When The Bell Tolls (Darra Blackwell)

CHAPTER ONE

Pale, golden sunlight filters through the green canopy above me, guiding my way through the trails of this forest somewhere in the heart of River City in Australia. The soft crunches of leaves and cracking of twigs behind me alerts me that Lia and her family are trailing behind. The scent of pine needles and rain permeates through the air, and for once in my life, I kind of like the outdoors. Fortunately for me, it's not too warm or too cold, and a small smile decorates my face. My fingers tighten around my backpack straps as I take another step forward. 

Glancing behind me, I can't really see where my friend or her family is at. How far away are they by now? I'm not really sure; I left them all in the dust a few minutes ago. I'm not really nervous about being out in the woods alone, though. It is way too pretty out here to even think about murderers lurking behind some trees, waiting for their next kill. Besides, this is Australia. I read somewhere that nothing bad happens in Australia.

A sharp pinprick of pain shoots through the back of my neck, stopping me right in my tracks. There's a soft buzzing in the air, like I'm surrounded by a hoard of bees or wasps. Quickly glancing around again, I see that there are no bees around me, but that doesn't explain the strange buzzing noise that is growing louder and louder in my ears. I can barely hear myself think, it's that bad.

My heart starts racing in my chest, and I sling my backpack off of my back and onto the leafy ground. A shaft of light falls onto me, blinding me for a second. Colors dot across my broken vision, and then something slams into my right shoulder, knocking me nearly off of balance. Whoever ran into me catches me before I can fall down to the wooded ground.

"What are you doing?" Lia, my best friend, says as my vision clears. She's standing on my right side, a mocking grin on her face. When did she get here? I thought her and her family were too far behind me. "You were the one who wanted to come out here and trek through these woods. Is it too much for little Payton?"

Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. I open my mouth to say something to her, but nothing comes out. I want to tell her about the buzzing I'm hearing and the sharp pain in the back of my neck, but there's something inside of me stopping me from saying that. Instead, I say, "I love it out here." Throwing my arms up, I gesture to the beauty of nature around us. "You all can go ahead. I think I'm going to get some pictures."

"Whatever you say." Lia throws me her normal grin, and then, she's off, leaving me behind and in the midst of the buzzing. 

And just like that, a soft tolling of a bell starts in the distance.

My arms drop numbly to my sides, and even though my skin prickles uncomfortably, I start moving in the direction of the tolling. It's like something takes over my body, pushing me toward something that I do not want to go to. I can't stop it, though it does remind me of a book I read. I remember reading once that when you hear a bell tolling, that means you are imminent danger or that someone has died. I understand if it's a church bell saying that it's time for church or something, but in the middle of the woods? I would bet that there's not a church out here. 

The buzz is all around me now. I can feel it rushing and radiating through my bones and skin and organs. Maybe it's all in my head, guiding and leading me toward something that I can't see and only hear. Above me, the sunlight wanes away, leaving me in the coolness of the shade. I am utterly alone in some strange forest in River City, Australia.

My feet suddenly pick up speed and I start running. A small hill appears at the edge of my vision. I know that I'm going down there whether I like it or not, in any way possible. I try stopping myself, but it doesn't work. Right when I see a golden thing at the bottom of the hill glinting in the sunlight, the tolling of the bell reaches its zenith. I realize that the golden thing sitting at the bottom of the hill is a bell, which can't be a coincidence. Every book I've ever read hasn't prepared me for whatever is happening to me right now.