Prologue
Im in the woods again. I do not know how or when I got here. Or where im going; all I know is I need to escape.
Sharp branches rip at my hair and clothes, scratching my skin and clawing at me. I cant stop; I know what's coming, and it can not catch me. My heart drums in my ears as my feet race through the undergrowth, almost like the ground is trying to swallow me up as I trip and stumble through the thick trees. It's so dark, the little light in the forest growing dimmer and dimmer with every stride. I cant breathe; Im suffocating.
My long gown shines in the forest like a beacon in the night, its once beautiful silk long shredded and in bits. Something booms in the forest behind me. Thunder? No. Thunder doesn't chase you. It's getting close. My body is on fire, spreading from my lungs to my legs, slowing me and tripping and stumbling now when I needed my senses most.
The trees don't snap behind me anymore; they are torn from the roots entirely, disappearing into the dark abyss surrounding me. This was it; my legs gave out, and Im thrown onto the damp forest floor. My hands sink into the wet moss and sticks. At once, there's silence. Nothing but the sound of my racing heart. It was here with me, watching.
The tingles spread along my spine. Turning slowly – ever so slowly- to face the darkness and the red, piercing eyes that awaited me there.
