Prologue
Lightning flashes above, soon followed by the crash of thunder. The noise echoed in Hope's ears, making them ring. The ringing was soon replaced by her panting breath and the pounding of her heart.
She was running.
From what, she didn't know.
Heavy, inky, black darkness surrounds her, obscuring everything from view.
"Keep going!" A voice, barley audible through the torrential downpour, yells. It was familiar, but Hope couldn't quite place it.
"They're behind us!" Another voice called out, getting her attention. It also sounded familiar.
"I know," the first voice responded, "keep running!"
As if to up the horror factor, a mass of noises rose up from behind them, hissing, growling, and screeching. Terrified, Hope pressed her feet harder against the ground, trying to propel herself forward, trying to get away from the things behind her.
A noise that was barely more than a whisper beneath the storm above them began increasing in volume as Hope and the faceless voices ran onwards.
'A river?' She thought, confused.
The...people...behind her seemed to notice the sound as well and tried to switch directions, pushing Hope along with them.
"No! Keep going straight!" The first voice, the one from before, basically screamed. The runners changed course again, but only a little, as if unsure about following these orders.
The roar of the river grew louder.
"WHAT!?" A new voice bellowed, easily heard over the storm.
Hope immediately recognized that voice, 'Kaleb?' She thought, utterly surprised.
"Are you insane!?" Kaleb yelled again, seemingly near her.
"Trust me!"
It finally dawned on Hope that she was the one yelling and giving orders. It was strange, she didn't even feel like she was talking. The words were coming from her, but she never felt her mouth open.
'What is going on?'
The roar of the river grew even louder, even drowning out the sound if the storm.
"Are you trying to get us killed," another new voice yelled, sounding terrified.
Someone else answered back, "Well, would you rather stay with them!?"
Hope could tell that they were talking about the mass of creature behind him. In response, the hisses and growls grew louder.
Oh, how she wished she could see...though that would probably be a bad idea.
"On three," she felt herself yell, "we jump!"
She could feel the tension in the air around her.
"One!" The raging river nearly drowned out her voice.
"Two!" She felt the edge near her feet.
"Three!" Hope pushed off with all her might, and she could feel herself flying forward.
Then she began to fall...