ISABEL (Sample)

Chapter One

1932.

She darted through the trees, panting. When she glanced back, her house was only a faint glow in the dark now. Her parents might not even know that she was not in her bed.

Tears flowed down her cheeks as she thought of her older brother, Matt, and her little sister, Lucy. She would miss them so much, and if she survived tonight, she would correct a lot of mistakes she had made in the past.

A rustling from the far left of her caught her attention, then she turned and fled further into the woods away from her once-best friend now turned foe.

She continued to run. Branches slapped against her face, stems and twigs pulled at her nightgown, shredding it, the forest floor pricked her bare soles but she didn't care right now, all she wanted to do was lead her friend as far away from her unsuspecting family as possible.

She knew her friend was very mad at her. She had never seen her this mad. She cried blood when she was mad and the sound of her cry could make the peaceful dead roll in their caskets. Now her very friend wanted her to either give what was impossible or kill her.

A white silhouette caught her attention again and a mocking laughter issued through the quiet woods. "You can run run but you can't hide, Julie. I'll find ya... I will find ya."

Julie continued to run. Her friend only used that tone when she was out to kill, the only difference now was she was her newest prey. She sobbed, knowing her friend had deceived her all along. She thought having a ghost friend which everyone but her could not see was fun. She tripped over an overlapping root and fell face down to the dirt floor, getting sand in her mouth.

The white figure was getting closer and closer, coming to get her. Her cackling laughter echoing through the night forest as she floated with ease, chasing Julie.

Julie leapt to her feet, spat out the dirt from her mouth and continued to run, she could hear the gushing water of the stream now, up ahead...just up ahead. Her Ghost friend had always hated water, if she could just go down waist-deep in the water, maybe she would leave her alone and be gone for good.

Her cackling laughter was growing louder and louder, so was the stream. Julie quickly went down a short path of rocks and waded into the water, frantically looking above her where she knew her ghost friend would appear soon.

The water was cold and the hem of her gown floated on the surface of the water around her legs as she waded deeper. She could see the reflection of the moon on the moving surface of the water and something else, a girl in a white nightgown. Audrey Martinez.

Julie quickly waded waist-deep into the cold stream water. She looked up at Audrey who was watching her with an amused expression. Audrey's gown and hair were whipping around her legs and face from the night breeze and she looked pale was practically glowing in the dark.

"Julie...Julie..." She cooed. "Won't you come out and play?"

"No!" Julie stated stubbornly. Her lower lip was beginning to tremble from the cold water against her skin which was making her legs numb. "Stay away from me, I don't want to be your friend anymore! You are evil!"

Julie felt bad when a look of sadness crossed Audrey's face but knew Audrey was a deceitful person. Audrey stared at her with her black inky eyes and a wicked smile curved her charred lips. "You can't refuse to be my friend anymore... You will give me what I want or..." She glared down at Julie and Julie suddenly felt her feet sinking into the sand bottom of the stream. She noticed Audrey was trying to scare her.

She panted in fear, looking around her as weird things like dead fish, crabs and rotten leaves began to pop to the surface of the water around her. "No! Stop it!" She cried out. "Stop it, Audrey!" I don't want to be your friend anymore.

Audrey nonchalantly examined her pale slim fingers. "I would have come in there and strangled you myself if I didn't hate that stream, but..." She said, now focusing a smiling wicked gaze on Julie... "There's always an alternative."

Immediately, Julie felt something drag her and she disappeared totally beneath the water. She surfaced again, grasping for breath, spurting water out of her mouth and shivering. Her hair was wet and sticking to Her face and she was beginning to turn white with cold.

Audrey giggled at her demise and clapped her hands gleefully. "Give me what I want and I'll let you go."

"No!" Julie said in a trembling voice. "He's my brother, I can't do that to Matt!"

Audrey frowned. "Oh yes, you will! I thought we were best friends. After all I've done for you, I ask for this little favour and you refuse me???"

"You are dead! Just stay dead! You have killed enough already!" Julie yelled up at her.

"With your help!" Audrey smirked, raising her chin. "...and I will have your brother with or without your help!" She laughed sinisterly.

"And I will denounce your existence!" Julie spat out catching Audrey's full serious glare now. "I will denounce your existence and you will be trapped in the tree forever!"

"No! You won't!" Audrey said bitterly, her face contorting in anger.

Julie looked up into the sky and began to cry out loud to the night sky. "Hear my cry, the four corners of the earth! The north! The south! The east! The west!" Genuine fear registered on Audrey's face and she began to stagger. "Hear my plea, the four elements of the earth! The fire! The wind! The water! The earth herself! Take from me one of yours!" She began to chant some words in Latin rapidly.

"Silence!" Audrey yelled, falling to her knees and screaming, her hands on the sides of her head. "Make it stop! Make it stop now!"

When she noticed Julie still continued, she glared at her. "If I'm going down, you are going with me!" She stretched her hand towards Julie, who was suddenly dragged underwater again. Julie screamed underneath water, trying to claw her way to the surface but to no avail.

Audrey rolled on the floor and glanced over her shoulder at the thick fog tumbling towards her, she screamed as the fog seized her and began retreating with her into the forest till her screams faded into total silence.

On the surface of the water, several bubbles emerged to the surface as Julie took her last breath and sank slowly, with her hair floating around her face, her arms hanging limp in above her.