The Charmed Necklace

Chapter 1: Campfire stories

"There were loud screams from both women and children, crying in terror, with fear in their eyes. Their entire village being burnt down, men trying to fight the creatures that started the fire, creatures known as Shadow Witches. Their leader was once treated as a goddess by man, but humanity turned against these witches, people found their own path to life and now... They were being punished for their selfishness. Dozens were being killed, bodies were burnt and some even turned to ashes. The witches stopped their curses once a mysterious light shined in front of them. A woman was holding a necklace in her hand, a necklace made out of silver and crystals. She held it out and it grew brighter and brighter until the Shadows disappeared.

"A few months later the Head Witch, followed by her daughter and 3 other witches, infiltrated the village and used her dark magic to kill every villager in sight. Her main focus was on the woman who vanquished her witches, but she didn't know that the woman sent her only child, a little girl, to run as far away as she could with the necklace. Keeping it far away from the Head Witch. As she ran, the girl could hear her mother's screams as she was being killed, but didn't stop running. Later that day, the girl came across a new village. The people of the village took her in, and she was raised as one of them."

"Did the girl ever see the Head Witch again?" Asked Sarah after her mother told her a story.

The little 7 year old was sitting around a campfire with her parents John and Barbara Marshall in the woods, each one holding their marshmallows close to the bright flame.

"No she didn't, but she had a feeling that the Head Witch will return. However, years past and still the Head Witch did not return to claim the necklace. Eventually the owner of the necklace became of age and gave it to her daughter."

"Who was her daughter?"

"You're looking at her." John answered.

"What? No way." Sarah said.

"Yes way. Just look." Sarah watched as her mother took off a necklace that was hanging from her neck. It looked like some kind of a symbol, it looked like a star, and it sparkled in the night.

"Here take it, it's yours now. I trust that you will look after it."

"It's real?" The little girl asked.

"Yes it is. Protect it with your life and it will protect you." Sarah carefully took the necklace from her mother's hand and put it around her neck.

It was late now and the family was in their tent. The night was quiet, until John heard a rustling noise coming from behind the trees. He silently got up.

"John, where are you going?" Barbara said after she heard him pull down the tent's zip.

"I think there's something out there. Stay here with Sarah while I go check it out."

After five minutes Barbara couldn't wait any longer, so she went outside to see what was going on. As she walked through the trees she saw a strange light coming from the woods. When she walked closer she saw a dark creature with arms that looked like machetes. John was standing in front of the creature. John groaned as it stabbed him with it's right arm, lifted him up and turned towards Barbara, who just stood there in fear, unable to move. The creature took it's left arm and again stabbed John, but this time it ripped his body apart, letting the blood splatter everywhere, including on Barbara's face. She realised now that she had to run or she would be next.

"Sarah! Sarah!" Barbara screamed, waking up her daughter as she was running.

"Mommy?" Sarah said as she walked out of the tent while wiping her eyes.

"Sarah! RUN!"

"Mommy!" Sarah shouted as the creature caught up with her mother and stabbed her through her back, lifting her up just like it did with John.

"Sarah... Run..." Barbara said as she was gasping for air.

"Run Sarah..." Barbara coughed. "Everything is going to be okay...."

Sarah ran as fast as she could. She could feel the creature coming after her and made sure that she didn't stop running.

Sarah stopped once she came to a road and to her luck was a police vehicle, on her left, moving towards her.

"HELP!"

She cried as she was waving her arms. The vehicle stopped in front of her and a middle aged man, named Jim - as it stood on his jacket, exited the car.

"What's wrong little girl, are you lost? Where's your mother?" The policeman asked.

"My... mother... is... dead..." Sarah cried. The man picked her up and wiped her tears.

"It's okay." He calmed her. "Let's get you somewhere far away from here." He said as he carried her into the backseat.

"Don't worry, you're safe now."

He started the engine and drove off. Sarah stared out the window, abandoning what was left of her parents. She hoped that she would never encounter anything like that again.