"She's gonna get me," the feminine voice sounds young, very young. It's impossible to tell which direction I should be heading in. Her words are ricocheting between the surrounding trees, slowly increasing in volume, painfully so until it stops abruptly.
Why another forest? Is Aiden here? I doubt it, this feels like something new and completely different.
My fingers trace over the grooves in the bark within my reach. 'Beware,' has been etched into the wood. The damage looks new and the trunk next to it has also been vandalised, "trying to help."
Cryptic and not helpful at all.
"Where are you?" I yell cupping my hands over my mouth.
Grey clouds cover the sun casting a dark shadow over my surroundings. My strategy is to move in a straight line. I can't get turned around that way. I've just got to keep looking ahead of me. I just wish the twigs and branches would stop snagging on my dark navy dress, it's being shredded. Awesome. I sigh.
Quiet whimpering sounds behind me. I turn on my heels instantly and see a child. She looks to be around five or maybe six years old. Wearing a purple raincoat her gumboots match perfectly, as do the ribbons tied in her dark hair. Pigtails, one on either side stretch down past her waist. She's holding onto a brown stuffed bear, it's outfit matching hers.
"What's your name sweetie?" I ask.
Large green eyes widen in terror before she points straight past me, "It's too late."
Following her pointed finger, I see a figure in the distance. It takes me a minute to realise what I'm seeing, that she's in fact not wearing a dark red, tight skinsuit but is actually covered in blood. It's her, the person with my face, the woman that tore herself out of me.
"Run," I return my focus to the child, but she isn't alone anymore. The imposter is standing right behind the tiny frame, claw-like nails digging into the child's throat. It makes no sense, unable to believe I look back to where she was standing just a second ago, the spot is empty. My head is reeling.
"Please let the girl go." I beg, "I won't run, I won't fight, just let her go," I try to bargain as the child looks to me for hope, for me to be strong enough to save her.
My helpless scream sounds as I hear the slicing of skin, and watch as the life fades from the child's eyes, her body crumbling to the ground, her hand still tightly gripping the stuffed teddy bear. No, no. . . no. My knees give out, palms flat I land on the cold ground and crawl to the small body. She asked for my help but I couldn't do anything to save her. I failed. I'm a big fat failure.
"How could you? She was just a child, she was innocent."
The tears begin to fall as a small part of me waits for the still chest to begin rising again, for her eyes to begin blinking, but I know it's in vain. All I can do is hold the lifeless child, close her eyes and hate myself, and whatever the heck is standing right in front of me.
"She's the strong one, she has to die."
The rage has me practically shoot to my feet after I carefully rest the little girl against the hard cold ground. Has to die? The girl is already dead. Why is she dead?!
"You're a monster!"
Shoving and pushing against her is pointless I know but it's all I can manage, and she barely reacts. Waiting a few minutes until shoving me so hard I fall back onto the ground.
I really am weak and pathetic.
"What are you talking about? Why kill her? " I seethe.
"I'm not the one with blood on my hands," she shrugs.
YOU ARE READING
Awoken
FantasyAfter a terrible accident, Everly swore to never use her magic again. Buried and rejected for six years, her magic finally breaks free despite her best efforts. Unstable in more ways than one, she has to relearn the basics she tried her hardest to f...
