The black marks weren't only on his neck. It wasn't only his skin that was being drained of color and brightness. His mind was blank and his hope disintegrated as he followed the red hooded man across the ravine.
At this point, it didn't matter what was behind him or what was to come. Nothing really mattered at all. Life had been shattered from his soul and his mind was engulfed in darkness. There was no point in turning around. He had nowhere to go. Nobody to go to.
As he followed the man on the horse, he saw a glimpse of white in the corner of his eye. He was out in the nature, it could have been anything, though. Maybe a cloud, maybe an animal. What did it matter whether he turned around to look or not? Nothing could snap him out of the harsh reality he was living in.
As Tyler walked on, something was tugging at the back of his mind, telling him to turn around and find out what that small white blur was. He tried to brush it off as nothing, but the pulling was persistent. He had to see. Just a quick glance wouldn't hurt him.
He slowly turned his head and looked up at the top of the ravine. A girl stood at the edge, her silky hair flowing through the wind. She wore a long sleeved white dress that reached down to her ankles. Her eyes glowed in the sunlight, and Tyler found her absolutely alluring. How could he possibly turn back around when this girl was right there?
He stopped in his tracks, not bothering to continue following the man. He heard the horse turn around, and the scary man on top of it stared into Tyler's eyes. It frightened him. He couldn't look into the man's blood red eyes any longer. It was complete torture.
He turned back to the beautiful girl, only to see her gracefully walking down the ravine. Her hands were clasped together in front of her as she inched closer and closer to Tyler. Before he could process what was happening, she was standing in front of him. He gulped, not exactly sure why this girl was suddenly standing so close to him. It was making him nervous.
She placed her hand against his chin, tilting his head back. Tyler gave in, staring at the gray sky above him. The clouds were dark. It looked as if a thunderstorm was coming. Yet there he was, standing in the middle of a ravine when a possible storm could be here to wash him out.
Tyler felt the girl's fingers brush the side of his neck. To Tyler, it was a weird, yet pleasurable sensation. Her touch was like fairy dust against his skin, causing him to feel somewhat magical. It made him feel clean. Almost as if he were a new person.
Tyler looked down at his neck, noticing how the black that once covered it was now a glowing white. His eyes widened as he stared at the mysterious girl in confusion. Her lips curved into a small smile as she walked past him, her shoulder slightly brushing against his, giving him the chills.
He looked around the ravine, realizing that the red hooded man was nowhere to be seen. Not even a trace of him left in Tyler's mind.
He couldn't let the girl go. Not now that she saved him from himself and made him feel oddly safe. She gave him light in a complete time of darkness, but now she was about to disappear. He wouldn't let that happen.
"Wait!" Tyler called, beginning to run towards the girl who was almost out of his view. The girl turned around, and Tyler basically ran into her. She fell backwards, her perfectly white dress getting dirty from the mud she landed in. Tyler landed on top of her, his heart beating ten times faster than it was before.
"I'm- I'm sorry!" Tyler exclaimed, standing up hastily. He put his hand out for the girl to take, but she didn't accept his help. She stood up on her own, trying to wipe the mud off of her. "I'll buy you a new dress..." Tyler tried to offer, but she shook her head. She began to walk off again, but Tyler grabbed her hand to stop her. She whipped her hand back, holding it behind her.
