The Awakening
Darkness is how it all begins inside a cold, lifeless, and dark abyss. They felt like they were floating there, stuck in one place inside the cold and dark. Not a sound was heard, not a feeling was felt, just numbness and silence in the cold and dark abyss.
Then, it changed when a small light was seen in the distance, and the ability to move came back. They felt like they were walking on air as they went to the light. Their footsteps are similar to the sound of high heels in a hallway.
Clip, Clop, Clip, Clop
The size of the light grew the closer they came. They could hear tiny sounds. Was that a voice? It wasn't clear or loud enough to be deciphered, but it sounded feminine. Slowly, the voice grew in sound and became easier to understand.
“Wake, up, wake, up,”
What did they mean by wake up? Was this a dream? Shaking was felt suddenly as if an earthquake started. The invisible floor below began to crack like thin ice. Panic was the next thing felt as they made a bolt for the light. They were sprinting as fast as possible to make it to safety. The sound of crashing glass was heard behind them.
Then, just when they were about to touch the light…CRASH!
The ground underneath broke, and they plummeted. That's when two eyes opened as the female’s voice could finally be heard clearly.
“Hey, hey, wake up. Come on, wake up,”
So, it was a dream this person had. They looked at the female and groaned. She was looking down at them with a concerned look on her face.
“Thank goodness you're okay! I thought I found a dead body for a moment,”
She said as she sighed in relief. The woman seemed young, possibly in her late teens or early twenties. She had long violet-purple hair that was messy, and her slightly tanned face was somewhat dirty. Her attire seemed unique; she was wearing a black hoodie with stars on the bottom as a design, she didn't seem to be wearing bottoms unless they were short, and she had no shoes.
What a mystery this woman was. However, those eyes of hers seemed to be the only thing that made the woman not seem crazy. Her hazel eyes showed so many emotions and told so many words. How could you not believe it?
“You seem to be lost in thought, stranger. Are you confused? So am I, oh goodness, where are my manners? Hello, I'm Star; it's nice to meet you.”
The woman said as she reached out a hand to shake.
“Who might you be?”
When that question was asked, memories flooded back like a tsunami in his mind.
“My name is Milo, and it's nice to meet you too.”
The young male reached out and shook hands with Star. The two had a slight smile on their face. However, it seemed that both were a bit on edge. Milo was a young man, still in his early twenties and working hard for a good life. The young man struggled a lot in his early years and recently faced his biggest life struggle.
So, waking up in a strange place with a strange woman made him tense. He looked down at himself to see what his attire looked like. He was wearing his favorite black jacket with a white tee shirt underneath, some ripped jeans, and some black boots. He ran a hand through his hair as he went back to his memories of the day prior.
“Oh, by the way, I love your eyes.”
The woman suddenly said shyly, making Milo snap back into reality. He smiled at her softly and nodded.
“Thanks, I get that a lot.”
After saying that, the male stood up and dusted himself off. He reached out for Star to take his hand so he could help her up. She hesitantly took his hand, and he gently lifted her. When they were both standing, Milo took note of his surroundings. They seemed to be in a forest of some kind, but it was silent.
“Odd. No birds singing, no animals moving, no winds blowing, the silence is unnerving.”
Star broke the silence, but she wasn't wrong. Something wasn't right here. Why was it so silent? The growling once again broke the silence of someone’s stomach. Milo growled in frustration at his hunger. This was not a good time to become hungry.
He wasn't alone in his hunger; however, Star’s stomach was growling as well. The two of them looked at each other in an awkward stare before Milo started to walk, having no idea where he was going. Star followed behind because she didn't want to be alone in this strange place. She was still cautious about being around a stranger.
“Where are we headed?”
Star broke the silence with her question, which made Milo’s mind snap back to reality again. He looked at her and shrugged because he couldn't answer that question honestly. Star’s face showed worry, but she didn't complain. Instead, the two silently walked, hoping to find something to eat.
They had walked for a few minutes when they happened upon a lake. The two of them went straight to it to drink some water, and neither cared that it was technically dirty water because, despite being in the shade of the trees, the heat of the day was getting to both. After they had their thirst quenched, they looked at each other.
“Should we fish?”
Star asked Milo, thinking it was a dumb question. Milo knew there were likely fish in this lake, but how would they do so? He started to look around to find some supplies to help them. Suddenly, some rustling was heard in the grass not far away. The pair looked toward the noise and prepared for the worst.
To their surprise, two more people came from the foliage and seemed just as surprised to see them. The two women before the male and female pair looked like sisters. They both had black hair, blue eyes, and fair skin.
