Ash

Chapter 1

Running.

Through the somehow deserted streets of 18th century London; she didn't know what she was running from, but she needed to get away from it. Fast. Buildings after buildings fly past, a blur to her. Carriages and trailers with no horses, stalls and children's toys; all abandoned in the middle of the cobbled road, an abandoned tricorne hat blowing through the invading weeds. What happened to this place?

She knew that it was gaining on her, managing to sniff her out through the smell of rotting flesh and human excrement which filled the air, somehow following every move she made. How could she make it loose her trail? Turning as many corners as possible, trying to rid herself of this dangerous follower. Skidding around another sharp corner, her sore bare feet almost gave way underneath her. Her breath stopped.

"Lord, preserve my soul..." She breathed to herself, wiping her eyes and sweaty face with her hands.

A solid brick wall faced her, as high as the sky, enclosing her in between a three-part stone cage. Her bare feet padding over the path as she searched for a door somewhere, and escepe. She spun around to face out into the street. Its snarls and rasps were audible from a long way away, forewarning those about to meet their inevitable doom; the light thuds of its scrawny body slowed, getting closer... Then it was there. Right in front of her. Somehow the world slowed down as it turned to face her. The thing, it was almost human-like, although it seemed to prefer travelling like an animal. She gagged as the stench of charred flesh filled the alleyway; whatever it was seemed to be burned all over, its body a grim shade of coal black, skin flaking from its almost visible bones. She felt it looking at her, its hollow eyes burning into her soul. Shaking all over, she backed into the brick wall, pressing herself against it. Oh, how she hoped that it would just swallow her and let her escape on the other side.

The thing, it moved closer to her, creeping nearer like a cat on the hunt. Up close it was huge, like a giant, burned corpse. It was face to face with her. She felt her heart stop dead as it began to part its blackened, rotting lips, she heard the jaw crack as its mouth gaped open, sharp bloodied teeth pointed towards her. The beast was far worse than those which her mother had warned her of as a child. It lunged towards her, tearing at her flesh as she screamed for her life; she felt ash pouring from her wounds and eye sockets, mixed with thick red blood. Her screams filled the city, but no one could hear her...

Elizabeth lurched from her bed, breathing hard, tears streaming from her face. She calmed herself down, softly comforting herself. She wiped the tears from her face, about to call for her servants, only for her hand to come away covered in black powder.

Her blood ran cold.

She stumbled from her heavy bedsheets and almost fell out of her bed to look in the mirror and gasped in horror. Her whole body and nightgown was covered in scratches and black soot. She felt eyes on her. Her vision traced up the mirror to see it watching her, above the glowing embers of her fireplace in the grand room, blood and ash covering the thick drapes and elequently decorated walls.

The monster, it smiled.