Ancient Shadow ➤ Stiles Stilinski

PROLOGUE (✓)

The ground was still wet, which meant it had been raining not long ago. But it wasn't raining as she desperately ran.

Her bare feet sunk in the dirt with each heavy step; the trees were like big green blurs passing by her frightened pale frame.

She wasn't sure of anything in that moment; there was no particular thought in her mind. All she knew was that her body needed to move fast if she planned to stay alive.

But the woods felt darker than normal. It made almost impossible for her to see where she was stepping; where she was going. And she still felt so painfully cold. Even after running for so long she was still shivering.

She thought it could have something to do with her lack of clothes - since she doubted only having panties and an oversized button-up shirt was enough to consider oneself dressed. She had a pair of socks before, but lost those a while back while running.

Now, she had no idea of where the rest of her clothes went. But if she was to be honest, in that moment she also didn't particularly care.

A few drops of cold sweat rolled down her temple and she shivered again; from cold, but it was also in fear. Small puffs of white smoke escaped her lips everytime she panted.

'It's you,' a ghostly voice echoed in her ears.

She let out a squeal in terror before forcing herself to run even faster, almost toppling over with the effort.

It almost felt like the voice was coming from inside her head. Yet, somehow she knew better than that.

Despite her lack of useful memories, her instincts told her that was just fear playing tricks on her. The voice couldn't be in her mind.

It was still strange though.

She had no memory of why she was so afraid; of why she was even running like that. Deep down she was aware there was no use in spending so much energy in such a futile attempt to escape.

Hell, she couldn't even remember her own name but knew that whatever was that thing following her she couldn't let it succeed.

Her body just moved on its own. It didn't even matter that she had no idea of where she was going, or why.

'Release me,' the voice spoke again, this time sounding menacing. And she was forced to stop on her tracks when a giant wall of black smoke appeared in her way. 'I've been waiting for someone like you. Someone to set me free.'

She didn't even have the time to wonder what that shadow was, or what was it talking about, or even how it was chasing her. Because the moment that shadow closed in on her she only had time to acknowledge her own pain and that pure, raw fear of never being able to wake up ever again.

Then darkness engulfed her already shadowed world.

☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩

The piercing pain in her chest was what woke her up from the dream. It was the worst way possible to be back to her senses.

The pain was so deep and sharp that she instantly arched her back, curling up in a fetal position.

Dirt and a few small rocks that were underneath her body dug onto her exposed skin with the movement of folding into her own self. Ripping it open and creating several superficial scratches.