Delirious

Chapter One

The forest was silent, save for the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant hoot of an owl. Dawn's feeble light seeped through the dense canopy, casting a pale, ethereal glow on the dew-laden foliage below. In the midst of this eerie tranquility, a girl lay motionless, her once immaculate white dress now a canvas for dirt, mud, and crimson stains. 

Blood

With a jolt, she regained consciousness, her eyes blinking open to the unfamiliar expanse of trees. Her head throbbed, each pulse reverberating through her skull like the toll of a distant bell. She attempted to rise, but her muscles, stiffened by the cold and exhaustion, resisted her efforts. A sharp pain tore through her left arm, and as she raised it, she discovered a deep gash trailing from her elbow to her wrist, oozing blood in irregular patterns.

Disoriented and shivering, she struggled to piece together the fragments of her memory. A blur of images danced at the periphery of her mind—a fleeting glimpse of laughter and music, the taste of something bitter on her tongue, and then nothing but darkness. She could recall nothing beyond the overwhelming sensation of falling, the ground rushing up to meet her, and a sensation of weightlessness enveloping her body before she succumbed to unconsciousness.

With a deep breath, she fought back the rising panic, determined to focus on the immediate needs at hand. She attempted to push herself upright, her hands sinking into the damp earth as she struggled to find purchase. A surge of dizziness threatened to overwhelm her, but she gritted her teeth and pushed through the nausea, using the nearest tree for support.

The forest loomed around her, its ancient trees casting elongated shadows that stretched like skeletal fingers across the forest floor. She staggered forward, the underbrush snagging at her torn dress and the exposed flesh of her legs. Each step was a test of endurance, her body protesting against the exertion, but she pressed on, guided only by the instinct to seek help, to find civilization amidst the desolate wilderness.

The chill of the morning seeped into her bones, and she hugged herself tightly, the torn fabric of her dress doing little to shield her from the biting cold. Her mind raced, desperately trying to recall any detail that could offer a clue to her predicament. Who was she? Where was she? And most importantly, how had she come to be alone and injured in this desolate forest?

As she trudged forward, the distant murmur of running water caught her attention. Hope flickered within her, and she quickened her pace, drawn to the promise of relief and possible salvation. The trees thinned, revealing a small, meandering stream that cut through the heart of the forest, its waters glistening under the faint light of the emerging sun.

With trembling hands, she knelt at the water's edge, her reflection a ghostly visage in the rippling surface. She cupped her hands, scooping the cool liquid and bringing it to her parched lips. The water was pure, revitalizing, and as it soothed her throat.

A voice from nowhere startled her and she turned to see a boy standing, concern and fear alight in his eyes. "Emilia?" he asked. Everything came back to her then.