A Forgotten Love

Chapter 1:Amnesia

My eyes flew open suddenly. My breathing was quick and heavy as the cold engulfing me numbed every part of my body. I quickly sat up, allowing my wide light green eyes to scan my dark surroundings...I was in a forest...Why was I in a forest? How long have I been lying here? How did I get here? Questions flooded my mind as I began to panic. Why couldn't I remember?! I rushed onto my feet, immediately regretting that I did. The world around me began to swirl and I staggered backwards, using a nearby tree to hold me up while I waited for a short while for my head to stop spinning. I looked around once more, only more carefully this time. Little crystals littered the ground and the branches and leaves on the trees. Frost. It was the middle of winter, I assumed, noticing that all the leaves on the tress had fallen. The sky was jet black. There wasn't a single shining star in sight. How unusual...

"Hello?" I called out into the empty forest. "Anybody out there?"

I noticed that I was shaking intensely. I had been laying on the ground for a while, I could tell. Frost covered my long golden blonde hair as it coiled around trees. Tears stung the corners of my eyes as I heard no response. Where was I? Who would just leave me here in the middle of winter? I tried to recollect anything I did from the previous days but somehow, I couldn't remember anything...

"Hello?!" I shouted, fear seeping into my voice as I did so. My teeth were chattering badly as I frantically searched for any path that could lead me towards civilization. "Please!! Is anybody out there?! Hello?!"

I waited a little longer for a response. But it never came. My breathing quickened more. Hot tears began to pour down my cheeks as I started to walk through the forest, searching for any signs of life.

"HELLO?!" I shouted once more desparately. "I NEED HELP!!" 

Not hearing any response, I slowly began to run. I needed to find a way out of here. I needed to get somewhere warm. I needed somebody to be here with me, to help me. I shoved branches aside, I jumped over large roots and dodged debris of fallen trees with my long hair trailing behind me, but it was no use. There wasn't anybody out here. I wasn't going to be rescued.

"HELP ME!! SOMEBODY, PLEASE HELP ME!!" I cried into the chill air, collapsing to the ground as I did. Not hearing a response, I dropped my head and pulled my legs into me to keep me warm and I broke down into sobs. I was going to die out here all alone in the freezing cold. As far as I knew, no one was out looking for me. Heck, nobody probably knew who I even was!! A gentle breeze passed over me, making me hug myself even tighter to protect me from the cold. The shivering was so intense and uncontrollable now...And worst of all, I didn't even know how to make a fire because I couldn't remember a freakin' thing!! I don't even know if I remembered my own name...Gah!! This was so frustrating!! 

"Are you lost, my dear child?" A dark voice asked me quietly. 

My head shot up as chills went down my spine. Standing not too far from me was a tall, slender, and sinister looking man staring at me with strange yellow eyes that looked as if they were glowing a little bit. His short pitch black hair was slicked back and even though it was dark, I could've sworn his skin looked liked a sickly gray color. Aside from that, his appearence was somewhat odd. He wore a long-sleeved black gown, or robe, or whatever it was that stretched all the way to the ground, hiding his feet. His head cocked to the side and a slight smile crossed his crooked lips.

"Aren't you going to answer me?" He said, his smile widening a little bit as he placed his hands neatly behind his back.

I shook my head unnoticeably, coming out of the trance I was in when I looked at him. Even though he was trying to be kind to me, I couldn't help but feel intimidated and scared in a way. He was just so...creepy.

"Oh...um...yes, sorry." I stumbled over my words, not knowing what to say to this strange man.

"There's no need to fear me, child. I am here to help you. It is what you wanted, now wasn't it?" He said as he took a few steps closer to me. I nodded quickly, scanning him again in caution. I didn't trust him. At all. The closer he came, the more fear crept into my mind, warning me to run from him. I wanted to bolt away as fast as I could and get as far away from him as I possibly could but my body wouldn't let me do it. It was frozen, stiff from the numbing cold that inflicted me. Before I knew it, he stood directly in front of me, holding out one of his gray hands to assist me.

"You look cold, child. Come with me and I can help you find a place to stay for the night." 

I looked at the hand, up at him, and then back at the hand again," How do I know I can trust you?"

"You don't," He said with a sneer, sending another chill up my spine. I tried to stop the shaking so I could make it seem like I was fine and have him leave me alone but there was no way that I could get it to even remotely stop. "Who else is going to save you, child? I'm all you have. Either you take my hand and let me help you or you perish out here in the woods alone. It's your choice." 

I took in his words. I really didn't want to go with this man but he was right, unfortunately. He was the only person out here who could help me and there was no way that I was going to die out here. Especially by myself. I let out a deep sigh and took his hand. With a wide smile crossing his narrow face, he lifted me up onto my barefeet, which I couldn't hardly feel anymore. 

"A wise choice, my dear," He smiled. "Tell me, what is your name?"

I glanced up at him sheepishly," I-I don't remember..."

"Don't be embarassed, child. Perhaps you will remember when you are warm by a fire. The cold can do wonders to the minds of humans." He said to me. Yep. This guy was definately creepy. Why does he want to know my name? Why was he so eager to help me even though he knew that I didn't trust him? 

"I have a carriage not too far from here. It'll take us to the nearest town," the man said as he began to guide me towards the direction of his "carriage". Sudddenly feeling an overpowering feeling that I should stay away from him, I yanked my hand out of his quickly, taking him by suprise. 

"Is something the matter, my dear?" He asked, his head tilting to the side curiously. 

I fiddled with my fingers, not wanting to tell him that he scared the life out of me for I was afraid of what he would do to me if I tried to run. Instead, I said to him,"W-Well, I don't know your name. I don't feel comfortable going somewhere with a stranger." 

He nodded,"My apologizes. My name is Pitch, my dear. Now we are no longer strangers to one another. Come, lets hurry back to my carriage. I don't think you could handle the cold too much longer."

Pitch? What kind of name was that? Well, regardless on how alert my body was, he was, once again, right. Pretty soon, I'd turn into a popsicle and freeze to death out here, literally. Despite how uncomfortable Pitch made me, he was my only chance of survival. I had no choice but to trust him...