Exordium

I saw the waves of the leaves and heard the rhythmic sound of the air. The pleasing voice of the reed warbler amidst the starry night. I saw a firefly flying freely in the tree.

It was glowing, and it gives light to this dark place.

I chased it when it flew away. And I still pursue the firefly even the brawny wind blew my gown and hair.

After I followed it, I did not even realize that it was taking me on the wrong path. And abruptly, the firefly disappeared. The light also disappeared. All I can see is dark.

I noticed what have I done. Even though the brawny wind pushed me away from that path, I still followed it because I was mesmerized by its beauty. I just realized that I was distracted because of its charm.

And because of that, I mislay my balance as all I can see is dark and fall to the ground.

Dried leaves touched my bare skin when I lost my balance. I tried to feel the ground and suddenly froze when I heard something: I heard someone crying. The cries echoed amidst the forest.

I sat slowly and felt the blood in my knee.

My heartbeat went fast as I heard the noises again nearby. I cannot still see a thing. Furthermore, the moon was lighting up the place slowly. I listened. I know where the noise is, in the bushes.

I hurriedly ripped the ends of my gown and tied the cloth to my knee. After that, I flip the bushes nearby. My lips parted when I saw a little girl; crying while laying her head on her knees.

Slowly, I went near her. I took a deep breath before I tried to touch her hair, but my hand just flew in the air. My eyes went wide because of that. H-How?

The little girl suddenly lifts her head and looks at me. Her eyes were bloodshot. Her hair was messy, and there is a sear tear on her cheeks.

The girl stopped crying. She slowly covered her mouth with her hands. There is a fear forming in her eyes. She closed her eyes tightly, and I can see the tears pooling down her cheeks.

I was stunned when I heard a sonorous voice amidst the forest, a man.

W-Wait...

I am confused. How come I'm in the middle of the forest right now? I felt goosebumps all over my body when I heard a boisterous laugh.

My eyes widened when I realized that he was chasing the little girl. The girl was screaming, pleading to stop following her.

I started to run and tried to catch up despite the wound in my knee. Then, I also beg to stop scaring the little girl. I stopped running when I felt a pain in my knee.

I looked up to catch my breath. I closed my eyes tightly.

When I opened my eyes slowly, I heard myself screaming. I was running while pleading to stop chasing me. I realized that I was the one pursued by the man.

I stopped running when I noticed that I am at the end of the cliff. The man appeared in front of me: he has wavy hair above his broad shoulder and was a tall man with bronze skin.

He stepped forward slowly and tried to hold my wrist, but I moved back. My tears are flowing in my cheeks non-stop. Then, my lips are trembling in fear. I step back, and I felt that I am almost at the end.

He tried to touch me, and in a spit of a second, I hit the rock and lose my balance.

I fell.

The man tried to hold my hand, but it was too late. I saw how his expression changed. I cried his name until I lost sight of him.

The blast is hitting my face. Amid the noise and haste, I saw the man again in my dream. He was smiling at me and laughing while holding his hand gently. And just like that, my vision went black.

I opened my eyes and sat on the bed. I heard the curtains in my room move because of the wind that blew inside my room. I looked up as I close my eyes, looking for some air. I feel like I've been in a marathon.

I heard the door move. I open my eyes and see my aunt, Cecil, went in. She was smiling, but when she saw me, her smile faded.

"You okay? Why are you sweating?" She wiped my sweat using her apron.

She's the one who took care of me when I'm wandering in the streets, crying and hungry at the same time. She looks at me closely. I smiled at her to look okay.

She has a round face, black wavy hair 'til her waist, and black almond eyes with long thick eyelashes. Blushing even without a blush-on on her cheeks, narrow nose, and peach-thin lips, she wore a blue floral dress with an apron on her waist that wrapped around her triangle-shaped body.

"I'm fine. It was just a dream." I said, and I stood up.

Her brows rose, and she crossed her arms.

"Uh-hum, a dream," She whispered and nodded. "By the way, you should take a bath! We are going somewhere!" She said. She wiggled her brows before she goes out.

I didn't mind her reaction and went to the bathroom to take a bath. I went down wearing a white v-neck t-shirt, skinny jeans, and white floral sneakers.

I saw my aunt arranging the utensils at the dining table, so I help her fix the plates. I sat as I finished my job. She put a plate with bread on the table. I took a piece of bread then I start spreading the butter.

"Where are we going?" I asked while chewing the food.

She sat in front of me and took a piece of bread before looking at me. "How old are you? Seventeen, right?"

I nod and look at her curiously. "Why, tía?"

Her expression changed. I looked into her eyes, with pity, and fear.

I froze. For what? For who? For me? It is because of what happened? I looked away.

