New Grounds -ON HOLD-

Chapter 1

          (make sure to read description to understand what is happening)

        Here is a little background. My name's Shilla, yes it's an odd name but I grew to like it. I am an orphan since I never met my parents and I learned to survive on my own. I have heard way to many bad things about orphanages, so no luck in that. I'm 5'4 and the age of 12, technically a teenager considering my bith date is coming soon, and I LOVE nature. That's how I ended up sleeping in a pond that I discovered a few years ago. Now, you might be thinking, "What is so great about a stupid pond?" The answer is that I was hiking in uncharted areas in Florida. A swamp to be exact, and this pond brought me many unexplainable journeys. Now don't walk away, trust me, this is a tale to tell.

           I fell asleep with my arms and legs stretched out next to me, my waterproof backpack acting as a floaty in some ways. It was so calm and enthralling at the same time. The water was cool under my burning skin as it washed away dirt and grime from my travels. I was on my own, considering that no one knew me or about the area. Slumber got the best of me as I drifted slowly towards an opening in the pond that I didn't see before. 

          I awoke to the unbearable noise of screeching. I sank under the water in suprise and I started pulling myself back up to the surface. The water broke in front of me. Wiping my eyes I gasped, finding that it was in a different pond, with trees surrounding me in brilliant greens that I haven't seen before. Awestruck, I swam to the bank of the pond and pulled myself out of the water. Trees surrounded me completely, making it hard to see any sky. Many forest creatures yapped at me as I walked along the water. I pulled my backpack off my shoulders and shook it dry. After I unzipped the sack, I peered inside. I sighed in relief, no water damage had been done. I pulled out my compass and stuck it out in front of me as I watced the red hand swivel in a nonending circle. I raised an eyebrow as I shook the small device. Nothing, the compass was still going nuts. I growled as I shoved it back into the backpack. I searched until I found a pair of new clothes. 

          I had been walking for hours along the pond, stopping every once in a while to eat and drink. I remembered I had ran out of food on the last stop as my stomach growled profusely. I rolled my eyes and continued, trying not to let my hunger control me. My eyes opened as a sudden light emerged. I practically sang as an opening in the trees welcomed me. A smile spread across my face as I ran towards the sun'slight. 

           "Hold it there lass."

          I froze in my tracks.

          "Who's there?" I asked the trees. My head swiveled from left to right, trying to identify the speaker.

          "A mere traveler, much like you actually."

          "W-where am I?" 

          No one answered, I only heard the soft rushing of the water next to me. Maybe it is my hunger making me hallucinate. I shrugged as I took another step foward, and another.

          "Don't. Take. Another. Step."

          The voice sounded genuinely worried as I stopped once more.

          "Why?" I asked, skeptical about the situation. 

          "Just turn around s-l-o-w-l-y and walk towards my voice."

           I obeyed. Turning around to face the path I had trekked for miles.

          "Now walk ever so slightly forward." 

          I started to take one step at a time, going in the direcion the voice had originated from. I heard movement behind me, making my jaw muscle tense. My breathing started to quicken as the movement was getting closer. 

          "almost there..." The voice whispered directly in front of me.

         A vine wrapped around my foot so suddenly, causing me to trip forward. 

         The voice became silent, the noises became silent... the forest became silent.

          More vines started to wrap around my limbs, paralizing me in the tight grip. 

           A vine slowly slinked around my shoudlers and onto my mouth gagging me as I screamed. 

          I vines suddenly yanked me around, and standing there was the most horrifying thing I have ever seen.