Red (In midst of editing)

Chap 4-Red's POV

I looked at the trees above and around me, feeling small. A heavy fog hung over my head, pressing down on me. White mist swirled around my feet and moved in swirling patterns. I sort of wish I had brought my cloak, but then again, I thought I was only going to be a few minutes.

My bow was pulled taunt, ready for the ever elusive deer. A rustling noise sounded to my left. Within a split second I whipped up my bow and shot. The arrow hit something with a ding. Damn, not the sound i wanted to hear. Then again, not a sound I should hear in the middle of a forest. If Rhett left a decoy out here whether on purpose or not... I shouldered my bow andwalked over for a closer look only to see that while I had missed the deer, I had found something far more interesting.

It was stairs, spiraling upward.

Come, Scarlett. Come see me. A quiet voice beckoned.

I begin climbing the stairs, but a voice in the back of my head tells me not to go. Ignoring it, I keep climbing upward. After what seem forever, i reached the final step. It was a floating room, but without the walls. The swirling mist had followed me up the stairs and was now pouring onto the floor. Slowly, I walked over to the edge and looked down. I gasped involuntarily. I can see everything. The fortress, the river, the forest; all clear as water.

“Do you like the view, Scarlett?” A voice asks behind me. I turn around to see a tall man with dark hair. He had piercing blue eyes and a falsely warm smile. But I felt drawn to him. That voice in my head before? Yea, now it’s screaming the run away.

“Isn’t it amazing? I can see everyone, everywhere, doing everything. You know, you can have this forever. Just come, Scarlett, come stay with me. I’ll make sure no harm comes to your family. None of my men will touch a hair on their heads. I swear.” He smiles at me and I unconsciously step toward him.His smile wavers to a sneer for an instant. I stop dead in my tracks.

“Scarlett, if you don’t join me, everyone you love will die a painful, slow death. And it will all be on your pretty little head.” My breathing stops. I know him. I know who he is, what he is. He’s Wolfe. The man who took my brother.

“I will never join you!” I scream at him. I turn around searching for the first step down, but it wasn’t there. Instead, a brick wall was in its place. The wall was taller than me by a good five feet. I could hear his laughter as I ran around the room, looking for the exit.

“Scarlett.” He cooed, making my blood run cold. I looked over at him. eHe was holding a burlap sack. He grinned and tossed it over to me. Carefully, I lift the corner.

The thing shifts ever so slightly that I see it’s not a thing, but a body. And not just any body, but Jakob. Tears stung my eyes as I reached down to touch him. But the long, jagged claw marks made me stop.

“Why did you kill him? Why?!” Screaming at Wolfe, I try to back away.

”Oh, no. I didn’t kill him. I didn’t even order it. No, the killer is your dear older brother. He was so enraged that Jakob said those things that he couldn’t stand it. So, justice was served.” He smirked when i stopped mid step.

“He was there?” I asked, walking forward a little.

“Yes. Well, in a sense. He watches you, Scarlett. He makes sure you are as safe as you can be with me living in the same small world. You need to open your eyes to your surroundings. Life is much different here than every where else. For you, life revolves around getting supplies, trading and stealing. Down south, life means survival. Killing fellow humans that where once your neighbors.

“Scarlett, I beg of you, join me and I will keep you safe from the world. If not… well, lets just say a lot more people are going to disappear.” He flicked his wrist and multiple poles rose up from the ground with heads on them. I didn’t have to look to know they were my parents and friends’ heads.

“You can see Leif all the time.” He said, watching me look for an exit. “Think about it Scarlett. I’ll come to you in a few days and get your answer. Choose wisely.” A hole appeared underneath me and I fell down with his words calling after me. I thought only one thing:

Falling to your death is a strange thing…

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Falling to your death is a strange thing… was my last thought before I jerked awake.

I sat up, panting hard. My grandfather’s journal was on the table next to me. Sunlight streamed through the tent fabric creating a soft peach glow. It was quiet except for the distant bird songs and the soft banging of pots and pans. I fell back onto the armrest and tried to remember the dream. No, not dream. Nightmare.

There was a man, who exuded safety with the smile of a snake. Wolfe.

My brother… killed a man…Jakob, because he didn’t like the way he spoke to me.

Wolfe is coming to find me for an answer.

“Stupid nightmare.” I mumble and drift back to sleep.

What seemed like only seconds later, a piercing scream filled with agony ripped through the silent fortress.

I grabbed my boots and coat while running after my dad. We ran into a lot of our friends and made our way to the northern gate. In the distance I saw a woman kneeling on the ground and holding a burlap sack in her lap. She was crying and rocking back and forth.

My heart started to beat faster and my steps slowed. I watched as my dad went to the woman and took the sack from her. I stopped and held my breath as the rest af the group moved forward, hoping my dad would just find a dead animal. But when I heard his sharp gasp and saw his head turn towards me, I knew in that instant it wasnt an animal, and it would never be even if i hoped and prayed till i died.

I knew it had been no dream, no nightmare.

It was a premonition and a warning.

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A/N: Sorry for the dramatics back there, but I was tired and was rushing. Please leave comments on how to makae it better and if I should continue. Truth be told, Im getting a little bored with where its going. Ideas are much appreciated, along with votes and comments.