I won't blame her if she felt sorry for me. I don't have a memory of when I was a child. And also, I don't know why I am wandering the streets. Or where did I come from? I'm forcing myself so that I could remember, but my head is hurting. I remembered when my aunt, Cecil, let me see a doctor, and according to the result, I don't have amnesia.

She ate the bread that she was holding. "We're going to Celeste and Celestia's…" she whispered.

I'm surprised. Because I've never been to tia Celeste and tia Celestia's house, they are the ones who are visiting us. I've always seen them in our house when school is over.

I don't know why tia Cecil won't let me go to tia Celeste and tia Celestia's house. She said it's dangerous. But, right now, I'm surprised that we are going to their home.

I nodded and ate the bread. After finishing the food, tia stood up and took the keys to her car from the drawer.

Before she went out, she faced me. "We talked about what happened the other day and… I decided to move you to a new school."

My eyes went wide. "W-What? In the middle of the semester? Why?"

"Don't ask why… also, from now on, we are going to live in their house."

I froze. Why are we leaving? Is it wrong? I just want to help them.

"Finish that. We will go afterward."

"W-What about our things?"

"I already pack our things, and it's already in my car," she turned her back on me, and her voice weakened at the last before she left, "we should be there before dark."

While my aunt is driving, I'm looking in the window sadly as we passed the buildings. I cannot believe that we are leaving. I did not expect this to happen. We'll leave the place where I grew up, a city that is crowded and loud. I'll never see, again, my favorite view when I am on the balcony on a deep night, the city of lights.

I smiled when I remembered every time I go to school, they will look at me, and people would laugh at me, and I don't know why. I even did not do anything to be treated like that. But I did not mind them… I'll smile to look okay.

I am so lucky because, besides my aunt, Cecil, there's tia Celeste, and Celestia accepts me as their own. And I'm contented with that. I cannot ask for more.

I took a deep breath because of what I'd been thinking. What if… I didn’t tell my secret? Are we still friends?

I did what they like, what they want. I wore so many masks to fit in. I fixed myself into their style. I tried to be friendly, loud, and funny like them. I studied hard so that they want to be with me… but it was not enough.

"What are you thinking? How deep it is?"

"W-What?"

"Nothing." She chuckled while looking in the front and driving.

I sat properly. "I just remembered something…" I whispered. Tia glanced at me and gave me a small smile.

The sky was mixed with yellow and orange when we finally left the city. I heard tia curse because it looks like we will drive at night before we reached our destination.

When the dark came, the headlight of the car has the only light on the road. It's creepy because there's no one. We are the only ones who are driving. Also, there are no houses. It's strange, though.

Tall trees on both sides of the road, and it was so dark. Even the moon that has light cannot match the darkness of this place. Suddenly, the vehicle stopped. I felt like we are in the middle of this forest.

She hit the steering wheel. Tia is so pissed right now, and I heard curses from her.

We froze when we heard a rustle. I don't know what it is because that is not the sound of dry leaves or any that I am familiar with. I don't know where it came from. It's so dark because even the headlight of the car is not working.

Tia Cecil tried to start the car, but it didn't work. She hit the steering wheel all over again. We heard a rustle again, and tia Cecil stopped. Goosebumps were all over my body.

I screamed when the car started moving like there is an earthquake.

"What is happening?!"

We heard a loud howl. I don't know if it is a dog or a wolf. I covered my ear when I heard another sound. We cannot identify what kind of sound that is or where it came from. And because of that, all of the windows of the car broke because of that sound. I closed my eyes and bowed to avoid the glass but still, it hit me. I cried because of fear.

"T-Tia.."

I turned to tia Celeste. She was hit by the glass but didn't cry. She's bleeding, but she did not mind it, instead, she looks at me. She was not scared either, and her eyes were blank. It's like she's used to this.

"W-Whatever happens… I am always here, Jas." She whispered.

Yes, she is always there for me…

She tried to start the engine again, and it worked! When the headlight works, we saw something strange in the bushes, in front of us. My lips parted when that thing revealed itself from the bushes.

The black smoke is surrounding our car. It has pure black eyes, sharp teeth, and long nails.

"Dark souls…" she whispered.

They are getting closer and closer to us. I hug tia because of fear, and I felt that she hugged me back. I close my eyes tightly. I do not want to see what will happen next. Is that it? I am going to die. I did not expect that I will end up like this.

But… suddenly… there was light. The light saved us from the dark. I thought the light did not match the darkness, and I am wrong. The light will always win.

I heard a scream, a howl, and even the rough wind that blew inside the car. I felt sore when the breeze reaches my wound. Also, I felt something touch me. It was so gentle. Gentle that I fell asleep.

_____________________________________________

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Do not distribute, publish, transmit, modify, display or create derivative works from or exploit the contents of this story in any way. Please obtain permission.