Terra Firma, Book 1: Awakening

The Beginning

Narrator's POV

It was like any other day for Hartanna Mariel. As usual, with her thick jacket and leather boots, with a heavy bag on her back she was once again, mountain climbing. She often do this, especially when her schedule is free. It was a strange hobby that she begun to develop as far as she could remember. This particular adventure though, she is with her old friends, Lyssa, Krisjan, Neo, and Rica. Today is actually the first time, that all of them went on mountain climbing together.

"You know what, this....is crazy. This is all your fault mariel" he was winning again. He's been doing this for an hour already. He keeps on complaining about, everything. And it was starting to annoy mariel.

"Oh shut up Kris, i didn't forced you to come. Mountain climbing is my thing. I just invited you" said mariel, who is slightly irritated because of the accusation—emphasizing the word 'forced'.

With Mariel on the lead and Rica beside her, they continued on their journey. Despite kris's futile attempt of trying to convince mariel to go back, it still somehow made the rest of them feel a crawling fear on the back of their minds. Mariel felt it too. She knew it wasn't just about what kris said. Something is wrong. Something, that is the reason of their fears.

Once again she felt that creepy feeling. The feeling that someone—or rather something is trying to get her. It was as if she was frozen and couldn't move, but her insides were melting. Although it was just a feeling, it felt as if it was real. 'This feels sooo familiar' she thought. Mariel knew that she had felt this before, but she couldn't remember.

With that thought on her head, she stopped on her tracks. Everyone is giving her that questioning look. The look that says 'Why hell did you stop' or 'Somethings wrong, isn't it'. Mariel instructed everyone to keep quiet, by putting her index finger to her mouth. Though confused, her companions still followed her. Lyssa, was the one who's most confused among the four. Ever since they embarked in this adventure she had refused to talk in fear that someone—or worst something might hear them. You see lyssa is known to have a loud voice. Even if she tries to keep her voice down it can still be heard over 15 meters.

So as lyssa remained silent, she can't help but imagine horrible scenarios. Searching for a reason of why mariel had stopped.

Mean while, mariel was tilting her head, scanning their surrounding. She could have swear she felt something. 'This is odd' she thought. And as she continued to look around, she spotted something pecuiliar.

"Is that...a door?" finally someone asked the question, everyone is dying to know the answer. It was Rica who spoke. They all stared at the door. Its knob was rusty, and its paint was peeling off. Despite its imperfection, still it looked marvelous.

It has this strange swirls and peculiar words engraved above it. It also has symbols that none of them understood. Most importantly it gave them an eerie feeling.

"It has a rectangular shape and it has a knob, so i think yeah...it is, a door" Neo voiced out. Though his voice was quivering, everyone understood what he said.

"Yeah right, a door. In the middle of the forest on a mountain. Great work Neo, so brilliant" kris once again spoke. But this time he hissed with sarcasm.

"Shut up will you? Who knows what that door is for" Lyssa finally found the courage to speak.

"Mariel might, right mar?" – Rica
"You've been here before, so you might have already seen this door, right?" Neo said, but the doubt on his voice was as clear as crystal. Mariel however ignored any of their comments. She has seen this door before, but not in this place. She has seen it somewhere, somewhere far. 'But where?' she asked herself.

"This wasn't here before. And this...this path, i haven't crossed this yet. It, changed" finally mariel spoke.

"So where lost" Kris wasn't asking. It was a statement.

"Were not lost, the path just seemed unfamiliar, and this door i haven't see—" mariel was cut off.

"Its just the same, you just changed the words. We. Are. Lost" this time kris was mad. But with a mix of panic too. He didn't know who to blame now. Whether him or mariel. Just as he was about to open his mouth once more, the door begun to illuminate. Producing a strange purple light.

Everyone stopped on their tracks. This was clearly out of the ordinary. Rica and lyssa gave feaful shriek. Mariel was rooted to the ground, to scared and confused to move. While the boys were slowly moving backwards. But then, the door produced a blinding light, melting all the moss that covered it.

"Ruuunnn!!!" Mariel shouted, but they only took a few steps before all of them were vacuumized by the door. Then there was blackness.