Dawn

Chapter One: Lost

The freezing cold jolted Isabella's senses awake. It was the kind of chill that seeped through her bones, making her shiver uncontrollably. She was wearing only her sleep clothes, a thin satin short-sleeved blue dress, damp and clinging to her skin for reasons she couldn't fathom. Slowly, she opened her eyes, groggy and disoriented, and took in her surroundings for the first time.

Above her, the open sky stretched endlessly, the stars slowly fading at the horizon as the first light of dawn began to pierce the darkness that had reigned for hours. She lay on the wet grass, soaked from the rain that had fallen during the night. As she moved her hands to feel the earth beneath her, the blades of grass pricked her palms, eliciting a soft whimper. She remained still for a moment, trying to piece together what had happened and how she had ended up here. But where was "here" exactly? She knew she was outside somewhere, but the specifics eluded her.

Goosebumps crawled across her skin as she strained to recall any detail that might explain her predicament. Suddenly, the birds began to chirp, their calls piercing the silence. It was as if they were announcing her presence, a chilling reminder that she was not alone in this strange place.

She remembered last night, a wave of ennui washing over her like the way she had probably downed an entire bottle of tequila. That was the last clear memory she had. So how in God's name did she end up in the middle of nowhere? Just as she grappled with the confusion, a throbbing headache hit her, sharp and unrelenting. She instinctively reached up to touch her head, only to feel something wet and sticky. Panic rose within her as she pulled her hand away and saw the crimson smear.

She forced herself to focus, her vision gradually clearing enough for her to take in her surroundings. Wait! Was that blood? A wave of terror washed over her, her face draining of color. What could she have done? She scanned the area frantically, searching for any sharp objects, any signs of a struggle, or worse, anyone else who might be nearby. For a fleeting moment, she felt a slight relief—she appeared to be alone. There were no obvious traces of blood except on her hands and the patch of grass where she had been lying.

The pounding in her head grew more intense, and her heart raced so fast that dizziness set in, adding to her disorientation. She struggled to her feet, swaying slightly, and began to walk around, desperately trying to make sense of her situation. She scanned the ground, the trees, and the sky—nothing. No signs of red, no clues to explain the blood.

As she moved, she became acutely aware of the oddness of her attire. She was still in her sleepwear, yet she had on her walking shoes—Nike sneakers with socks perfectly in place. It didn't make sense. The incongruity of it all deepened her fear, the logical part of her mind battling with the creeping dread that something terrible had happened, something beyond her recollection.

She stumbled over to a nearby tree, leaning against it for support as her thoughts raced. Each step felt surreal, as if she were moving through a nightmare. The birds continued their chorus, indifferent to her plight, their cheerful chirps a cruel contrast to her mounting terror. She needed to figure out what had happened, how she had ended up here, and most importantly, what the blood on her hands meant. Her mind raced through possibilities, each one more frightening than the last, as the chill of the morning seeped deeper into her bones.

As she looked around and daylight broke, the place started to look familiar, though she knew she had never been here before. How had she ended up in this place? She started walking and soon found a trail just ahead of her. As she focused on her surroundings, the sound of a cascading river reached her ears, loud and clear. It surprised her that she hadn't heard it earlier. She decided to follow the trail, even though she wasn't sure whether to head north or south. But having spent time in the mountains all her life, she knew that when one is lost, it's always best to go down.