1 Awakened

I felt my frame lying on the cold smooth stone. I opened my eyes, it took a while for them to adjust to the darkness.

"Where am I?"

The echo of water droplets pelting the stone floor was the only response from the black cavern walls. The only source of light flowed in from a small opening in the cavern wall. I took a deep breath, clouds formed as I exhaled. I shivered, the silk dress that clung to my body did little to fend off the cold. I gently sat up, the echo of water droplets thundered in my head. I placed my hand on my head till the pounding stopped. Slowly I turned to the light that flowed into the cavern through an opening in the cavern's walls. My eyes widened, the light was not reflected off the smooth stone, but rather illuminated the roughness of the scorch marks that littered the floor and domed walls.

"What is this place?"

I got to my feet, my head began to pound. Dizziness overwhelmed me and I collapsed to the ground, the back of my skull colliding with the stone. I moved to a fetal position, held the back of my head with one hand and my knees to my chest with the other; gently rocking back and forth. Slowly the pounding subsided and I shifted to a sitting position.

Suddenly tremors shook the cavern. I hid my head in my knees and covered my neck as fragments of the cavern fell to the ground. I winced as fragments struck me. Slowly the tremors fell dormant. I got to my feet, I tried to ignore the persistent pounding that resonated throughout my skull.

"I have to get out of here"

I slowly staggered to the opening that the light faintly shone from. I braced myself against the opening and closed my eyes, my legs gave out from under me. The cavern came alive once more, violently forcing itself apart. I ignored the torment in my skull and crawled on my hands and knees through the opening. I heard a defining crash, dust, and rock raced toward me. I covered my face with my hands as the ceiling crashed around me.

"The light, where is the light!" I gasped,

I grasped at the stone, I forced my way on top of the pile of rubble. I turned my head to look behind me, a large boulder stood where the opening to the cavern had once been. I crawled forward on my stomach, I winced as the sharp stones cut into my flesh.

I crawled to where the light had been, till I came to a wall of rubble. I scratched at the stone, throwing the fragments over my shoulder. I dug and dug till my breath came out in ragged gasps and my hands were raw, yet the wall stood unforgiving. The walls began to quake and I felt something heavy hit my head, then nothing.

I felt something pull at the collar of my dress. Rocks tore at my back as I was being dragged across the sharp stones. The cold stone suddenly turned into something soft and cold. The thing pulling on my dress let go and I opened my eyes. I was blinded for a moment. When my eyes adjusted and the colored spots that filled my vision diminished. I stood there awestruck. The ground was blanketed in white. I took a deep breath, the air was so cold. I breathed out and my breath formed clouds in the air. I looked back to the horizon, the sun was just beginning to set. Its rays peeked through the pine trees making the ground look as though it was a flame. The pure white was being taken over by reds, oranges, pinks, blues, and violets. The pine trees cast ever-growing shadows that soon engulf the colors cast by the sun.

I turned to look over my shoulder. I jumped to my feet as my gaze met with a wolf's. The wolf tilted its head up to maintain my gaze. Its eyes were so beautiful, like pools of emeralds and its fur was the color of polished gold. The wolf got up from its sitting position and almost looked me in the eyes and then lowered its head slightly, then walked away.

I was jolted awake. "That memory again" I stood up from my fur mat and walked over to the window. I sighed, "every night it's the same damn thing. Why can I only remember that day and nothing before!" I slammed my fist against the wall, sending a wave through the vined walls. I opened my palm and rested it on the wall, trying to calm myself. "Don't lose your temper, Curitrix", I told myself in a quiet voice, "the last thing you want is those guards snooping around again." I scoff, the only other creatures that look like me, and the one time I tried to talk to them and they tried to kill me.

my thoughts were interrupted by the growling in my stomach. I walked over to the other side of my treehouse and opened a medium basket woven with dried vines. I removed a piece of dried deer meat and ate it. "I will need to go hunting soon" I committed as I counted five pieces left. I placed the lid back on that basket and walked to the window. I opened the window slowly and gently moved the vines covering the outside. No sign of any of those creatures. I grab my bow and quiver that lay next to my bed. I swung the quiver over my head and arm and pulled my long braid through. The wooden arrows slightly clatter against the dark wooden quiver. I reach and touch the small black dagger at my hip. I had gotten it from the creatures that had a similar appearance to me. My eyes narrowed at the memory. I walked over and opened the trap door in the far corner of the room and scanned the environment looking for any potential prey or predator. Seeing nothing I climbed down, closed, and hid the door after I went through.