation, and the only sound to be heard was the clamoring of a legion of leaves in the grasp of the of the restless evening air. This was nothing new to Eyuri, and were he asked, he could have given no reason that the evening should end any different than countless others; stumbling indoors, but unsure whether to blame the bourbon or the peculiar longing that seemed to force itself upon him. That evening, nevertheless, failed to keep with its scheduled mediocrity.

Unlike the preceding evenings, Eyuri found himself slowly rousing himself from his stupor. The decision was sudden, and a product of compulsion more so that thought or will. His body seemed to move of its own volition, but in compliment to the strange urge that encapsulated his cognition. His movements were almost mechanical as if driven by a purpose other than his own, and fortunately so, as he could think of nothing other than how beautiful the leaves were in their countless undulations. It occurred to him that, in the dying light of the evening, the whole forest seemed to be ablaze. The notion was nothing less than gratifying. Had his mind been less absent, he may even have fancied the idea that he alone would dare to approach the maw of this strange inferno. The peculiarity, however, was lost in his present fugue.

He reached the edge of the forest  having only barely acknowledged his own journey. The air was thick with aroma of dried pine needles, and the faint sweetness only made it seem all the more inviting. The last vestiges of daylight seeped through the canopy casting a handful of embers into the darkness beneath, and Eyuri watched as the shadows hid from them only to return moments later a shade darker than before. A less clouded mind likely would have found the image much more foreboding, but he did not hesitate to enter. "The leaves were the flames, and the heart of the forest - coal," he scoffed as he approached a small clearing. So began the second leg of his body's autonomous expedition.

A mild October chill sent a shiver through Eyuri's meager frame, and he was suddenly acutely aware of the intensity of the darkness. It seemed as thought he were being swallowed up along with the rest of the outside world with each step he took. It was neither the same, nor as simple as nightfall; the night existed apart from the light, not by obscuring it. There was something striking, if not slightly ominous about the realization; nevertheless, Eyuri was determined to ventured deeper; escorted by the towering sentries of the timberland. It was only after sometime that he noticed a faint, unnatural glow looming in the distance. It grew in size and intensity as he approached, until at last it bathed all of his surrounding in a pale greyish-blue. The glow seemed to draw the color and features out of the surround objects, melding them into one featureless amalgam. Eyuri was completely baffled by the sight of it, and by its nature of obviation; however, he wasn't allowed much time to ponder its nature before something even more curious presented itself.

From the periphery of the glow, there emerged a figure. It appeared to be that of a woman, clad in flowing black vestments. Eyuri was dumbfounded not only by her presence, but also by her beauty. Her hair fell gracefully to her waist, an obsidian cataract, and her gait suggested a regal nature. Eyuri couldn't see her face, as it was covered by a decorative veil of black lace; however, he could see just enough peaking out from underneath to note her crimson lips. She, of all things in the area, was the only one whos features and hues the strange glow could not obliviate. As Eyuri stared at her, he could feel the strange desire within himself more strongly than ever before. He began to wonder if she, somehow, was the source of the forests ceaseless whispers. He watched in silence, leaning against trunk of a nearby tree he felt certain would obscure him from view.

The figure did not speak, but moved slowly and with purpose. She made her way to the center of the glowing area before stopping and turning to face Eyuri's direction. Eyuris eyes widened and his heart began to pound. He had been certain moments before that he was hidden, but now he felt as though he had be laid bare. He tried to assure himself that it was only a coincidence, but as quickly has he had done so, the figure raised a hand and pointed in his direction. The pointing gesture was quickly replaced with a slow and deliberate 'come hither' motion. Eyuri was in shock, and every fiber of his sanity screamed at him to run, and in truth he had considered doing so; however, as he gazed up the veiled figure, her lips curled softly into an alluring smile. It had an instant sedative effect, and the forge hammer in his chest was quieted. He assured himself that his fear was comical; a mere trick of the mind in a unfamiliar setting. "Surely, such a smile must bode well for me," he thought as he took his first step toward his strange new acquaintance.

Eyuri began his approach with an air of apprehension, but as he drew closer his reservations drifted away. As he examined the woman before him, he couldn't help but to feel taken with her. Her pallor he would have likened to that of pearl, and served only to accentuate the loveliness of her smile. The more he looked upon her, the more fortunate their meeting seemed. "What a curious string of affairs to bring two people together," he though with foolish confidence. When at last he stood before her, he extended his hand in greeting. "Pardon me, Madam. I did not mean to intrude." he said cordially. The figure did not speak, but took his hand in hers; her smile did not waiver. Eyuri noticed that her hand felt strangely cold, but he couldn't be bothered to take his eyes off her smile to investigate. "My name is Eyur....," he began, though before he could finish she bought his silence by placing a finger across her lips. She then stepped forward, drawing in close until she met him face to face. Eyuri was disarmed by her boldness and paralyzed by the shocking sudden intimacy of their interaction. Without hesitation, the woman pressed her lips firmly against his.

Eyuri could not muster the presence of mind to be perplexed. The kiss brought with it what he could only describe as ecstasy. It was a feeling unlike any other he experienced, being both wildly exhilarating and yet bringing with it a strange feeling of exertion. It felt as though the strength were being pulled from his body with each wave of inexplicable pleasure. Eyuri closed his eyes reflexively and surrendered to the moment. The voice in his head, still shrieking in vain of danger, had been drowned out in his acquiescence to wanton sensuality. It was short-lived; however, for when the figures lips parted from his he felt nothing but a debilitating emptiness. Unable to sustain himself, he collapsed at her feet. It seemed a daunting task to even open his eyes but, mustering his strength, he did so.

What Euyri saw he could not explain. The beautiful figure that had drawn him in was now a skeletal creature. It's skin was like leather, and appeared to be draped over the bones like cloth. The hands that had once beckoned him were now twisted, bearing talon like nails of a yellowish hue, and the creatures once rosy lips were now distended, revealing stained and well worn teeth. The creature lifted its hands to its face and removed the veil. As it floated toward the ground, Eyuri finally caught a glimpse of the creatures face. It resembled that of an old crone; the furrowed brown framed in matted, white hair. The most notable feature; however, were the piercing black eyes; eyes that reminded Eyuri of the darkness of the forest, and its ravenous nature. Shortly thereafter, his eyes would close again.

The creature moved its hand over Eyuri's body, which decayed rapidly until only a pile of dust remained. Gathering the dust together into its palms, the creature muttered a few unintelligible words before taking an unnaturally deep breath. As the creature exhaled, a gentle breeze rushed through the forest, carrying what remained of Eyuri off into its depths. With that, the creature vanished into the darkness. As the morning sun shown over the canopy, the sunlight igniting the sea of leaves once again, Eyuri's remains settled amid the flames he had loved so well.