Dancin' where the evenin' fell

The sounds of silence pierced the calm night sky. Stars twinkled high above, hung on the pitch black canvas of the sky. Grass sighed and rocked from side to side as it slept. Leaves fluttered, long snores as they too rested. Trees stood guard over the clearing. She had not ceased dancing since it had began. They were her silent guardians, her watchful protectors.

Her dress was white. Twirling, slowly, carefully, with the grace and poise of a powerful panther. As fragile and strong as a flower. A squirrel chattered as it stood on its hind two legs and watched. The forest knew. The forest was not ready. Many had come. Many had gone. Never had it been time. Yet, the forest knew, as all things in nature do, when its time had come. Man had started to enter, the sanctity of the place was ended. Soon, the world outside would reach the forest, and pluck it, crush it in its hand, let the remains fall, never again to flower the earth with its beauty and power.

The girl twirled on. If the forest had not known by the knowledge imbued it by nature, it would have found that awareness in the girl. As it was, it took awareness from the girl, and the girl from it. Her face was pale, red now, dancing as she had not before. When humans entered, she knew to dance faster, to keep the spell unbroken. To keep the voices loud, and the enemies out. Would it be enough? No one knew. The prophecy did not say. This was her purpose, and nothing else could she do but play her part.

A dark arrow of fear had entered the forest. It had begun. The end was nigh. Other creatures began to arrive at the edges of the clearing, some driven back by the humans, deeper and deeper into the sacred most part of the forest, others brought by their instincts. This was the place they would make the final stand.

Her dance grew faster, more urgent. Her eyes were closed, eyelashes like swords. Hair whipping around, whirls of beauty and blackness in the night. 

The darkness had entered, soon it would happen. A second crack echoed through the consciousness of the forest, through the hearts of every living being, even the tribes of humans that had recently made it their home. The latter did not understand it, but the animals were abuzz with fear, and acceptance turned it into anticipation.

Her hands made intricate gestures in the air, it started to hum and buzz around her. Golden lines started to follow wherever her fingers poked the air.

The first blood fell.

She danced faster, her eyes opened, they were glowing with a radiance man had never seen. The animals too were entranced, hearts filled with purpose and beauty. One last glimpse before the world went dark.

The darkness entered the forest, invisible to the human eye but the forest felt it. The clearing shook.

She stumbled.