Alice's Game

Chapter One

"Where am I?"

I sat up and looked around me. My head is crumbling and in pain. What happened to me? I can't see much. Is it because of my eyes? Or is it because the place is foggy? There's no sunlight. The place is dim. It's cold too. What is this place? It's creepy.

Carefully, I stood up from my position and started walking aimlessly until I bumped into something hard. I inspected it. It's a wall, a bricked wall. Okay, now my vision's starting to get a little clearer. Am I in a room? I tilt my head up.

"Woah, the wall is high. I can't see the end of it." My mind continues to wonder how I got here. I don't remember anything. Luckily, the pain in my head started to subside. I continue walking aimlessly, following the wall, hoping that I may get some clue. Later, as a result of wandering around, I found a big silver metal gate with detailed carvings. What are these carvings? It is beautiful yet scary and sad. It's eerie. There are also two insanely big chains connected in the middle of the gate's handle. Now I'm starting to get scared. Am I safe here? This place looks like a torture ground or something. When I glance at my right, I noticed a gloomy guard house. It is fenced with bricked wall and metal railing.

"Excuse me, Is there someone in here?" I said. It's dark inside and it seems no ones in, what kind of guard house is this? no personnel.

"Hello?" I tried to call again. No one responded. I closed my eyes and sighed. As soon as I opened my eyes, a hooded man suddenly showed up infront of my sight. I jump from the surprise and scream with my all. It was very scary. I saw his big red right eyes. It's really scary, it seems like he has no eyelids. My knees were weakened from the moment and I slide down on the ground. My voice won't come out. He walked towards me, grinning. His teeth were sharp.

"Your name miss?" He asked. I can't answer him. My voice won't come out. I'm scared.

"Your name miss? You should tell me or your life will end." He said. My life will end? what is he saying? He's still grinning.

"One... Two..." He started counting. What now?! He's still grinning. He's enjoying this. Damn it. I got no choice then. Come on! Speak Helen!

"Four... Fi-"

"He-Helen Woods." I somehow made it. I'm sweating coldly.

His grin widens. He went inside the guard house and lit a lamp. I stood up and cautiously looked at him. He took a big book in a shelf and started to murmur.

"Helen Woods.... Helen Woods..." What is he doing? He continue to search something in the book. I guess he's searching for my name. Why? What's in that book? What's the purpose?

"Found it. Helen Woods." He said. His grin widen and so as his right eye. What's with his right eye? It's really creepy, no, rather it's disgusting. His left eye is hidden.

"Miss Helen Woods, your home will be at Lord Vloodmill's Residence at the mourning forest in the east." He continued. What? Home? Vloodmill? What? Who's Vloodmill? Mourning forest? Where is that?

"Hey, Where am I anyway?" I asked him.

He pulled the rope in his left and said, "You may enter the gates now Miss."

"Hey, I'm asking you where am I?" I asked again. He just continued grinning at me and didn't say anything. What the heck? The gates started grumbling and the ground started shaking. What is happening? Then the chains in the gates started moving and a smaller door in the center of the gate started opening.

"A smaller gate in a big gate?" Should I enter this one? I guess I have no choice. I'll just see the answers myself.

I've already been walking for hours after entering that eerie gate. Now what? There's only one straight road and creepy forest at the sides. The trees don't have leaves. They're just branches. Ugh. When will this road end?

"Hello? Is anybody there?" I yelled. My voice echoed at the forest. No one answered. Where the hell am I?

"Someone answer me please! Anyone is fine!" I yelled again. This is so tiring. I've been wandering for hours. I'm hungry. I sat down on the ground and hugged my knees. What should I do? I feel hopeless. Later I heared a tapping sound behind me. My eyes widen and hope started to lit inside, so I stood up and looked behind me. Then I realized something already bumped me. What in the world is this?

"Don't block my way! Stupid!" It yelled at me. How should I react? Should I be scared? This thing has one big eye in the center and two smaller eyes at the sides, it has 2 upside-down horns and it's a midget. It's skin is red too.

"Hey! are you listening?!" it kept yelling at me. It's not scary, rather, it's annoying. I want to kick it. I know i said anyone is fine but... this?

"You're talking. What are you?" I asked. Keep calm Helen. You don't have to be picky. You are in need.

"How rude! You don't know what I am?! Despite being here in our territory?" It yelled again. Damn. Their territory?

"Where am I?" I asked again.

"Hey, stupid goblin." An unknown voice of a man suddenly called out. It is guy, a teenage looking guy.

"Finally a normal one." I murmured. Goblin he say?

"Normal?" The goblin yelled again. The guy picked him up in its horns.

"It seems that you have forgotten about me. How rude of you little guy. Should I boil you?" The guy smirked. He looks really pissed. Well I can't blame him. That goblin is really annoying.

"Excuse me." I said.

The guy looked at me. "Oh, Who's this? Are you new here miss? I haven't seen you before." He said.

"Ah, yeah, I've walking for hours after entering a big gate. Do you know where am I?" I asked.

"Ah, yeah. This road that you have been walking on is the Renewal road, and the forest at the sides is the Goblin's forest." That's what he said. But what should I ask him now.

"Hmm? Is there something wrong?" He asked.

"What is this place anyway? Where in Earth am I? "

"Hmm. Mysteriously, I don't know either." He said. What's with that?

"Anyway, you've enter from the gate right? "

"Yeah."

"So what did the creepy guy said to you? Where's your residence? Maybe I can take you there." He smiled carefreely.

"If I remember it right... It's Vloodmill's residence he said."

"Oh, that's where I live too. What a coincidence." He said. No kidding?

"Let go of me! Stupid!" The Goblin suddenly stab the guy's chest hard with his longened firngernail. What the heck?! The guy's expression twitched and was really in pain. That was where his heart is! I wanted to scream but voice won't come out again. What in the world is happening?!

"Now you did it. Damn goblin." His eyebrow furrowed and clenched his hand real hard that caused the goblin's horn to crash. He swinged his other hand and chopped the goblin's head with it. The head flew off and the body stopped moving. The guy pulled the goblin's fingernail from his chest. It looked really painful.

"You bastard! You think you can kill me like that? Too bad I can't die even if you chop me to pieces." He said while looking down on the goblin's dead body. His eyes were sharp and full of hatred. He was more scary than the goblin's dead body.

"He-Hey... Are you okay? Where is the hospital? I'll bring you there." My voice barely made it.

He fell on his knees and his blood continues to flow out.

"Damn. It's really painful." He complained. "No need to worry, I'll be fine soon enough. Just wait a little longer." He continued while smiling. How can he smile like that? Though, its good that his expression has lighten. But just by looking at his wound pains me too.

A minute has passed and blood stopped coming out from his chest. His muscles and skin started to regenerate. It was really unbelievable. What is he? He's not normal. He stood up and reach his hand, covered with his blood, out to me.

"I'm Karl. Uhh, Now let's go at Vloodmill's Residence. Shall we?" He smiled. I can't help but be frozen from the things that I have witnessed. Can I trust this guy?