The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

The Knight  
by Kathleen McCluskey 

In the heart of the dark and ancient woods, an eerie presence stirred. A spectral figure wrapped in a deathly white shroud, emerged from the gnarled trees. It bore an uncanny resemblance to a knight from the long-forgotten days of the Crusades. His boney hands clutched the hilt of his broadsword as he scanned the forest. The ethereal specter drifted through the dappled sunlight of the forest. The knight’s ghostly eyes like empty voids, hinted at numerous battles and untold stories.

Centuries ago the knight had faced a powerful witch that had cursed him to roam the woods for eternity. Although the curse condemned him to an ethereal existence it also granted him the knowledge and power to safeguard the mystical heart of the woods. The knight’s once shining armor had tarnished over the years and was now barely recognizable under the ghostly shroud. His sword that he had wielded in noble battles had become a weapon of an enchanted, divine nature. It had a shimmer of otherworldly light that emitted from within. It was capable of fending off any intruders who threatened the forest’s delicate balance. He had seen generations come and go, watched as civilizations rose and fell but he remained bound to the woods.

A powerful and ruthless corporation set its sights on the forest. It intended on clearing the land for profit, unaware of the guardian that stood in their way. The company’s machinery roared to life, chainsaws and bulldozers threatened to lay waste to the trees and creatures that called the forest home. But as they advanced, the spectral figure of the cursed knight materialized before them, his death shroud blowing behind him in the breeze. His ghostly presence emanated an aura of ancient power.

The battle between the corporate intruders and the spectral knight had begun. In the clearing there was a clash of ancient magic and modern technology, of nature’s guardianship and human ambition. The forest’s fate hung in the balance and the curse knight would do whatever it took to ensure the woods remained untouched.

The knight swept his broadsword up to the heavens. Dark storm clouds gathered above, thunder rumbled and lightning streaked across the sky, yet the knight stood stoically. With a mighty swing, he unleashed a torrential downpour onto the corporate intruders. Rain fell in sheets, soaking the men and short circuiting their equipment, trying to drive them away.

The knight’s power, a manifestation of the forest’s magic, had proven its might once again. The intruders, disheartened and bewildered by the sudden deluge from clear blue skies, beat a hasty retreat. Their greed temporarily stopped by forces that they could not see.

The ancient woods, and its spectral guardian, had withstood a modern threat. The cursed warrior watched as the intruders fled, ensuring the mystical heart of the forest remained protected. He vanished back into the mist to wait until the forest summoned him again.

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Fiction © Copyright Kathleen McCluskey
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com 

More from Kathleen McCluskey:

The Long Fall: Book 1: The Inception of Horror

Lucifer always cunning and intelligent challenges father to a battle of wits. Being the angel of light he casts a judgemental eye upon mankind. He begins a war with his fellow archangels and God. Michael, along with his siblings defend their home and mankind from their deranged brother. Broad swords and hand to hand combat drench heaven in blood. The four apocalyptic steeds are released, each having their own destructive power. Betrayal and lust are at biblical levels. Understand the very creation of evil and the consequenses that transpire in the first of THE LONG FALL series.

Available on Amazon!