Episode 1: fright

She kept running!

Running with speed and looking behind her back, Samara's heart kept pounding in her chest and the day she feared the most has arrived and there was nothing she could do to change the hands of time. She rushed into the woods, where no one else could find her.

Her legs were aching due to the way she ran, her breath hitched, and she wrapped her arms around herself. She knelt close to a tree and tried to calm her heart from racing heavily. She felt suffocated already.

Why were they here in the first place? She wanted to avoid leaving the orphanage. That was her home, her friends and all the people she grew up with stayed at the orphanage.

She heard a creepy sound in the woods and turned swiftly, but there was nothing there. Was she hallucinating? Is she hearing things she wasn't supposed to? Was the effect of fear taking over her already?

She crawled slowly while trying to be careful not to make a sound, she didn't want to get noticed by any of the men, then she found a good spot and sat there, closed her eyes for a second before peeping at the orphanage again.

She could see how other kids were being grabbed and thrown into the van by the hefty men. The van had written words on it. 'School of skulls and magic' and she felt a lump in her throat. Who would want to go to a school with such a name?

Samara had lived her whole life in the Upgrade orphanage and never thought, a day will come when someone would want to take her away from a place she calls home. She sighted the Reverend sister standing with a man in a white robe, he looks like the leader, though his face was covered with a mask.

Is she behind this? Does the other students know about this? So many thoughts roamed inside her head, and it was driving her insane.

She watched closely, and then she noticed something. Only the kids born with magic were being taken by the scary men. Does that mean they were here for them and not the other kids?

Suddenly, she heard a creepy sound again, it was louder and clear this time around and her heart gave a mighty leap. She wide her eyes and roamed her head around searching for nothing in particular.

She felt strange and deep down she knew something was in the woods with her, she was too scared to meditate and let her magic flowed through her. Was she going to die today? Is this the end? She thought.

She moved over to a place with a thicker grass, the place had an awful smell, but she cared less. Then, everywhere went silent and she breathe out in relieved. She raised her head and glanced around one more time, but she didn't see a thing.

Out of nowhere, she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Caught you!" The person whispered in a strange aura and Samara screamed. She was not expecting anyone, and definitely not in that manner.

She crawled and tried to free herself from the mask man, but he held her firmly by the shoulder. "You can't escape from me, and your little hide and seek is boring." He added coldly and raised her up.

"Let me go! I am not your property." She yelled and tried to kick him, but she was only wasting her energy.

"This is a lifetime opportunity we are giving you all, sooner you will realize the society won't accept anyone born with magic. We are taking you home." He declared, and then two men out of nowhere started walking towards them.

"Leave me alone! I don't want to go." She cried and tried to fight back. She closed her eyes to use her magic on them, but it was not working.

"You're just wasting your time. Damien! Take her to the van." He commanded and disappeared like a flash. She dropped her mouth open in shock and didn't notice when one of the men lifted her up and place her on his shoulder.

"Somebody help! I am being kidnapped." She screamed, hoping someone else would save her.

She bit him on the shoulder, and he groaned loudly, Samara successfully jumped down from his massive body and ran back into the woods. They kept chasing her, and she kept running without taking a break, her legs ached, and she had no idea on which direction she was headed.

She needed to save herself! That was the only thought flowing inside her head.

She reached a point where she had to decide. She was standing at the edge of a cliff top while the two hefty men were moving closer to her. Was it better for her to jump and die? Those people look scary to her, and she couldn't determine what kind of life she was going to live with them.

She took a deep breath and stared at the cliff again, her heart skipped rapidly, and she wiped her sweaty hands on her cloth.

"Don't you dare jump off that cliff!" One of them warned, and she turned to face them.

"Don't get closer, if not, I will be left with no choice but to jump." She threatened and one of them scoffed. They kept marching towards her, and she knew she had to decide at the moment.

She was perplexed on what to do at that instant. Suddenly, she turned while contemplating on her decision. She was willing to jump down than follow this scary men. There was something strange about them, but she couldn't really detect what it was.

She exhaled and tried to jump down the cliff top with her heart racing, but a hand grabbed her immediately. "I caught you again." He muttered coldly and smirked. She felt shivers ran down her spine, and another set of fear radiate through her.

"No! No. Let me go," she whined and tried to escape from his grip.