Lovely Leona

Lovely Leona
Thistle stretched his paws out in front of him, slowly flexing each of his tiny claws. His tail twitched as he moved through the forest at a leisurely pace. It had been a while since he had gone on a walk, more than four years if he was honest with himself. His wife Leona had died, and he had given up on everything they had once done together the day she passed. They had walked through this exact forest on multiple occasions, talking about anything that came to mind without a care in the world. This thought stopped Thistle in his tracks. His memory was a hard thing to stop once it started, and he was remembering the last walk with Leona, the night before she had passed.

The conversation had turned to the myths of this forest, and the bride who had been buried here. The legends varied greatly, but Thistle had grown up believing one specific story, in which the bride had arrived at the church set for the wedding to find it completely dark and empty. Devastated, the bride searched the church, but found none of the answers she so desperately looked for. However, as she turned to flee, a figure emerged from the shadows and pulled her back into them. As the legend had it, she was never seen again, which led to the rumors that she had been buried in these woods by her lover who was a jealous Melo, and couldn't bear the thought of her possibly loving anyone else. Rumor had it that she stalked through these very woods every night.

Thistle shook his head and continued walking, he wasn't one to let a little ghost story get to him. For some reason however, he could not get the thoughts of the story out of his head as he continued on his way. After a few moments, Thistle began to stumble over twigs and leaves in his frightened state. When he emerged into a clearing, a grateful feeling swept over his body and he sat down to rest. Slowly, he grew more and more tired, and eventually he closed his eyes and allowed himself to sleep.

"Wake up Thistle," a voice as quiet as the whisper of the wind spoke directly into Thistle's unsuspecting ears. Thistle jumped up and looked around frantically.

"Leona..?" Thistle cried. However, the figure that emerged from the woods looked nothing like Leona, at least not as Thistle remembered her. This Melo was covered in leaves and various debris from the forest. Upon closer inspection Thistle saw that she was bloody as well, and that patches of skin on her pelt appeared to be decaying, revealing the bones and muscle mass beneath.

"Oh god.." Thistle whispered, "Are you okay?" he asked. He knew somehow that the question was stupid, that it was obvious that this Melo was not okay. There was something about her though, something familiar, he just couldn't place what it was.

"Thistle... Thistlee... Thistleee," the melo moaned. Thistle fought the urge to run as far away as he could from this horrible creature, at the same time wondering what he might be able to do to help. So far, he couldn't sense any immediate threat to himself, but he was sure he would be of no use if he tried to help.

Finally Thistle managed to put some of this together. The golden hair that peeked out between twigs and leaves, the light green eyes that pierced through him into his heart--although one of those eyes was missing now, this was no other. This Melo was Leona and Thistle now knew that without a fraction of doubt.

"Leona what happened to you.. Leona.." Thistle cried. He collapsed to the ground, facing the beautiful Melo that had almost been his wife. They had been so close, so close, so what had happened? What had stopped them from marrying? Thistle fought to remember, but his memory was failing him and he could not fight it.

"Thistle..... I.. I loved youu.." Leona moaned. Suddenly her face changed into one of snarling anger, fangs bared and covered in blood of whatever her last meal may have been. Thistle tried not to think of that as he stared into the mouth of his lovely Leona. She snarled as she pulled at his skin, pulled at his fur and his hair and his eyes. Thistle could no longer fight the urge to scream as Leona dragged him into the forest, where he would never be heard from again.