1 Chapter One: Fear.
Her ponytail rose to the heavens as she sprinted deeper into the woods. Her breathing was ragged, frantic and sharp like she could slump any moment now.
The burning in her lungs got so intense, the cold air biting into them could not suffice.
She was running so fast that she thought her legs were going to explode.
Her calves burned as she pushed harder and went faster, regardless.
She was running away from something; something ruthless! Something scary!
This wasn't a wild goose chase. Was it? Not when she'd seen the dreary shadow of that beast.
But what was it?
Why had it pursued her off the roads and into the bush?
Her shoes continued to pound heavily against the ground as she breezed through her path, flying over stones and leaves as best she could.
SPLOSH!
She missed and her shoes squelched forcefully into a little mud, splashing it up her legs but she did not care. She continued to run, her heart pounding beneath her chest for fear of losing her life tonight!
Her eyes began to fill with tears burning her eyelids, still it managed to keep from falling.
Now was not the time to cry, but at least she could scream for help.
She took the initiative and screamed loudly. Her shout busted through her lungs nearly breaking them but her mouth would not produce any sound as if it was stuck somewhere inside her throat.
She looked up at the sky by now and saw a full moon.
What was it about full moons, again?
She tried to muse about it but then her view began to get blurry.
NO NO NO NO NO..
She begged mentally but her sight got even hazier. The view of the bush began to faze off as black dots spread across her vision.
Darkness came all too sudden and completely.
-
Bright light shimmered in from the gap in the curtains. It danced about Emma's eyelids for a bit whilst she struggled to jolt out of her sleep.
Her lids soon grew apart and she hissed aloud. “Arghh! That fricken dream again.. I never seem to finish it or understand where it's going.”
After she'd mumbled those words to herself, she attempted to sit up when she felt it.
Hot wet saliva.
It was sludging down the side of her mouth.
EWW!
She quickly wiped off the fluid with the back of the hand-knitted cardigan she'd worn to bed. Emma knew her grandma was gonna kill her if she ever learnt of this, so she wasn't going to tell.
As she sat up completely now, Emma caught a glimpse of the culprit wagging her tail in the near distance, hiding behind the legs of a chair.
“Juno!”
She screamed excitedly, before springing up from her bed to get to her dog.
Once down, she walked a couple before sitting on the bare wooden floor.
Juno ran into her arms and she snuggled her in a bear embrace.
“Hahaha.. Look how naughty you've become now, haven't you?”
Emma kissed her dog all over until the little lady decided to feign being smothered by that much kisses.
Emma laughed all the more.
“Now that's for peeing your saliva in my mouth.” She said, kissing Juno one more time.
Just in time the bedroom door flew open.
“Dogs don't exactly PEE saliva, Emma.”
The Speaker sashayed inside the bedroom, swinging her hips elegantly to the sides.
That bod in that maxi-sized shirt and skin tight jeans was just about it.
Ugh! So sexy!
Emma made a note of this in her mind as her aunt stopped in front of her, tugging the clothes basket further down her arm.
“Well what d'you know, Aunt Freya?” Emma said and got up from the floor. She was smiling simply as she quickly tied up her strawberry blonde hair into a messy bun. The tresses dangled down freely to the sides of her face.
-”Dogs do a lot these days, auntie. Don't they Juno?"
Juno wagged her tail sexily, before barking a cute shout to connote her approval.
Emma laughed heartily, together with her aunt.
“See, auntie? Even Juno agrees to it.” Emma then limped forward to reach her aunt and get the basket from her. “Thanks for helping out with my clothes, auntie.”
“No thanks, Emma.” The woman retorted with one hand posed on her slender waist. “Your uncle says I spoil you too much and I think I believe him. You should get to doing your laundry from now on, missy.”
Emma repeated her exact words and mannerisms after her and then said. “You say that everytime, Aunt Freya. I love you too.”
Emma winked at her aunt before turning about to stretch her neck toward the alarm clock.
What! 7.30 A.M.!
Her braincells shot to the stars.
“Shit! I've gotta jet now auntie. Else I'll be late. Distract Juno for me.”
Emma dropped the basket on the floor, got out her towel from it and quickly padded toward the washroom in a dash.
Her aunt watched her leave completely before bending over to reach Juno. “Good girl Juno!” She patted her cute little head. “You did great today, waking her up like that. I owe you a snack. Promise. . .”
~~~
When Emma finished her morning care routine, she slinged her backpack over one shoulder.
Once outside her bedroom, she hopped down the stairs in a bid to get to the kitchen place in time. She suspected the rest of the house would be there.
As expected, Emma reached and met her aunt Freya who was at the time, busy preparing the table for breakfast to kick off in a bit.
However one person was missing.
Where was he?
“Honey, you're down already? You're looking so sparkly and brilliant.” Her aunt complimented her.
Emma grinned.
Before Emma could ask of her uncle's whereabouts, the woman spoke up. “You can find him in the living room, Emma.. He's seeing some gruesome news on Television.”
“Gruesome news? How so?” Emma asked, but her aunt Freya simply shrugged and began laying out the pancakes.
‘Okay.. ’
In a dash, she reached him in the parlour.
Her Uncle Alaric, was always stone-faced in contrast to his wife who was ever smiling and cheerful most days.
But, the look he had on his face right now was the most frightening she had seen him.
“Uncle...”
Emma called and began to walk deep inside the living room to get closer to him. This prompted the man to quickly turn off the Television before dropping the remote on his side on the sofa.
He began to stand up when she asked. “What did it say?”
“That talk is not important to you, Emma. You are running late for college, I presume. Have you had breakfast yet?”
“It's not necessary that I do that.” Emma snapped from learning how best he wanted to wave off the talk.
Her uncle sighed deeply and then said. “Be safe out there, Em. Be sure to return home in time.”
“But, Uncle-”
“No buts. Hurry off to school, already.”
Since that was all he said, Emma nodded and observed him walk long strides to reach the kitchen area.
Even though he'd clearly dismissed her, she still leaped silently behind him, hiding a safe way off in order to listen in on what he began to say to his wife.
But Emma could make zero sense of his words as theirs was in muffled tones.
She soon relented and started towards the house's exit, hoping to find out more from her aunt when she returned and why their faces had painted that way as she'd last seen them..
Agitated!
