*this chapter has been edited*

Dark, looming trees were all around me, surrounding me in an ominous cloud of fear and the threat of danger in the night.

The trees were structured in a way that looked like human limbs which were entangled. As if the trees were screaming in agony, yet since there was no sound the only way to showcase the pain was through forms of tortured shapes and agonized faces.

I rubbed my eyes, and the faces and forms on the trees were gone.

Confusion was etched all over my face, the trees lost their scary appearances, yet I still felt the ominous cloud around me.

Where was I? Came my first initial thought.

I continued walking, trying to find a way out. A crunch from a twig signaled that I was not alone, I turned just in time to see a huge boulder being thrown in my general direction.

I ducked and the tree behind me was the unfortunate victim, but better it than me.

I fell into a bush just as the tree broke in half. My heart accelerated, and my fear spiked.

What was large enough to throw something like that? Then I heard it.

"Show yourself hunter!" A dark and sinister voice boomed. The voice was so powerful, it reverberated through my entire body.

"I have no time for your games, come and fight me like a warrior."

"I'll give you until the count of three to come and fight me."

"One!" I crawled to a nearby tree that was sure to hide me.

"Two!" I continued on to more trees, putting more and more distance between me and my attacker.

"Three!" I sprinted, and so did my perpetrator.

I felt my heart racing and adrenaline pumping as I continued to run as fast as I could. I didn't know what was going on, but I was beyond terrified.

I was in a forest, which was unfamiliar to me and it looked like nothing I'd find in my town.

I didn't know how to survive in the wilderness or how I'd make it out unscathed.

I tried looking around for any means of escape but this place looked just like a maze. Chances are I get out alive, or it gets to me first.

I continued running no matter how hard my body protested, I was not going to die today. Each breathe came out in short puffs, my body not getting the needed oxygen to sustain my pace.

Something crashed somewhere nearby and I felt my heart skip a beat. I increased my pace knowing it was nearby, ignoring any pain I felt in my body. I did not want to be his prey.

Whatever it was I knew for certain it wasn't human.

The creature cackled a deep and evil laugh, "One of us will be dining with death tonight, and I can guarantee you it won't be me."

The color was draining from my face. I didn't want to die! I looked quickly for somewhere to hide.

With my heart still racing and no idea of my surroundings I looked for somewhere to hide, my fight or flight instincts were kicking in, and I decided on flight.

I was running past trees when a glint caught my attention and I saw what looked like a small cave. Relief flooded over me, as I took a sharp turn heading towards it.

I reached the cave almost out of breath, but I made sure I was well hidden. The darkness calmed me a little as it made me almost unseen, but my mind was not at ease. A million thoughts were being conjured up in my mind.

How did I get here?

Where was my family?

How would I get out alive?

This questions were giving me more anxiety and eating up my thoughts, I didn't dare move in fear that the slightest movement will cause my whereabouts to be easily located. Even breathing at this point felt risky.

I wanted to cry, nothing made sense. Why did he even address me as hunter or warrior? I felt like I've heard this before somewhere.

I felt like I should know what was happening yet I had no clue, there was something I felt I needed to remember.

A loud thud and a roar caused me to jump and move further into the cave.

I kicked an object and anxiety bubbled up inside me. I looked down to find a black encrypted bow with a bag full of dark arrows.

As soon as I picked them up I felt an essence lodge itself into my being. Binding itself to me, becoming one with me.

I felt empowered. My cowardice slowly subsiding.

Footsteps approached my hiding place a dark laugh following suit, "I can smell your fear hunter. It's filling me with excitement."

Anger bubbled inside me, it felt like he'd branded me a coward. An insult I didn't take lightly.

"It isn't fear you smell beast!" I proclaimed loudly, shocking myself. I stepped out the cave, bow and arrow ready.

What greeted me as I exited the cave was a creature so burly and large I questioned why I exited the cave. A beast twice the size of an average bear, fur that was midnight black with brown strips, blood red eyes and canines that where sharp and large enough to snap a tree in half. It was like a wolf on its hind legs, snout protruding and a snarl was directed towards me.

"Tell me hunter, what is it I smell then?" He asked, followed by a dark laugh.

"Courage," I said, releasing the arrow, like a missile it hit the intended target, lodging itself into the beast's left eye.

He howled in pain, while I took out yet another arrow from my bag, yet I failed to notice the paw that was heading towards me.

He threw me towards a nearby tree, I crashed into it feeling every single bone and muscle ache as oxygen escaped my body. I fell weakly, my lungs trying to compensate for the loss of oxygen.

The beast growled as it dislodged the arrow, blood pouring out from the wound that forced the beast to close the injured eye.

He approached me quickly, "You will pay for that hunter, and I will make sure that your death is one that will haunt you to the very depths of your after life."

