Within the Shadows (A Shadow-born Novel #1)

Prologue

My dark hair clung to the sides of my face as I raced down an empty alley; my heart beating erratically beneath my chest trying to escape the fate that awaited its owner, me. I continued running through the empty streets as the rain fell from the sky relentlessly as if the skies cried at the sight of my misery. My jeans clung to my hips as I ran through the darkness and solitude of those streets, as the rain drenched them and made them become heavier, forcing me to reach down to pull them up.

I should have worn a belt. I thought, almost laughing at the absurdity of my thoughts. There I was, being chased down a dark alley in the middle of a storm by a giant black beast from the underworld, and all I could think about was my bad decision of not having worn a belt.

I could hear the claws of the beast against the cement as it chased after me. I could almost imagine its bright yellow eyes making contrast with its black fur and sharp white teeth. I could almost imagine it growling as it chased after me, lips curled in a silent snarl and eyes narrowed on its target.

Mom, where are you? I asked myself as my feet picked up the pace as I crossed over the old wooden bridge that separated the town of Augur from the forest. I felt my heart beating faster and faster beneath my chest as the blood in my veins raced in a craze, making my arms and legs ache.

I ran as fast as I could, my feet stepping on branches and fallen leaves, and my presence scaring off the occasional night owl. I thought I was going to escape and then- I fell. My feet got caught in the root of a tree and I fell upon the muddy ground. I desperately tried to stand up but the hound from hell, literally from hell, approached me. Its yellow eyes glowed in the darkness as it made its way towards me; its upper lip curled back in a silent snarl as it showed me its sharp and pointy teeth, teeth that soon would be embedded in my neck.

I will die here. I thought, since my face was inches away from the strong and ferocious mandibles of the hound. I will die here devoured by this beast and no one will find my body. I recoiled at the thought of my body being found in the forest torn apart by a devilish hound. I could almost imagine reading the header of the town's newspapers: "Augur High School's Head Cheerleader and Beloved Student Found Dead Near Augur's Central Park." I could imagine the people leaving flowers, candles, and stuffed animals in the exact stop where I would've been dismembered by a vicious dog.

"Good doggy..." I whispered as the dog snapped its jaws at me. My throat felt dry and it hurt to whisper those words but I had to at least try to divert the dog's attention. "Leave, doggy. Leave me alone."

It's funny when you're about to die. You start remembering all the things you did wrong or all the things you should've done. In that moment, I couldn't stop thinking about that time I didn't have a good comeback and I ended up saying something stupid to my ex-boyfriend, Octavio.

God, if you let me live this one time I swear I won't ever be mean to anyone. I thought as I backed away slowly from the dog. Just don't let this beast eat me. I thought as I began backing away slowly, my sneakers pulling me back from the puddle of mud beneath me. The hound snapped its head back as it heard a sound coming from behind him.

If I run...

I didn't even have to think about it twice. Once half of my body was away from the puddle, I rolled to the right to avoid the hound's teeth and I broke into a full sprint. I had never run so fast in my life. My feet moved nimbly across the forest's muddied ground.

That was the first time I saw a hound from the underworld all close and personal. I would love to tell you that it was the only time I had to deal with those vicious animals, but sadly that was just the beginning of a long journey full of that-was-a-close-call moments and deadly creatures. No one said that being immortal was easy.