The Chronicles of Alice Collingwood - Book 1: Strange Beginnings

CHAPTER 1: Arthur

Somewhere, in the woods near southern-Louisiana, during one of the worst nights of the entire summer, where the rain was coming down hard and the occasional sound of thunder rippled through the dark sky above, there was a man. His name was Arthur Collingwood. He was forty five years old.

He had a lightly tanned face, some visible wrinkles and creases across his face and forehead. His hair was very short, shaven in fact - his hair used to be a very deep chestnut brown colour but had began to grey over the past few years.

He was soaked to the bone from the heavy rain, clothes drenched and clinging to his body, and cold from the chill of the night's breeze. He was kneeling down on his right leg, using his left hand to maintain his balance and stealth.

In his left hand, he held a bow. However, this was no ordinary bow. It had been carefully designed and customised to ensure it would cause a great deal of damage, a lot of harm. It was forged and crafted from various materials, mainly metal, giving it a unique look. The bow, like him, was famous amongst the supernatural world, it earned a name from the fear that it inflicts upon many supernatural beings: Mal'nair – which in the language of old, translates to 'death bringer'.

In order to help him blend in with his surroundings and not be seen by his prey, Arthur Collingwood was dressed in dark clothing: a black leather jacket, with a navy t-shirt, black jeans, and black leather army style boots.

He was a skilled hunter and he was on a hunt.

Crouching down, and looking at the various tracks in the mud below him, he saw what appeared to be a shoe print in the mud, but couldn't see it clearly due to the rain which fell heavily through the gaps of the leaves and trees above him, crashing to the ground harshly and destroying whatever tracks were in the earth below him.

As he was taking in his surroundings, Arthur Collingwood listened to sound of the breeze as it filtered through the bushes and trees, causing the rustling of leaves like an angry whisper. In the vast darkness, he began searching for more tracks. The cold night air was filled with the smell of trees.

A sudden cracking, crunching noise, interrupted him mid-thought. It was the sound of someone stepping on leaves and twigs, crushing them under their heavy feet.

The sound came from only a few yards behind Arthur. He was silent. Carefully listening to identify the location of the noise, he listened to see whether it would come closer to him or if it would go away, the noises stopped... No longer making a sound, but he knew it was still there - staring at him.

He slowly reached down for the gun attached to his belt; he knew that his bow wouldn't be quick enough now.

He managed to unclip the gun without making any sudden movements that give him away.

His knuckles turned white as he gripped his gun tightly, he prepared himself to turn around as fast as he possibly could and shoot whoever, or whatever, was obviously still stood not far behind him, if it was a threat.

Still crouching, he gave himself a few moments to prepare for what was about to happen. It was time. With his gun still in his vice-like grip, he spun around, jumping to his feet in the process. As he held his gun out, pointing it towards the thing that was watching him, he got a good look at it.

He couldn't quite see the face of the person who stood before him. They were wearing a long black robe with a hood, hiding their face in darkness; the only part of their body visible to Arthur was the lower half of their pale face, everything from the tip of the nose downwards to the top of their neck.

Instantly, Arthur knew that the person he was looking at was no human.

In fact, he knew exactly who he was looking at, he had seen this supernatural creature only once before, many years ago. He had finally been successful in tracking and hunting the creature down for the last five years.

He stood there, still pointing his gun at it, waiting for it to move, to talk, to do anything.

Thick, black fog seemed to pour out from underneath its cloak and surround the creature, even in the black of the night it was clear to see, and it was something of terror. This creature was different to any other in the supernatural world, as if it were uniquely powerful in comparison to all others.

"After five long years, I've finally tracked you down," said Arthur while still pointing his gun at the cloaked creature before him. "I'd heard you were back. You will not take her from me, not like you took her sister."

"You don't seem to realise that you only found me because I have allowed it. You see, this little encounter is one of many steps I've taken over the years towards a great and powerful end. I remember you, Arthur, the great Collingwood hunter. Your family name is a worldwide legend... Supernatural beings everywhere fear it. I, however, do not. You see, I have spent two thousand years setting a specific plan in motion, I will not allow you or any other hunter stop it, no matter how hard you may try. I'm too powerful for you to stop Arthur Collingwood," explained the creature with a fancy, old English accent accompanying the tone of his calm, unnerving voice. "There will come a time when I will once again come for your daughter and I will take her and I won't be stopped like the first time."

"What plan?" asked Arthur, slightly taken aback.

Could there have been more to this that meets the eye, after all?

What are you up to, wondered Arthur, he knew the creature was cunning, but what was he up to.

"Now that would be telling," replied the creature, grinning smugly, before he lunged with a speed and strength that was too much for Arthur, and before a single bullet managed to escape Arthur's gun, the creature had knocked Arthur unconscious and smoked away, taking Arthur with it...