The End

Chapter 1- Alone

I wake up with a scream.

My forehead is cold with a layer of sticky sweat; my heart pounding so hard it hurt, I glance around me in terror.  My breath comes in short gasps as I slowly realize that I am alone, and unharmed.  The scenery around me would be beautiful--lush, mountainous forests melting into a softly shimmering lake, all bathed in the silvery light of the moon--if it wasn't for the fact that I can't remember a single thing before the moment I woke up, and I'm lost in a seemingly uninhabited forest. 

With wobbly legs I stand, unsure of what to do.  I woke up in a grassy meadow near the lakeshore--the most unlikely of places.  I have nothing with me except a slightly torn and shimmery black dress that provides no shelter from the cool night air, and I have no idea where I am, but it seems like the only logical action here is to just move, so I begin walking along the gradual curve of the lakeshore.

Little puffs of fog escape from my mouth.  I'm not really sure what I am looking for--maybe a cave or something to spend the night in?  The trees around me rustle softly in the cool breeze, but rather than finding the sound soothing, I feel slightly uneasy; it's hard to fight off the creeping sensation of panic in a situation as unnerving and hopeless as this one.  

The land begins to shift downhill, the lake showing signs of transitioning to a river as the forest presses closer and closer; soon the soft grass of the meadow will become trees and tangled underbrush. Then I hear a moaning, gurgling horrible sound and I suddenly get pulled to the ground, shrieking as I fall. 

The thing attacking me is shaped like a human, but with disgusting greenish-grey flesh that is falling off in chunks, exposing the bone and rotted muscle beneath. The word zombie flitters across my mind, a single sudden memory; I've seen this beast before.   My eyes water from the stench of decay as its festering hands grasp my leg.

Panicked, I kick out with all my strength, dislodging the thing's arm with with a fleshy crunch.  The detached arm still clinging to my leg, I gag and stumble backward with my arms outstretched as the creature attacks me again.

Then for a moment I'm blinded by a burst of purple light. What just happened? My fingertips feel like they're burning, yet somehow I feel no pain.  The zombie releases my arm with a shocked grunt; its arm is melting away where it touched me.  Snarling, it comes at me again, but this time I'm ready. Fingers spread, I place my palm directly on the zombie's chest, acting on simple instinct. Maybe it's because I did it intentionally, but this time the light is a controlled violet glow rather than a blinding flash, melting a hole through the zombie like acid.  As it starts to collapse, I place a hand on each side of the creature's head and watch with satisfaction as its skull melts into the ground.

I stare at my hands, pleased but confused as my skin prickles with a vague sensation of déjà vu. How did I do that?  I barely have time to wonder, though. Suddenly my shoulder erupts with searing pain; I scream and fall to my knees.

A long black arrow protrudes from my shoulder, just above my armpit.

A tall, skeletal figure stands about 10 meters away with a black bow in its hand and a quiver full of arrows slung over its back; its pearly white bones and grinning, expressionless face are illuminated eerily by the light of the moon.  I could see the tendons that connected each skinless, meatless bone on its unnatural frame.

It slowly draws back another arrow and points it directly at my chest. Afraid to make the wound in my shoulder burst with even more pain, I sit motionless, gasping, and wait.

Then an arrow flies, but to my astonishment, it comes from somewhere to my left, burying itself straight into the creature's skull and cracking it to pieces. The skeleton collapses, it's bones clattering as it falls to the ground.

A tall, muscular man with a bit of a scruffy beard appears by my side, kneeling down and inspecting me. For one moment he looks startled, but the expression disappears so quickly it might have been my imagination. 

"Over here, Crys!" he shouts over his shoulder. Then he turns back to me. "You're safe now.  I'm going to carry you back to the village, okay?"

"Y-yeah," I gasp, fighting tears.  Every movement causes another flare of pain to shoot through my arm. 

The man slips one hand under my back and one under my knees, lifting me gently;  the pain becomes almost too much to bear. "What's your name?" he asks.  

I can't answer.  Any memories beyond the moment that I woke up here are just gone.  I'm about to tell him that when I'm interrupted by a woman's voice.

"Jacob!"  Two other people jog toward us; the young woman that had called out sticks a long, thin sword into its sheath and flips her short hair as she approaches.  The dark-skinned man behind her follows, walking slightly backwards with a crossbow aimed and ready.  All their outfits are nearly identical-- tall, worn leather boots and dark pants, light armour and weapons belts under hooded, grey-blue cloaks. 

The woman gives me that same startled look when she sees me, but this time full of suspicion and she doesn't try to hide it. "Who is this? She can't be from our village!" She looks at Jacob darkly. "What do you think you're doing?"

"She's injured."

"She could be a spy!"

"That  is for our Leader to decide, Chrys!" Jacob snaps. "Have we really sunk so low that we would leave an injured person alone in the forest to be devoured by monsters?"

Chrys just scowls as Jacob starts walking away.  After a moment she grabs the dropped bones and follows the rest of us as the small band travels farther along the river.  I can't help but wonder where we could possibly be going; it's like following a trail I can't see, farther into the forest until we're stopped by a steep, rocky hill marked with brush and creeping vines.  Jacob glances over his shoulder. "David, could you lend a hand?"

The quieter man lowers his crossbow and reaches his arm deep into the brush.  Just a second later, I watch with amazement as he pulls open a large hidden door, cleverly disguised to blend in with the foliage around it; on the other side is a staircase that descends into total darkness--an unfathomably long tunnel. 

Jacob chuckles slightly at my awed expression.  "The entrance hasn't always been this creepy.  It was actually very grand and welcoming until recently...you'll see what I mean when we actually reach the village." 

And on that note, he steps into the tunnel, and we begin our descent.

---

A/n: As some of you may have noticed, this story is based loosely on the world of Minecraft, but you don't need to be familiar with the game to understand it :) I hope you enjoyed this first chapter, and if you did, it would mean a lot to me if you would leave a vote or comment. :) Thanks for reading!