Champions

Prologue

I dreamt of a cornfield.

A vicious, maniacal voice rung through the night. My heart pounded against my ribs. I was running. I was freezing. I was running and freezing, and I didn't understand why. What was I running from? Was it trying to harm me? I might not have been so sure, but I was almost entirely set on the feeling that it was. All around me was death. Long and lingering. Dead cornstalks lying on the ground and dead leaves blowing in the wind. The earth under my feet was dry, and crumbled. Broken glass from beer bottles stung and slashed as I passed over them. To the far reaches in front of me sat a leafless forest. If I could just keep going, I could reach it, and escape my pursuer. As the wind continued to blow and my pace quickened, I began to realize why I was so cold. I was wearing a white silk and lace night gown that's hem stopped two inches above my knees. Completely and utterly sleeveless this night gown was. I noticed goose bump covering my arms, and felt them on my legs.

The chill of this dismal night made my dark grey eyes water and blur my vision. My long curly, snow white, hair did not help my sight as it was, so often, blown in my face. Thousands of questions ran through my mind at a million miles a minute. I felt the dire need to turn around, just for a split second, to see what I was running from. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. Whatever it was that was chasing me, was doing so for a reason and it would be incredibly stupid to turn around or stop, even for such a short amount of time.

It wasn't until I saw a run down, abandoned, shack, to my right, that I comprehended where I was. Uncle Jim's farm? That did make sense. Uncle Jim died when I was only five, eleven years ago. Even so, I hadn't been here since I was seven.

Crows screeched at me from above. Some threatening to swoop down and nip me with their demonic beaks. With each one that came hurtling down, came my natural instinct to duck and cover. It wasn't until the third bird that my ducking and covering landed me face first In to the ground.

The impact felt like the time my friend Krista and I had been running in the Sweet Creek Mall parking lot. She had taken my freshly bought flats from their storage place in their box and was screaming, 'Come catch me E-Dawg! You slow poke!' Having spent sixty bucks on those shoes, I did. Until I tripped over a rock, more like a boulder, fell on my chest and had the wind knocked out of me. I was terrified. I couldn't breathe. Couldn't even move. I felt as if all the gravity in the world had stopped working on everyone else and was determined to work ten time as much on me. My mind had relayed a picture of an annoying boy who was sticking out his fingers at me and laughing.

I quickly stood, and immediately after I became dizzy. I looked down to my knees. Streaks of dark red, oozing, blood had taken over. As I bent down to check to see how bad the damage was, a sharp affliction hammered an my skull. My head felt as if someone was taking a knife to it. I winced, and pressed my hand to my temple. I felt a sticky warmth. I had already guessed what it was when dropped my hand and started to run again. Not as fast, but still better than nothing.

From behind me came whispers. Horrible, shrill whispers that made my ears want to bleed just as badly as my knees and head.

Emmmmma, they irked. Emmma.

Fear felt like a tightly round ball in my chest, threatening to escape me in a loud repulsive sob. Why? Why are they doing this to me?

Emmmma, they came again. Emmmma, why not just stop? You know we'll win.

Their monotone voices sent shivers down my aching spine. Strands of white hair were clinging to the back of my neck I was sweating so much. The only good part, I guess, about that was that I wasn't as cold anymore. At least not from the weather.

I was almost there. I could see it more clearly now. The enormous dead trunk in front of me that belonged to a sullen tree. For a moment, hope surpassed fear, and a light smile lit my face. Then another searing pain shot through my right foot, and I went down again. No! No! No! This can't happen! Not when I'm so close! I took my foot in my hand and tried to see what was causing the pain using only the light of the moon for guidance. An inch of glass protruded from my sole.

No, I thought weakly. It's over. It's all over. I can't run anymore with this wound. The best I could do was crawl. And even that would be an impossible feat with my knees being banged up.

The voices grew nearer and I could hear their disturbing laughter.

You should listen to us Emmmma. They chuckled, if evil whispers can chuckle. We're never wrong. You will pay for your ignorance.

Stop!" I screamed. The voice that came out was as if it wasn't mine. I mean it sounded like me, but it wasn't necessarily me who said it. On the inside I was telling myself shut up, but the outside wouldn't listen. Tears came from my eyes like a dam had just collapsed. "Go away! L-Leave me alone! What did I ever do to you!" They laughed and came closer now borrowing bodies from the shadows. They had teeth, such gruesome teeth, that look as sharp a freshly grained blade, and I felt as if they were about to swallow me down. "Please!" I cried. "For heaven's sake, let me go!" The reached out their transparent hands towards me. I cringed backwards away from their clawing when I heard a man's voice yelling my name. "Okay fine! Do what you will! But if you think for one second you will get away with it, you are the fools! My friendswill not allow you to get away with this! If you kill me, if you even lay a slight finger on me, you yourselves will all be harmed and killed tenfold!"

"Emma!" He yelled. "Emma, go!"

You are too late, boy!The whispers yelled. She is ours. The master wants her and he shall have her! Come with us, Emma. Quit this nonsense. Stop running. It isn't worth it. You think these pathetic... children will protect you? No. He will. The master. Come. You are to be on our side. You are to be our princess. Our shining spotlight in this erratic war that has unfolded. Our little glimmer of hope in the midst of sorrow and fear. We will keep you safe. You will never hurt again, and neither will your family.

It was all too much. It didn't make since. Who was their master? Why did he want me, out of everyone else? Princess? What princess? I didn't want to be anyone's princess! Or shining light!

Another spark of pain came from my temples.

The darkness was almost done closing on me, and I only heard him yell one more thing before I blacked out. "Why? You must help her! She's your champion!"

Emmmmma...