The Fading Voice

Chapter 1

Jackson woke up with a start, his heart racing. Well.. that was a terrifying dream. He thought, then looked up at the plain white ceiling of his bedroom, the window next to his bed casting golden dawn light into his room which danced with the shadows across his walls.

In his dream he had been standing on a smooth, grey rock overlooking an emerald green valley far below with a glittering blue river snaking through the clusters of towering oaks and boulders. Fluffy white clouds drifted across the valley, the sheer white cliffs around it shooting into the sky like towers in a city.

Deer grazed at the bottom of the valley, no more than tiny moving specks to Jackson who stood upon the cliffs, looking down in awe, the crashing of a waterfall spilling out of the cliff face and falling down into the valley below drowning out the melodic cries of the birds that circled overhead. 

It was so beautiful, like a world beyond his own, something so real and yet so far away like a distant echo. It felt so familiar and so real but so fake, like this place couldn't be real, not in this world. 

Suddenly there was a sound above the roaring of the waterfall, another roar, this one more distant but so loud and powerful it made the pebbles around Jackson bounce up and down as the world seemed to shake. Red waves began to crash down into the valley, pouring down the white cliffs, seeming to come from nowhere as the sky turned black and flames began to dance through the emerald green valley.

In only a matter of seconds it went from peaceful and surreal to blazing and burning. Trees cracked and fell in the flames, only to be swept away by a tide of red water the next second, churning and unforgiving. A dragon with gleaming black scales and glowing red eyes soared overhead. It seemed to be smiling coldly as if it had done this.

The creature roared, letting out a deafening scream that seemed to split the sky itself and then red water rushed over Jackson and suddenly he had woken up, the images still flashing through his mind as he looked up at the roof then out the window, watching the sun slowly creep over the horizon.

He walked downstairs and began to make himself a coffee in attempt to wake up and shake off the images from his dream still flashing through his mind. He sighed and looked out the window at his green farmland stretching out over the hills, fields of different crops he would have to harvest soon. 

He was about to sit down before he heard a knock on the door and, wondering who it could possibly be, walked over to the front door and opened it, with his coffee still in hand. Standing before him was a short man with long, dark brown hair and wild green eyes. The man wore a red bandana over his mouth, cowboy style, and had dark, torn clothes. The man looked like he was possibly homeless or insane.

Jackson stared at the person in confusion, taking a small step back, This person looks insane! I don't know them, they could be dangerous. His mind was racing but all he said was, "Uhm... hello? Do you need something?"

"They're coming." The man hissed, his wild eyes widening slightly.

"They? Who? I don't understand." Jackson replied, wondering if the man had been drinking.

"THEY! THE MONSTERS!" The man yelled, stepping towards Jackson and pointing furiously at the black road stretching out in front of the house.

"Uh... uhm. I'll call the police!" Jackson threatened, his voice wavering as he stared at the man.

"You'll die. You need to come with me." The man's voice was dead serious now.

"Why?"

"The monsters will get you. We don't have a choice."

"What monsters?"

"Lizard-like beasts with gleaming scales and wings and fire! And wolves bigger than trucks with twisted antlers like deers! They'll kill us. Please. We have to go."

Jackson stared at the man in horror and for some reason he believed him. So soon after his dream of the dragon and the valley it seemed to make sense, I'm going insane! He thought, but he found himself nodding and saying, "Ok. When do we leave?"

The man pointed to a mule tied up near the road, "Now. Do you have a mule? A donkey? Go pack your bags then we'll leave!"

Jackson nodded and walked back into his house, heading up the stairs into his room and starting to pack a backpack. I'm really insane. Why am I doing this? His mind asked but he had no response. He didn't know. He just felt like he had to. 

Once he had finished packing he walked back downstairs to see the man waiting by his mule and Jackson quickly walked over to a barn besides his house and opened the door and walked inside. He headed over to one of the pens holding a beautiful black and white horse, who was called Endeavour, and he quickly saddled her up. He looked over at a bow hanging on his wall that he knew how to use and then decided to take it- another decision he couldn't understand.

In no time Jackson and the strange man were heading down the worn gravel path along the side of the road which cars roared along every now and then. Jackson looked down at the man on his mule and asked, "So, whats your name?"

The man looked up at Jackson, his wild eyes gleaming in the sunlight, "Axel".