ECLIPSED

CHAPTER 2

Lea's eyes fluttered open, her head pounding as she pushed herself off the damp ground. Night had fallen, and the air was thick with the scent of moss and earth. She blinked, trying to shake off the disorientation.

"Where...where am I?" she whispered to herself, her voice shaky.

The last thing she remembered was the strange light by the lake. Now, she was somewhere else entirely. Her heart raced as she scanned her surroundings. The trees loomed tall and unfamiliar, their thick branches creating a canopy that blocked most of the sky. Everything felt wrong.

"Hello?" she called out, her voice louder this time. "Is anyone here?"

Nothing. Just the eerie silence of the forest, broken only by the occasional rustling of leaves in the breeze. Her stomach twisted in knots.

She scrambled to her feet, her hands immediately searching her pockets. She found her phone and fumbled to turn it on. As the screen lit up, her breath caught in her throat. No signal. No bars.

"Come on, come on!" she muttered in frustration, holding the phone up as if that might somehow summon a connection. Nothing. Just the mocking, empty display. "Seriously?"

Her frustration quickly turned to panic as she became aware of her surroundings. The forest was strange. The trees seemed older, their bark twisted in unusual ways. She glanced down, realizing she was standing among wildflowers that emitted a soft, fluorescent glow, bathing the ground in an otherworldly light.

"What the hell...?" she breathed, kneeling down to get a closer look. The flowers shimmered, their petals glowing with an ethereal, pale blue light. Cautiously, she reached out and touched one, feeling its delicate texture beneath her fingertips.

"Am I... going insane? Or did I... die?" she muttered, half expecting the flower to vanish under her touch like an illusion.

Before she could ponder further, the sharp crack of twigs snapping nearby sent her heart into her throat. She spun around, eyes wide.

"Who's there?" she called, her voice tight with fear.

No answer.

Her pulse quickened, and without thinking, she reached into her bag and pulled out her pepper spray, gripping it tightly as she scanned the trees. Every shadow seemed to shift, every sound amplified by her rising panic.

From behind the thick foliage, a figure watched her. His eyes gleamed in the darkness, amusement dancing across his features as he observed the small human girl. Her reactions were amusing, so fragile, so easily frightened. And her scent...something different. Something intriguing.

He decided to play with her a bit. With a casual wave of his hand, the forest responded. The tree branches above her began to move, slowly, almost lazily at first, then faster. They reached down like tendrils, wrapping around her arms, her waist, lifting her from the ground.

Lea screamed, thrashing as the branches pulled her higher into the air. Her pepper spray slipped from her hand, useless, as she struggled against the impossibly strong grip.

"Let me go! Somebody, please!" she cried, her voice hoarse with terror.

The branches tightened, and she gasped for breath, her vision swimming with panic. Her heart pounded in her chest as she dangled helplessly.

From the shadows, a man stepped forward. His face was hidden beneath a dark hood, his steps slow and deliberate. There was something unnatural about the way he moved, something that sent a cold shiver down her spine.

"Who are you?!" Lea demanded, her voice shaky but laced with anger. "Let me go! I swear I'll- I'll fight you!"

The man chuckled, a low, dark sound that made her blood run cold. Without a word, he stepped closer, pulling back his hood to reveal his face.

Lea's breath hitched. His features were sharp, inhumanly so, his eyes glowing faintly in the darkness. His skin had an otherworldly sheen, and there was something ancient about him, something not of her world.

"Such an insolent little human," he said, his voice smooth but filled with disdain.

Lea's heart nearly stopped. Her body trembled uncontrollably as she stared at the creature before her, her mind struggling to make sense of what she was seeing.

"What...what are you?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

The man or whatever he was smiled, his lips curling in amusement as he stepped closer, his glowing eyes fixed on her with a predatory gaze.