I glared at the creature, not giving him the satisfaction of seeing me scared, but he was right about one thing.

I'd never forget this day, this was the day that changed everything.

I'd never forget how this beast looked like.

The sinister smile, the canine like teeth and its eye that held so much evil and hate, the redness seemed to darken making the eye glow like a red lantern, the ominous cloud around the forest seemed to darken. It's something I can never forget.

With one cruel smile he grabbed my neck, pinning me to the tree. Its large claws plunged into my chest, cutting through flesh and bone as if I were a piece of paper and he the scissor, ripping my heart out.

Oxygen entered my mouth as I took large gasps of breaths, but nothing was there to transport it throughout my body.

The life started draining out of me and I watched its eye shine with victory, filled to the brim with so much evil.

I dropped the bow and arrow feeling myself drifting away. I was weakened. I was dying. I saw my heart stop beating in its hands as my eyes firmly closed shut.

"When we meet in the physical world hunter, this will be your fate by my hand."

I woke up from the nightmare with a racing heart and shaking body. How real the experience felt shook me to the inner most beings of my core. Even with the fast rate my heart was going at, I was satisfied that it was pumping and not in a creature's hand.

My whole body was covered in sweat as if I had just gotten back from a run. I tossed the covers away from my body feeling the cold air nip at my skin. I stood up trying to cool down the heat my body had accumulated. Flashes of the forest and beast kept imbedding itself in my head.

The dream felt so real I thought I actually had died, and the thought scares me. I checked the time on my nightstand to find that it was 3 a.m.

I decided that I'd start getting ready for school even though it was early, I took my time to collect my thoughts in the shower, trying to wash away the memory as well as this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Unfortunately it wouldn't be that easy.

After my shower, I brushed my teeth and went back to my room, putting my dirty clothes in the hamper. I sat in front of the mirror and observed myself.

My long red hair cascaded down towards my back. My green eyes were darkened and resembled someone who had a close dance with death, my skin wasn't any better looking, and I looked sickly pale, even felt sick.

I shivered remembering the monster which held my heart as I had breathed my last breathe, never had I seen anything look so happy to kill, grinning wildly at my demise.

This nightmare had really shaken me up. I turned towards the right to find the book I had gotten yesterday in that parcel. I stood up and inspected it, and to my surprise the book had my name on the cover which previously had nothing. CECILE was written in beautiful gold embroidery.

I let out a shaky breathe and opened the book to read:

The battle of right or wrong

who will remain strong?

Each message is for a specific day

you cannot turn to the next before the day is done

soon all will be gone

The fight has started and soon it will end

Today one is taken

Again another shall follow

Watch for those who stand to lead

they are the answer

I closed the book quickly and decided to read the weapon she holds. Placing all fears in the back of my mind.

The book was very interesting, Edna was facing many challenges as she tried to protect her kingdom from the neighboring land, lies and deception webbed its way into her life as the true cause of the war was slowly made clear. She was made to believe that the former King, her father, was killed by a noble of the other land, yet it seemed she and the kingdom were misguided.

I was now halfway through the book, marveling at how she had gone from a young girl and how she had to leave behind her luxurious life to be a warrior and fight for what she believed was right, but the author indicated that might not be the case.

It was now time for me to go to school, and finish reading it later.

I exited my room and I met Joshua on my way downstairs. He greeted me with a smile that I tried to return but failed miserably.

He noticed and frowned instantly, his green eyes showing concern, "What's up kiddo?" He asked.

"Nothing it was just a nightmare, I said waving my hands dismissively.

His body seemed to freeze up a bit, he had been acting strange since yesterday when I told him about the marking on Sylvia.

"Are you okay Josh, you've been acting strange since yesterday?" I asked concerned, he shook his head dismissively and pulled me in for a hug, changing the course of direction back to me.

"It's okay to be scared, we're human after all. We can't always be brave there are times we should acknowledge the fear. Once we do we'll be able to conquer that fear", he said rubbing my back soothing and leaving a kiss on my forehead.

My brother was sweet, well he had his moments. I thanked him for that, but his behavior was surely not forgotten and I'd question him about it later.

"But it's just a dream, why then do we show signs of fear for something that isn't real?" I asked.

"Maybe our nightmares are symbolic for something or sometimes maybe dreams show us the truth which we try to deny," he spoke, emphasizing truth, like he was trying to tell me something.

I looked at him, trying to read him, but he did not show any sign of why I should be suspicious of him.

I shook my head, "Not real," I quipped, "Come on let's get going," I said grabbing his hand and after saying goodbye to our mom. We were in Joshua's car and he was driving me to school.

As much as I tried to assure myself that this would only ever be a dream, there was this nagging feeling that told me I was about to get more than I bargained for.