Choices for a Fated Destiny

Chapter 2

~◇~ Appearances are just small glimpses into the world of the unseen where true realities are hidden. ~◇~

Fourteen years earlier...

A dense fog obscures the towering mountain from view and is now once again seeping down into the sleepy town nestling at its base. Between the fog and the clingy droplets of cold water, everything's been changed into an unnerving, eery landscape. To make things seem worse, the happy warmth of summer is long gone, and the chill in the air is a sign that winter's very close at hand.

It's another Sunday morning and early enough that the majority of the inhabitants of the town are still safe and snug in their warm beds. Yet not everyone is so fortunate, as there are always those who have errands to run or jobs to get done.

Outside the mall, a blonde woman has just gotten out of her car and is locking the door, shivering as the cold air envelopes her. The early morning sun is still too weak to push through the blanket of fog to heat up the air.

As she turns around, something off to the right catches her attention, and she stops, gasping in shock. Oblivious to her arms dropping down to hold her huge baby bump protectively, she stares at something.

Two twenty-something businessmen in suits are approaching her from that direction, the low rumbling of their voices disturbing the eery quiet of the morning. They're so immersed in their conversation, they don't even notice her. In fact, they're barely even aware of their surroundings.

Behind and to their left, two young girls are rushing across empty parking bays to get closer to the men. The girls look about nineteen or twenty years old. The one girl is absentmindedly fixing her hair while staring at the two men with narrowed eyes. The other one seems nervous and is anxiously chewing on her bottom lip while scanning their surroundings. She seems uneasy, a bit scared, but by the way she's looking around, she can't seem to pinpoint the source of her discomfort.

Since it's still way too early for the usual morning rush, there aren't many people around, and the parking area outside the mall is quite deserted.

But the blonde woman is fixedly staring at something else, something that seems to be between the girls and the two men. Whatever she's seeing, it's clear that no one else has noticed it.

She's not wrong. Just out of sight, something is definitely lurking in the dense patches of fog surrounding the five of them. A dark shape is stirring the mist, making it swirl ominously, sporadically reflecting a reddish glow. The blonde's eyes are darting frantically between the young girls and whatever is lurking there.

Suddenly, the nervous girl frowns and grabs her friend's arm. They both stop.

The dark shadow is now taking shape as it slowly approaches the small group of people. A big lion-sized body and a big black head are now visible, and its red glowing eyes are currently darting between the retreating forms of the men and the girls.

The nervous girl is saying something to her friend, too soft to be overheard. Then she spins around and quickly runs back the way they came.

Looking at the girl now standing alone, the blonde whispers, "Go, go, go! " as her eyes swing back and forth between the girl and the big animal that's stealthily closing in on her.

But the girl only shakes her head at her friend's retreating form and, while walking backwards, shouts, "I'll meet you inside in an hour!" She laughs as she turns around but immediately stops when she spots the animal.