“Hello,”
Star greeted the two newcomers to break the silence between all of them. The two women looked at her as one smiled, and one had an angry and cautious look.
“Hello!”
The one woman wearing blue and black said with energy. The other crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the pair. She was silent because of fear.
“Erm…what are your names?”
Star asked, as the tension was awkward and uncomfortable for her. The woman in blue smiled wider at this question.
“Oh, I'm Delilah, and she is Ebony! We're both happy to meet you, right, Ebby?”
Delilah looked over at Ebony with her bright smile, and Ebony rolled her eyes.
“First off, don't call me that. Secondly, no, I'm not happy. Who's to say these two aren't responsible for putting us here or working as spies?”
Star was offended at that statement, and Milo instinctively stood in front of Star in case a fight was going to start.
“Now, don’t be so rude, Ebony; look at those two; they seem just as confused and frightened as us.”
Delilah said as Ebony studied the two before her. She shrugged but kept her arms crossed. The silence returned as a staring contest between Milo and Ebony started.
“Erm…so guess it's time to keep moving.”
Star said as she tapped Milo on the shoulder. Milo didn't break his stare with Ebony, though. Delilah cleared her throat and put a hand on her hip.
“Maybe we should go with you two? After all, there's safety in numbers, and I'm sure we all have skills that can benefit the team.”
Delilah said as finally, the staring contest ended when both Milo and Ebony looked at Delilah in unison.
“Are you serious?”
Ebony asked with an angry tone. That anger didn't phase Delilah, however, as she just looked at Ebony.
“Yes, I'm serious. I am not stupid, and I know what I'm talking about.”
Delilah spoke with a harshness that calmed Ebony down a bit. Then Ebony nodded as she looked at the other two. Her eyes said it all. Milo sighed as he nodded at the two new women and looked at Star. Star noticed all the eyes on her and wondered if they were waiting for her orders. Was she suddenly their leader? She cleared her throat and nodded as she looked back at the lake.
“Okay, the first thing we need to do is find a safe place to make a shelter,”
Star said as she crossed her arms and let her thoughts focus. She is an intelligent woman; however, she's not much of a survivalist. She looked at everyone else as they looked around. Did they think she was wrong, or were they trying to figure out how to continue? Star was always anxious and insecure. So, her thoughts often worked against her.
“Well, to find a good place for a shelter, we should move on,”
Milo said as he placed an arm on Star’s head. Star chuckled as she thought Milo was comfortable around her, so she let it happen. The other two women giggled, too. Then, the group left the lake to find a better place to make a shelter. They hoped to find a place not far away from the lake. However, as they wandered, the trees thickened, and a fog came over the land.
The thick fog caused the group to lose their sense of direction and become lost. A sense of fear started to spread among them. Star went to hold Milo’s hand because of her fear. The gesture made him uncomfortable, but he knew she was afraid and needed comfort. As hope faded away, there was an orange glow in the distance.
The group looked at each other and approached the orange glow. At first, they walked, but as the light grew, they began to run. Then suddenly, they exited the fog, and there was a campfire and a small shelter in front of them. Everyone rushed to the fire and shelter, hoping for food and someone there who could help.
To their dismay, there was no one in the shelter. However, the warmth of the fire was very comforting. They all sat down by the fire to warm up. The fog was so thick, and the shade was so prominent that they didn't notice it had become night.
They heard footsteps coming their way, and immediately they stood, Milo and Ebony, getting ready to fight. Another group came into sight: Two young men and a woman; they seemed surprised to see the group by the fire and the shelter.
“Look! There's help!”
The woman said as she ran toward the group. After the woman said that with such hope, the two willing to fight immediately calmed down, and they watched as one of the men ran after the woman.
“Wait! They could be dangerous!”
The other male with them ran after the first, and eventually, all three stood before the group of four.
“Can you help us? We've been lost in this place all day, cold, hungry, thirsty, and tired.”
This statement broke the hearts of the first group. They were in the same predicament, but how could they tell the others? Their faces must have said it for them as the hope of the woman’s face melted away.
“You must be lost and trapped here as well.”
The man with gray hair said as he stepped forward. His hair was long, so long it covered one of his eyes; he looked like he was in his mid-twenties, so maybe it was dyed.
“My name is Riley, this is my sister Rain, and his name is Billy Bob.”
Riley said, introducing the others to the group of four—Ebony and Delilah, the name of Billy Bob. Star smiled at the group and waved shyly.
“Nice to meet you all of you.”
Star said as she reached forward to shake hands. The group of three happily shook hands with her. The rest of the group, Delilah, Ebony, and Milo, also shook hands. Everyone went to sit down around the fire to warm up when two more people appeared from the foggy woods.
