Shadows

Life was never easy don't expect it to start now

Where time is non-existent and age is no more. Reanna stands on the cliff of Fallen Soldiers. Looking around the dark forest with wide eyes and trembling lips. The evil aura that surrounds the forest in front of her, erupts goosebumps on her blood covered skin.

Dena? Where are you? I don't want to be alone.

A light breeze catches her torn yellow dress that's covered in mud, fluttering it in the air. She runs her hand through her crimson hair but her fingers snag in the blood-caked tangles. Tugging against her hair, she pulls out a massive chunk and turns to the endless canyon behind her. Freezing to cringe at the claw marks and blood on her body. She quickly throws it into the canyon and tries to cover her imperfections, only to tear the remains of her dress.

What happened to me? 

The wind whistles through a forest of dead trees. Each a skeleton of what they once were, without lush green leaves, or vibrant skin. Decorated with the blood of various creatures, claw marks, scratches, and damaged bones. Their white bodies wither among the breeze that runs out of the forest, almost knocking Reanna off the cliff. 

She wobbles against the breeze staggering between everlasting doom and pain. Eventually, she falls on her face on the edge of the cliff.

Fuck! 

Pushing herself up she glances at the forest. Laying on the branches of a dead tree a swarm of crows stare back at her with black voids. Covering the white branches in a grey coat of crows

"Caw! Caw!"

Reanna flinches as their eyes bore into her. They jump off, rushing toward her. Her scream pierces the sky as she ducks out of their way, covering her head. Between her fingers, she catches a glimpse of the birds. They were skinless with aged bones and back voids in place of their eyes.

Please tell me that you aren't in the forest. I don't want to go in there.

"Rea, can we play a game?" Liam's voice escapes the forest, bringing tears to his sister's eyes.

She slowly gets up from her ducked position.

Liam, no! 

"I don't want to play a game, Le. I just want you safe," Trees of bone shake with the breeze, cracking the bark.

How did he get here? 

"But I want to play!" He says with a laugh that escapes the forest.

"I'm coming to get you, we can go home together."

How do I tell him that I won't be coming home with him?

She runs into the forest, and the trees welcome her. Glancing up she catches them arching their branches towards her, breaking and bending as they move.

Trees can't do that. 

She continues deeper into the forest, ignoring the trees that curl back to their previous state behind her. She gasps at the scene that surrounds her, every part of the forest was covered in various colors. Dark slashes were baked onto the dead nature that dwells inside the forest. Fractured branches hung above broken twigs that lie on the dead soil. Each tree wears battle wounds from the war, with the blood of different creatures. Branches hang on trees like a thread that's about to snap. Reanna's nose curls at the smell of rust that suffocates the forest.