Shadows

Chapter 1.
^^^^^^^

(Trying to reach about 2000 words each chapter by the way!)

I woke with a jolt from a sleep I never meant to have. The fire that had been keeping me warm had long smoked out, all around me the forest's darkness seemed to get closer as I stared into it. Am I the only one still alive? I know that Dad's gone, for sure. There must of been a few more survivors,
"Hello!!?? Hello??!!" I shout into the forest, wait what am I doing! I can't go shouting out. Not when i don't know where the beast is.
I know that I need food, my stomach is desperately wining at me for any type of it, raw meat would be nice. I realise my leg is bleeding, when I go to check on it I notice I can't move it,
"No, no not this." I whisper to myself. It can't be broken can it? Just a sprain. My eyes are itchy with tiredness but I have to move now, the creature may come back for me. Probably not, he's had his fill. I pick myself off of the floor and snatch up a stick to use as a walking stick. Just to make sure, I stamp out any remaining ash on the fire that may give out any signal I was here, with the stick I'm holding I scatter the ash and wood across the floor to make it look just like a natural scene.
Maybe the beast is still watching me? His blood thirsty eyes hidden in the forest's darkness. If he was I'd be ready this time, not that I would wi against it but I'd rather die fighting instead of doing nothing.
All I could hear was my own breathing and the shallow bubbling from the stream, it was like the forest was holding it's breath.
No birdsong.
No nothing.
A twig snapped in the forest which bought me back to reality, a flock of ravens flew out frantically above the trees.
The beast could be anywhere, but I was certain he was in the forest. I started to make my way up the hill, stumbling a few times from my leg but I finally made it to the top. From there I could see everything, all the snow topped mountains, the large lake full of red salmon soon to be caught by bears or humans. Forest surrounded most of the space. I looked back at the small camp, only two days ago we had set up camp
-only two days felt like weeks ago- we would laugh and joke, tell stories about the legends around the camp fire. Then the beast came, killed every single one of us, not instantly though, he played with us, his food like a cat would. I managed to run, escape with only my medicine pack and small but deadly knife. My eyes started to water but I wiped it away and turned away from the ravaged scene. My best hope was the lake, I could fish there and maybe meet some people that could help me out.
I took a swig of water from my leather pouch and started off down the tall hill back into the forest. The hill was bumpy and I would occasionally fall and slide down on my back which didn't help my leg but it got me down the hill quicker. When I got to the bottom my clothes were covered in grass stains and now my back hurt. Morning dew stuck to my thick black hair which trailed to my back, I was soaked in dew, sprained leg and completely alone, and I'm only fifteen. What a way to go.
I took another small sip of water which I could feel run down to my stomach. I've decided that I can probably cope on my leg without a stick to hold me up, so I toss it onto the ground and put a bit of weight onto my right leg. I nearly cry out in pain but bite down on my hand making this skin bleed.
"Maybe not yet" I mumble picking up the stick again, I pull out my small knife from my pouch and hold it in my free hand, just in case of any attack.
I walk steadily into the forest being as quiet as possible. As I walk I think of Dad.

-One day ago-

"Have you heard of the legend of the creature?" Dad asks around the camp, we all shake our heads excite about the new story,
"Tell us Dad!" I smile cuddling up to him warm furred coat, he wraps his arms around me like a guardian angle, protecting me from the darkness.
"Ok. Once hundreds of years ago there was apparently this creature, no one knew what exactly it was because it could transform into any animal. It preyed of beautiful woman, it would turn up at night and steal the women from there husbands and family. He would take them to his hideout, he would make the soul of the woman leave the bodies and fly away. He would take the empty body's and stash them away so he could look at them like a doll. One day he saw the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her name was Mia-"
"That's my name!" I exclaim happily,
"We named you after her. Anyway he saw this young woman and took her straight away without hesitation. He took her to his hideout and watched her for the whole day and night. You see he did not want to kill her because of her pure nature, he couldn't kill her even if he tried. Days passed and Mia got ill, she had not eaten or drank, she was dying. The creature fell ill also because of the sight of her, he couldn't take it. One night while the creature slept Mia picked up his axe and killed him. She killed him out of hatred, he has taken many of her friends and family, she did not want this to happen anymore. After she killed the creature, she dropped down dead from the illness.
Legend says that you can still hear him shouting her name in the forests at night. Listen now" Dad says, he kisses my forehead and we all listen. There is a terrible streak from nearby, we all jolt up and all the men pick up there axes and spears. Out of the dark forest runs a shadowy figure, it is not real I tell myself over and over again,
"MIA RUN!" Yells my father, the creature it tearing up all then tents and knocking over the food supplies. He is bigger than any animal I've ever seen.
"MIA GO NOW!" Shouts my Dad, but I can't I'm stuck, entranced by the creature,
"MIA!" Shouts my Dad again, the creatures whispy ears perk up at my name, he scans the sight until he sees me. Slowly he moves toward me his red blood shot eyes fixed on me. He holds out a huge clawed paw to me, not dangerously in any way. All of a sudden my father jumps out in front of me scaring the creature and making him angry. The animal roars loudly and swipes at my father, Dad doesn't give up though he spears the creatures paw aggravating him even more. Behind my Dad I'm screaming for him to stop, he doesn't listen. The creature takes a final go and Dad and spears him straight in the heart with his pearly white claw.
"NO YOU MONSTER!" I scream at the well... Monster. Tears gush down my face, the creature wines slightly an runs back into the woods. All around me lye limp dead bodies, Dad's hand grasps onto mine,
"Mia, go. Take my knife and some fish. Go Mia" he whispers, I wipe away the tears and place my head against his chest,
"You'll be ok Dad, don't worry" I sob making my tears run with his blood. Dad's hand places a small thing in my hand I hold onto it tightly,
"Mia know this. I love you, I always have even if I haven't showed it. Thank you, thank you for everything. Your mother would be proud, like I am" he whispers,
"Dad I love you, I love you so much. Don't leave me Dad, I love you" I say over and over again,
"I love you too" he says taking his last breath. His chest stops moving and he just stops. I close his two eyelids and kneel next to him,
"I love you Dad." I say over and over. I open my hand and find Dad's tiger tooth necklace wrapped neatly up in a spiral. I place it around my neck and pick a small blue flower growing next to Dad. I place it gently on his chest and place his hands over the stalk,
"I love you Dad." I say one last time before walking away from the ruined camp with a small knife but forgetting the fish.

-back to normal time.-

I'm now crying. Dad died saving me. It's my fault I should of ran. Tears steam down my rosy red cheeks.
"I love you Dad. I'm sorry" I whisper into the necklace wrapped around me neck. I walk a few more steps until I realise that I'm at the lake. Millions a shiny red salmon float in the water, by the water fall is a group of bears fishing. I sit down and twist the tiger tooth between my fingers.
It's time for a new start now.

©
Daisy Chambers
28/12/12