• Chapter one: Chased


    I heard the wolves in the distance. Pursuing me as any true hunter would. Relentlessly, of course. I knew this forest just as well as they themselves did. I sneak away from my life as a baker. Its so boring but this wasn't the excitement I wanted.
    My heart sputtered and my throat clenched at the sudden thought that I would die a very painful death. Maybe I'd get lucky and they'd go for my throat first, killing me just before they started to devour me. That was a very unpleasant thought but it was better then dying a live meal.
    I don't want to die!!! My mind screamed as I lunged forward, tripping over roots and fallen branches. The brush clawed at my dress and grabbed at my face, like gnarled bony fingers, the fingers of a witch. The thick blanket of decay and rot on the forest floor gave way in spots as I scrambled forward, yanking me back so many precious inches instead of giving me purchase to propel myself forward.
    I was in too far. I didn't know where I was or where I was going nor how far away the nearest village was. In desperation I climbed the nearest tree.
    Though I couldn't see them and the fact that tears were blurring what little I could see in the shimmering moonlight wasn't helping me. I was choking on sobs of fear. My lungs burned, as if every breath I took of the cool night air was boiling water. I felt their eyes on me, I shivered.
    It hurt to breath and my eyes burned. My dress was in ruins and drops of my blood looked like rose petals on the pale blue fabric.My legs were numb and bleeding considerable amounts. Small rivers of blood was trailing down my face from my forehead where I had fallen and hit it when the chase had begin.
    I pulled my aching legs up to my chest. When I did the branch cracked under me and gave. I fell into a patch of dry leaves. I lay there gasping for a moment and thats all they needed. One of the latched onto my calf and pulled me backward.
    I kicked at the fang fulled mouth around my calf. I cursed myself for leaving the house without anything to defend myself with. How could I have been so stupid? I thought but then again I couldn't win a fight against one wolf let alone a whole pack. Soon the sharp teeth leave my calf and I manage to limp forward.
    Soon I broke free of the woods and limped into a clearing. I couldn't feel my legs anymore. My head swam and pounded. I stumbled and fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. I was finally giving up. I mean, I had given it my best shot and lets face it, I was losing. I was already seeing black spots. I strangled on despair, pain and my own saliva. I stared up at the huge moon in all its glory.Would this be the last thing I saw? I wondered. Or would it be the wolves?
    Either way this would be the place I would die. Surrounded by beautiful wild flowers, It wasn't so bad. Would anyone find me after I became lunch for a pack of wolves? Would they be kind enough to bury me? I wondered then I cried. I couldn't help it. I couldn't hold them back. I wanted to do so many things. There was so many people and places and things I had yet to see. So many things to do!! I wanted to say good-bye. I wanted to tell Nickolas that I loved him, that I want to grow old with him and bare his children. I wanted to live, oh how I wanted to live.
    "I want to live. " I breathed over and over,"I want to live." before I heard the soft crunch of padded paws on grass. I closed my eyes and waited for my death. My heart throbbed, threating to explode seconds before I felt their sharp fangs dig into the soft flesh of my arms and legs. They tore off small clumps of flesh and devoured me.
    I screamed and howled in the pain of it all, though there wasn't a human soul around to hear me. No one to save me. Weakly, I fought trying to and failing to free myself from their onslaught of teeth and claws.More tears fell and they stung.A broken sob escaped my lips. I'm going to die. I'm going to die repeated itself in my mind.I didn't dare see past the blood, pain and despair I was feeling. . . but I managed to see a the outline of a man as he fought off the wolves.
    "Ah. . .Are y. . . are you. . ."I tried to speak but some warm sticky liquid ran down my chin from my throat. It was blood, my blood. He pushed a few coal black strands of hair out of my eyes. The touch was so soft. I hardly noticed him lick his lips. At least I wasn't going to die alone I thought.
    "Shhh. Child. I've come to grant your dying wish." He whispered in a voice so beautiful it could only be the voice of an angel. "I will give you another life."
    Soon after that the black splotches dominated my vision. I saw nothing but darkness in a matter of seconds. The angel would protect me and lead me to Heaven. I sighed before I was enveloped in darkness.