Reborn

Chapter 1

It was getting cool, and the sun was setting as Ashley made her way back to her car after an afternoon of hiking. She was tired and sore and wanted to get home to warm shower and clean clothes then snuggle under blankets on her bed. Ashley picked up her pace with her mind on getting home and she didn't hear or see the oncoming car until it was too late, and her vision was blinded by headlights, and her ears filled with the sound of a blaring horn. Ashley was hit and set flying in the air. She hit the ground hard and felt pain throughout her body then heard car doors open and panicked whispers. She was faintly aware of her body being moved and then heard doors slam shut and the car drive away.

Ashley laid on her back on the side of the road for an unsure amount of time, beginning to get cold and her limbs becoming stiff and then numbing. She began to fight for each breath and her mind was hazy and confused and her ears were buzzing. Ashley began to blink trying to clear her vision that began to blur and fight against the blackness that was trying to take over. She saw a figure approach but couldn't focus her vision enough for distinct features. The man who approached looked down at the dying girl and saw a spark of life and determination deep in her eyes. He then kneeled next to her and murmured into Ashley's ear, "A gift of eternal life is far greater than the mercy of death."

The man then bit down on Ashley's neck and began to feed. Ashley felt pain in her neck and felt herself slipping away. She then tasted a coppery liquid on her tongue and swallowed just before her body exhaled its last human breath. The man then lifted Ashley's body into his arms and walked deep into the woods and then laid her body down took one last look at the girl and slipped back into the shadows.

The next morning Ashley woke up to the light filtering through the leaves high above her and she blinked to adjust her eyes. She then tried to move but was hurt all over. She lifted her head and scanned around and noticed she was lying in the woods and had no clear memory of how she ended up there. She was able to sit up despite the pain throughout her body. Ashley assessed her body and saw the rips and tears in her clothing and the cuts and bruises on the uncovered parts of her body. She became more confused by the state she was in and wondered what happened to her because the last thing she remembered in her disjointed memories was leaving the woods and crossing the road where she parked her car.

Ashley got to her feet and winced in pain. She glanced around to get her bearings on where in the woods she was. Once she walked at a slow pace for a bit, she had some notion of where she was and began to make her way to the trail that would lead her out and to the road. Ashley stumbled a few times unable to support her weight. She looked around and found a big enough stick to support and help her walk. The walk was hard and at a slow grueling pace, but she had determination on her side and when she spotted the road in the distance, she let out a breath of relief. After another agonizing amount of effort due to her injuries, she made it to the road's edge. She looked down the road and noticed her car where she had left it the day before and once Ashley was sure no cars were coming, she made her way across the road. Unbeknownst to Ashley a figure watched her from the shadows.

Once Ashley made it to her car, she realized she didn't have her car keys. She groaned in frustration when she realized when she found herself waking up in the woods, she didn't have her hiking pack with her. She made a quick scan of the area when something caught her eye a few feet away. She gripped onto the stick she still had and made her way over to the item at a slow pace. When she reached her destination Ashley let out a relieved laugh when she saw it was her hiking pack. Her brows then furrowed in confusion when she thought of the fact that her hiking pack was here near the car when she herself woke up to find herself deep in the woods. Ashley bent down and grabbed her pack off the ground and saw it a bit beat up and included some splatters of blood on it which made even less sense to her. She decided to save the mystery for another day and unzipped the pocket where she kept her keys and phone and let out a sigh of relief when she found them undamaged inside. She then trudged back to her car and opened the driver's side door and lowered herself inside. Once inside she started up the car and with what strength she had left drove home.