Chapter One: Hunted
The cold autumn rain hit her mercilessly as she carefully ran down the slippery sidewalk, trying not to fall. Her completely drenched clothes clung to her body and in her eyes there was a desperate need of finding a shelter away from the suffocating cold. She frantically spun her head from one direction to another, only to find no one willing to help her and no place to hide whatsoever.
Get used to it. This is what the real world is like. She thought to herself bitterly biting her lip. You can’t be naïve in this kind of world.
A few tiring minutes later, she managed to locate an abandoned playground. A wave of relief immediately washed over her. Finally, I can rest. She thought to herself with a soft smile.
Using her last stamina she ran toward the metallic slide and stepped behind it. The absence of hard, icy rain made her feel a little warmer, even in her muddy and drenched state.
Removing her hood, she let her dark and soggy locks fall across her shoulders. She shook her head lightly, letting the rain drops fly. The girl smiled sadly, looking up at the grey, cloudy sky. I’m free. She thought in sudden burst of happiness. I’m free…
It didn’t take long however, for reality to hit her, wiping the long awaited smile off her features.
What am I going to do? She thought, desperation hitting her full-on. I’ve got nowhere to go. She bit her lip, fighting the tears that were building up. This isn’t a time to be crying, idiot. She scolded herself, angrily wiping the few tears that managed to escape her eyes.
Like hell I would ever go back there again. I have to make sure they’ll never find me…
After a few minutes of simply staring at the rain pouring down onto the sidewalk, she finally decided to just take a break and sleep. Who knows the next time she’ll have the chance to do so…
Awoken by a loud sound of dogs barking, she felt fear pierce through her entire body.
No, they couldn’t have found me already. She felt her heart speed up. She wasn’t going to let them take her, not when she tried so hard to get away. She looked around and noticed that the dogs weren’t as close to her as they sounded, so that brought some relief. But the canines’ nose bared a strong sense of smell, she wasn’t gonna be hidden from their radar for long.
The girl stood up and without thinking ran towards the first and the closest destination her legs could carry her. In less than a minute she found herself in her hometown.
Crap. She cursed in her mind. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse…
She desperately scanned the area in hopes of finding yet another place to hide. Her eyes landed on an old library that was run by a very wise, but strange old man. Some of his habits were weird, but he was incredibly kind.
He’s my last hope. She thought running up to the big, wooden library doors. The barking was not that far away from her, so without hesitation she pushed the doors open and ran into the building. The sounds behind her were gaining closer so she hid behind the front desk.
The doors opened with a loud and swift movement and echoing footsteps came closer to the desk she was hiding behind. She heard some sniffing and gentle whining. It’s the dogs… I’m dead. She thought.
“Hey! Animals aren’t allowed in the library!” a deep and raspy voice bounced off the walls and filled the entire library. Curtis. She thought in slight relief. He was the wise, but odd librarian.
“Hold your horses, Curt.” Lieutenant’s voice echoed through the walls, “we’re just looking for someone, she’s the girl everyone’s talking about, did she come here?”
The girl felt her throat clog up. She clung onto the last bit of hope that they won’t find her.
“There’s no one here besides you, your men and me” the old librarian replied, a slight irritation was present in his voice.
“I see.” She heard Lieutenant’s sleazy voice.
He’s suspecting something… the girl noted, her heart still beating fast.
“Well, then, if you see her let us know” with that she heard his loud echoing footsteps slowly disappearing.
“You can come out now, child” she heard the librarian say in a much softer and kinder voice.
She gulped silently and stood from her hiding place. “How did you know I was here?” the girl asked curiously, almost in disbelief.
He gave her a whole-hearted laugh and said, “I know about everything that happens in this library. Do not underestimate me, child” he smiled warmly at her.
“Then why didn’t you hand me over to them?” to that question his smile faded and he studied her for a moment.
“Follow me, child” he said and he turned around.
She did so, still puzzled by his way to avoid answering her question. Curtis opened the door with the “Do not enter” sign and walked in. Inside, there were books stacked in tall columns, some potion looking glass tubes and a bunch of paper scattered all around the tables and the floor. It looked more like a research lab, then a librarian’s room.
“Now, child” the man said stopping in the middle of the room and turning to face her, his hands were behind his back, “do you know why you’re being… hunted?” his word choice somewhat startled her, but not knowing the answer made her shake her head.
“Hmm… I wonder…” he looked in deep thought, with his hand on his chin.
“What is it?” she asked, not really sure if she wanted to hear the answer.
The librarian sat down on his knees and pushed away some of the dusty papers on the ground to reveal a small wooden door.
“Ah, here it is” he said delightfully, took out a silver key he had around his neck and unlocked it.
“What’s in there?” the girl asked, feeling a little bit stupid after doing so. She was going to see what’s inside any minute now, why ask when you’ll see for yourself anyway.
“Something to prove why you’re being chased” Curtis answered simply. To that answer she felt her heart jump in excitement and anticipation.
He pulled out a purple glass ball. Err... She thought, out of words. Even confusion was a huge understatement to the feeling she felt running through her.
Unexpectedly and completely without any trace of hesitation, Curtis threw the ball across the room. It smashed against the wall with its glass flying in different directions. Slowly its contents slid down onto the floor.
“What the-?! What are you doing?!” the girl exclaimed, completely outraged.
In just a few moments, she saw it. The dark liquid of the ball had slowly formed into a door before her very eyes and began glowing with an unusual purplish hue.
“Do you see it?”
“What?”
“Do you see it?!”
“Yes! I see it!”
“Fascinating” he uttered, his eyes widening and smile deepening.
“What is it?!” she was desperate to know the answer now.
“Your answer” he answered simply.
“What answer?!”
“Too much to explain, you must go through to find out why” he said gesturing toward the brightly shining portal.
“Go through it?”
Like to another world? That’s all just fairytales.
“Tsk, tsk, you ask too much questions” said the librarian, growing a little impatient and pushed her towards the glowing door-shaped thing on the wall.
“What are you-” she didn’t get to finish because she suddenly felt the bright liquid wrap around her body, pulling her in.
“Find your answer!” she heard him yell before darkness consumed her.