The group looked over and was surprised to see more people. The women looked back at the group with surprise and happiness. Quickly, they ran to the large group, and the group knew what was coming next. It broke their hearts.
“Hello! Finally, other people! Look, Tilly, there's a shelter and a fire! Surely they have supplies and know a way out!”
The woman with lavender hair said to the woman with crimson hair. The woman with crimson hair, known as Tilly, looked at the group with suspicion.
“This could be a trap, Lulu.”
She said as she narrowed her eyes at everyone. There was an awkward silence, and then everyone stood up at once. To the two women, this was a terrifying thing. However, the group just wanted to greet the new lost folk who found them.
“Hi,”
Star said with a shy smile.
“Unfortunately, we are lost and confused as well. We happened upon this campsite together. Do you girls want to hang out by the fire with us? Oh, where are my manners? I'm Star and…”
Star introduced everyone in the group. After everyone shook hands, they all sat down together around the fire. The lack of sound in the forest was unnerving. There were no crickets, frogs, or owls, nothing but silence. When no one spoke, and the unnatural silence was dominant, it drove everyone mad.
Eventually, everyone heard a new sound of moving grass. A cloaked figure emerged from the dark woods holding wood, assuming for the fire. When they saw the group, they immediately dropped their wood and hid. One of the group members, Riley, stood up to check on the frightened newcomer.
“Hey, it's okay. We won't hurt you; we're just lost and saw the fire. Do you need help? We can all help make a better shelter and gather supplies for survival.”
Riley spoke in a soft and comforting tone. The hiding person showed themselves and took off their hood. It was a young woman; she looked like she was of Hispanic blood.
“H-hi, I'm Isabella. I'm glad I'm not alone in this dark forest.”
Without thinking, she went to hug Riley and held onto him tightly. It didn't take long for tears to start shedding from her eyes. Riley was uncomfortable, but he allowed this hug to happen. He knew this young lady needed the comfort of a hug. He gently put his arms around her in a half embrace.
After the tears stopped falling, Isabella moved away and looked at Riley. She had an embarrassed look on her face.
“I apologize for that, and it’s just so great to know I'm not alone in this horrifying place.”
Riley nodded, understanding that feeling. Without saying a word, he led Isabella to the group. Everyone greeted her and introduced themselves to her. Everyone smiled and shared happiness, knowing there was a large group, and everyone was safe, or at least felt safe.
The night was spent laughing and sharing stories at the campfire. Luckily for them, Isabella spent the day gathering food, so everyone shared a nice dinner of berries. When exhaustion hit, everyone went to sleep in or outside of the small shelter.
There were lookouts, but even they couldn't stay awake. As the night turned into day and the sun rose, a sudden scream woke everyone. Fear struck like lightning as everyone scrambled to see what was happening. Did someone in the group get hurt, or was there a stranger they didn't mean in danger?
When everyone was awake and outside, a bright light shone nearby. When the light dimmed, a pure black stag was seen. It was as dark as a silhouette, and its antlers glowed dimly. It stood there looking at the group; at least, that's what it looked like. It didn't have visible eyes after all.
Everyone stared at the creature before it turned and started to walk away. They didn't know what to do until it looked back, and its antlers let out small white orbs that made a trail. As the stag walked away, the spheres made a trail that followed behind it. The group looked at each other and silently spoke to each other using their eyes.
They started to follow the glowing orbs cautiously. As they walked, the dark woods became brighter and brighter, and the sounds of wildlife could be heard. Hope started to grow in the hearts of the group. They began to pick up their pace as the orbs started to disappear. When they reached the trail's end, the stag sat on what looked like a throne.
The group stood before the stag, and an urge to bow down or at least get on one knee was strongly felt in every person in the group. As they stared at the glow of the throne, it felt like they were being put under a spell. They went to the throne and bowed down to the stag on the throne. Their eyes sparkled as the magic of the spell took over.
“You have fallen for my trap.”
A deep voice said as suddenly the light disappeared and pain filled everyone in the group. Some let out a blood-curdling scream, and others were left silent from the pain. It was unlike anything that they had ever felt before. It almost felt like something was invading their bodies.
As the pain increased, some group members started to black out, falling limp onto the ground. It looked like they were killed, but maybe they just passed out. Some held on for as long as possible as they did; they saw someone walk up to the black stag. Their sight was too blurry to tell who it was.
Eventually, the pain became too much for even the strongest of the group. They let out screams themselves as their eyes were forced shut. Then everything went black.
