Preface
I wasn't sure why, but I just knew I had to keep going, if I didn't It would get me. I also wasn't sure that 'It' was, but I knew I didn't really want to. I don't remember how I got to the forest, I remember a lady leading me into a room. Once we got inside the room she had told me it was time to meet my new family. There had been playing cards lying on a table. She led me to the table and told me to sit. I obeyed. "Now," she had said, "let me introduce you." She picked up two of the seven cards and showed them to me. She then began to chant as she picked up each card in turn.
"Now meet the King and Queen of Clubs,
Around them there are no jokes or flubs!
Of Diamonds there will be a Queen,
Who is vicious, reckless and mean!
Another importance is the Queen of Hearts,
The woman is a master of the arts!
Again of Hearts there is a King,
Understanding and emotions are his thing!
Second to last is the Queen of Spades,
She is vile, evil and as sharp as blades!
Most important of all is the Jack of Spades,
Despite his name he's no jack-of-all-trades!"
She then began to cackle madly. I remember the insane look in her eyes. I knew then I had to leave. I threw myself away from the table and burst out the doors. The next thing I know, I'm in the forest fearing for my life. With all that I decided to continue down the mysterious path. It was dark; the only light was from the full moon overhead. That was when I felt I should run. Maybe it was just the eeriness of the spooky night or maybe I just knew something was wrong in any case my speed increased. As I saw the end of the forest my run turned into a sprint. As I hit the clearing I knew the giant Ash tree ahead equaled safety. Halfway there I tripped, twisting my ankle violently. I screamed in pain and furry. Oh why had I worn the tube top that constantly slipped down, this micro-mini skirt that was always lifting up, and on top of all that the leather, heeled boots that made just plain walking impossible. I struggled to get back up, but my swollen ankles and sore calves screamed in protest. I urged my body forward until I collapsed under the tree.
In front of me lay a propped up box. No, a coffin! The lid creaked open. Inside was a woman, very much alive. She had pale skin and black hair. She was tall and slim and worn only a flowing, wispy, white, off the shoulder dress. Her eyes were an extremely dark shade of brown. She was so beautiful I was almost afraid to look at her. My eyes drifted down and I noticed apple cores littered the ground.
"Amy you must listen as the time is little." She spoke in a soft whisper of a voice. I looked back up to her just in time to see her pupils lift into her skull. Then in a rough hallow voice she seemed to recite a poem.
"Wind of change is blowing in your sky,
You can't fight it if you try.
It's not something to be withstood,
Maybe of it will come some good.
Danger lurks far nearby,
People with start to die.
But worry about this yet you must not,
For now it is just a plot.
From now on your old life is over,
You may have picked up a lucky clover.
Or maybe the dream with fall into shards,
It all depends on how you play your cards."
Her eyes returned to normal and she spoke as if nothing had happened. "Amy," her voice soft and fragile once again, "you might need this now." In the palms of her pale hands was a human heart. Blood poured from it and ran down her hands to the ground where it pooled. I looked down at my chest and gasped. There was a hole were my heart should have been. Agonizing pain suddenly shot through my kneeling body. I looked back up to her. She smiled warmly, heart still in hands. Her smile was the last thing I saw before the black closed in on me.