Nara, a beautiful teen girl, sat on the edge of her bed, the cold air biting at her skin. She pulled her blanket tighter around her shoulders, staring out the small window at the darkened landscape of Kaelridge, she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. The trees stood like armies in the forest, their branches swaying gently responding to the call of the wind. She could hear the soft howling in the distance, a sound that both terrified and intrigued her. It was the dead of night but Nara could still see clearly as though it was the break of dawn; this was one of the many strange things happening to her.
There. That shape, that dark shadowy figure that looks like a human but a smoke, looks like it's a shadow but there was no light reflecting that someone was standing there, what exactly is that thing that she feels is watching her.
Quick, sharp, then gone. It moved between the trees like smoke.
She blinked, blinked again and again, still nothing.
But she had seen it.
She always saw things no one else did.
Nara's room was small, clean, and quiet. Too quiet. The walls were plain, just a soft gray color like the clouds that never left the sky. A heavy wool blanket covered her bed, and beside it sat a small table with two things: a glass of water and a little brown bottle with a white cap. The label read "Take before sunset."
She hadn't taken it.
Not tonight.
Something inside her said not to.
Downstairs, she heard the old man Doc Morrow coughing. Then a chair scraping. Then silence. He never said goodnight.
He never said much at all.
Nara walked to her mirror. Her skin looked pale, almost like snow. Her long black hair curled over one shoulder. Her left eye was dark brown. Normal. But her right eye…
Silver.
Not gray.
Not pale blue.
Silver. Like moonlight.
She covered it with her hand.
As she closed her eyes, letting sleep take over her tired mind and body the howling grew louder, increasing from one into a chorus of voices. She was running no, flying through the snow, her heart pounding with exhilaration. She felt powerful, her senses were so strong and sharp that she could hear the sound of leaves rustling faraway, the sound of the villagers snoring, the sound of hungry rodents scurrying in pipes and what surprised her was that she could tell what each sound was and where it was coming from. The taste of iron filled her mouth, and she could smell the crispness of the night air mixed with something sweet and warm. But then, a shadow swiftly moved past her, it was that thing again. She could swear she felt something walk pass but she didn't see it, she felt a sharp pain in her side. She woke up gasping for air, her heart racing, her right eye glowing brightly in the moonlight seeing the reflection of herself in the mirror while this happened Nara was startled. She watched her eye glow for a few minutes then it disappeared. "What was wrong with her?" Was the only question she had in mind.
As Nara's eyes fluttered open she realized it was all dream a dream too vivid to be called one
This dream felt like it was a part of her, she could still feel the familiarity of the forest eerie silence, the smell of damp soil and decaying leaves, shadowy creatures and most especially her glowing eye, it wasn't the first time she had this dream but it was the first time she felt like it was real, like she was actually in it. As she sat up the creaking of the old wooden bed frame jolted her back to reality only did she realize how late she was for breakfast and her medicine "grandpa would boiling at this point" she said with a smirk on her face, rushing of to the bathroom to freshen up and prepare for the day.
As Nara shuffled into the kitchen, trying really hard to sit at the table unnoticed she walked right into her grandpa already sitting at the table. Doc Morrow was sitting at a table cluttered with vials and strange instruments which made it hard to believe it was a dining table and not a laboratory. He looked up, his eyes narrowing. "You're late for your medicine, Nara," he said, with a grumpy voice feigning anger.
Nara froze in place; she didn't predict her grandpa would still be at the table"I'm sorry, Grandpa," she replied, taking the small cup filled with a murky liquid. She hesitated, looking into his eyes, searching for warmth. But all she found was the usual coldness and no emotions before she gulped it down, this was something she didn't know why she was taking it, but has been part of her all her life. "Grandpa, I am turning 18 in a few days, don't go back on your promise" Nara said, "What did I promise you?" "You know grandpa is getting old so I need a reminder" Doc Morrow teased "you can't be serious grandpa, you promised to tell me why I take this medicine remember?" The atmosphere instantly grew cold and even Nara felt chills run down her spine "I wouldn't need to tell you" Doc Morrow muttered under his breath while standing up to leave the table.
"Remember, don't go near the woods," he warned, his voice low and serious. "It's not safe."
Nara nodded, but a part of her yearned for the forest. She wanted to know what was so scary about it or the secrets it held, she had a feeling it was related to her strange dreams. "What was in that forest" "does grandpa know about her eye and the strange dreams?" "Should she tell him?" All these went through her little mind while she munched on her already cold breakfast.