Behind |First book in The Risen Saga|

Chapter One|Ava - As We Wallow

*(The beginning of this book may not be very exciting but I can guarantee that it gets better and if you would give it a chance, you may like it)*

The loud barks of Lacy—my collie—drifted from the open door leading outside. Even though she obviously wanted in, I was too comfortable on my couch to get up and unchain her. 

For a moment, she went silent and I thought I'd gotten some peace and quiet to continue reading, but once she started barking again, I sighed, becoming annoyed. 

I sat up, setting my book down on the couch, and listened to her barks abruptly cut off, followed by a high-pitched whine. That got me off the couch almost immediately, my feet racing across the house to get outside. 

When I got outside, I didn't see her chained up, but I did see the chain, leading to a large hole in the middle of the yard. 

My eyes drifted over the small swing set that I'd gotten when I was seven and was too old for now. I remembered when my dad had come home with it. Such happier times. 

Another whine broke me out of my thoughts, drawing my attention back to the mysterious hole. Hesitantly, I made my way over to the hole, kneeling once I got to it. Inside, my dog was scraping at the side, whining quietly, and once she saw me, she began to jump up and down excitedly. 

I ignored her, looking around the hole. There wasn't enough dirt that had fallen to the bottom for it be be filled, and it didn't make sense that it would be hollow and it only now caved in. It was deep enough that, when I slipped inside, it almost reached my shoulder. 

After wracking my brain for some sort of explanation for the hole and coming up with nothing, I unclipped the chain from my dog's collar and set her out of the hole. 

Just before I was about to climb out myself, a glimmer caught my eye, the sun exposing something hidden in the dirt. 

I crouched down, dusting the dirt away, and saw a necklace. The chain was a rusted silver, a locket or charm of some sort hanging from it, but there was obviously years worth of dirt staining it, so I brought it inside with me. 

I walked in the back door, making my way down the hall and to my room, my dog following close behind. She jumped on my bed but I didn't pay attention to it as I made my way to the bathroom. 

My fingers wrapped around the cold necklace as I turned on the sink, bringing it under the warm water. 

I dug the dirt out of the intricacies of the locket, giving way to the sparkling silver beneath. Once I turned off the water and gently dried the necklace, I studied it's beauty. 

It was a tiny silver locket, vine-like designs snaking around it, leading to the center, which was embedded with an emerald green gem. I flicked the locket open, revealing a clock-like object on the left side, and a picture of a black rose with a ring of thorns around it. 

My finger grazed the clock-like object, one of the three hands, turning. 

My breath was ripped from my throat, silver flashing before my eyes before I was plummeting into darkness. 

I could feel the heat of the flames surrounding me and I registered that the only way out was to jump. The window was high up and I knew if I were to jump, I'd break a few bones.

I turned around and my gaze found the mirror, my eyes widening when I didn't see myself. I didn't see straight black hair and sea green eyes, but instead I saw wavy blonde and sky blue. 

The hair was in waves around me, the tips painted black from being burnt—I guessed—and I realized, then, that I wasn't controlling anything, from my movements, to the gentle whisper of thoughts and ideas in my mind.