Present Drifter

Prologue

Leaves and twigs crunch under my bare feet as I dart through the darkened forest. Heavy footsteps barrel behind me as I weave through the thicket of trees. Stripped branches grasp at my ruined hair some getting caught in its tangled mess. The hum of insects fails to cover my labored breathing or the daunting steps echoing mine. Hundreds of trees and yet I've failed to find a place to hide.

As I run, luck finally decides to join my side. Ahead of me appears a break in the trees. A small section of land that is only covered in a thick, tall brush. Hopefully just enough room to keep me out of my pursuers sight.

I duck into the brush and try to make myself as small as possible. My dress snags on the loose branches leaving the bottom of it in shreds. They don't leave my bare skin much better off covering my arms in small scratches. I wrap my arms tight around the book in my arms. It and the tedious ballgown have made this chase ten times more painful, yet I clutch it to my chest.

My breath catches in my throat as the footsteps from behind me become louder. I freeze completely as I realize the possibility that I left footprints. The leaves around me shudder from the small breeze that forms as the person runs past. Slowly, I let myself exhale as the sound of footsteps fades into the distance. For what feels like an hour, but is probably only a couple of minutes, I stay curled up in my hiding spot. Once I feel safe, I carefully stand up and step out of the bushes surrounding me.

The book stays attached to my chest as I enter back into the dense forest. Carefully, I take a few steps forward trying to keep my feet from crunching in the trees debris and revealing where I am. It gets me to my destination slower than my sprint would but my body may have given out on me if I was running for much longer.

After a while, the trees drastically disappear giving way to a large meadow. Poppies are randomly dispersed through the tall, unkempt grass giving the space a beautiful pop of color. In the center is what I came for, the large willow tree. It's strong trunk twists around itself upward where it's leaves rain down to the ground below it. Where the dirt is thinner, it's thick roots poke out of the ground showing just how vast it's foundation is.

My pace quickens as I make my way to the tree. The grass tickles my bare feet but it's a welcome change to the scratching of the twigs on the forest floor. The earthy smell the grass offers fills my nose offering comfort after chaos.

I let the book fall to my side so I can use my free hand to mindfully push the willow's strings of leaves out of my path. They fall behind me like a curtain as I move my arms back up around the book. The space becomes dim as the light is blocked out. Only small trickles of moonlight are able to escape through the cover of the leaves.

Cautiously, I move towards the willow's trunk and kneel down in the dirt besides it. I gently place the book next to my side as I close my eyes and look up at the sky. I let my breath fill with the scent of fresh air and let a few tears escape. Everything begins to settle in for the first time tonight.

A moment passes and a small gush of wind brings me back. My gaze falls to the ground below me and I begin to dig. The tips of my fingers turn a dark brown as I form my hole. My dress becomes covered in a layer of dirt as piles form around my legs. The dress has become the least of my worries.

When I finally have a decent sized hole, I sit back onto the backs of my legs and let out a sigh. Gently, I pick up the book and carefully place it into the indented dirt. My eyes linger on the leather cover and the yellowed pages for a moment before I begin pushing the excess dirt on top of it. When the ground has become level again, I pat down the disturbed dirt to hopefully better hide the book's resting place.

With aching legs, I slowly stand up and move out of the protection of the willow tree. I let my hand linger on its curtain of leaves before I let them fall behind me. Exhaustion begins to seep through my body as I make my way through the meadow back towards the tree. The winds matches my hasty breathing as I drift through the tall grass finally feeling a small sense of peace.

It sounds like a small animal runs through the trees as I approach. A grin teases at my lips as I think of a small creature being afraid of me. The rustling grows louder though, and my own fear begins to set in.

A silhouette emerges from the trees where the nose had come from. The outline of another ball gown becomes apparent and my heart begins to race. Her black hair and ice blue eyes sparkle in the moonlight but they are haunted by her grin. Whatever brief peace I had felt, completely disappears.

"So what did you do with it, Ella?" The girl says emphasising my name. Her eyes meet mine as I freeze in my path. She continues to move towards me leisurely. Clearly unafraid that I will try to escape. My empty hands symbolizing my accomplished mission. I remain silent as she begins to circle around me.

I can feel her gaze searching my dress. Luckily the shredded bottom and layer of dirt give away nothing but the fact that I've been in the forest. And yet, my body still tenses up as she comes to stand face to face with me. Our eyes lock sending chills down my body and causing my hairs to stand on end. I clench my jaw in an attempt to keep my face neutral to hide my rising fears.

"Tell me where it is." She demands. Her proud grin has turned into an angry growl. I can feel her breath on my face as she leans in closer to me. "I would hate for you to have the same fate as Nicholas."

"I don't expect anything less," I answer surprisingly without any falter in my voice. She moves back slightly after my comment and her eyes become a little wider. The failure of her threat seems to be shocking. Her expression quickly hardens though. She can't give me any ounce of success in this situation.

"Well then," she starts as she slowly takes a few steps backwards. Carefully she bends down and grabs something attached to her leg underneath her dress. As she straightens back up, I'm able to make out the small flintlock pistol in her hand. I've never seen one before, only heard about their recent invention.

The barrel of the gun is lifted and aimed at my chest. I raise my chin and remain eye contact with the woman standing in front of me. Her grip remains steady as she points the gun at me. There is no sign of hesitation in her face.

"Whether you believe it or not," she states as her finger pulls back on the trigger. "This is not the end."

I don't have time to process the gunshot before I'm falling to the ground from the impact. My hands fly to the wound on my chest, quickly becoming covered in blood. The pain erupts through my whole body as I choke on my own breathing. My vision starts to blur but I can still make out the human silhouette as it comes to stand over me.

"Through every life, through all of existence, I will find you. I will get my hands on that book, even if I have to kill you a hundred times to get Nicholas to surrender." She says calmly. I know she wasn't whispering and yet she became quieter as she spoke. The sound of humming insects and the wind flowing through the grass fades as my chest shutters in pain. I fight to keep my eyes open but fail as my strength weakens. Her words fail to settle and I fall limp. The world disappears around me, and suddenly, nothing hurts anymore.