Chapter One
Quietly the world continued to spin. Loudly people continued to live their lives. And quickly, her world was falling apart.
Jack sat, looking over at the young brunette who sat silently in the corner of the room, her eyes lifeless. She had once been a beautiful, vibrant, and sweet girl. But all of that had long since faded away, and what was left was a dead human, with a heart that still somehow continued to beat.
It had been just over a year since he died, and she hadn't been the same since. At first she had sobbed. For hours every day she had cried, always cursing at herself. Jack had tried to comfort her, holding her tightly in his arms, stroking her hair as he uselessly attempted to whisper comforting words to her.
He had thought that was the worst things could get. He was wrong.
She soon became nothing more than a robot, rarely eating, never talking, and always with eyes like that of a dead person. It wasn't until then that Jack realized how powerless he actually was. Nothing he did helped her, and most of the time, he didn't think she was even aware he was in the room. He could do nothing.
"Elli," Jack said tenderly, walking over to where his frail wife sat, "I'm going out," he paused for a moment, waiting for a reply, even though he knew he would get none. "I'll be back soon."
Leaning down, he kissed her forehead lightly. "I love you." He told her as he stroked her hair, before stepping back and walking out the door.
It was the middle of summer and the sky was blue, while the sun was warm as it hung high in the sky. The scene didn't match the heavy aura he had just walked away from. Even if the seasons changed, and time moved forward, it seemed some things would always be stuck in the past.
Sighing, Jack stood up straight and hoisted his heavy rucksack onto his back.
He had many things to do today. His animals had recently given birth, his vegetables needed to be harvested, and he had yet to go check up on Ellen, who lived quietly alone in her house.
If he didn't hurry, he wouldn't be back home until late. Although Elli no longer asked him to be safe and come home early like she had in their earlier years of marriage, he still tried to follow her now faded commands.
Before he began work though, he walked stealth fully down to the Goddess Pond. It had become a habit in the past year for him to visit, giving offerings to the Goddess who supposedly lived there.
Jack saw it as a ray of light. Believing in something called hope. Believing that maybe, even if he couldn't, someone could help fix everything that had gone wrong. So far, nothing had happened though, and that ray of light had long since clouded over. But still, he pointlessly tried.
Leaning down by the pond, he looked into the clean, glistening blue water.
Help. He begged, squeezing his hand into a fist. He couldn't do this alone anymore. He loved her, and she needed help. Help he couldn't provide.
There was silence. Silence. Silence. He had had enough of silence for the past year.
"Help!" he yelled, splashing the water angrily with his hand.
The water he splashed raised high into the air. Higher and higher it went, and along with it came the rest of the water in the pond, swirling violently in the air like a tornado. The trees blew back and forth ferociously, and the wind whistled, pushing a confused and bewildered Jack down roughly to the ground.
And then, everything stopped.
The wind died and like a water fall, the water came crashing down. But in its place, a beautiful woman stood, hovering in the air.
She was tall and thin, with long green hair that flowed effortlessly in the nonexistent wind. She had pale skin, with small, light green designs decorating her arms and face. They looked like words, in a language Jack didn't know. It was a magical kind of beauty.
"Jack," she said, her voice like the wind.
He nodded, stunned, confused, and above everything else, scared.
"You want my help."
It wasn't a question, but Jack felt obligated to answer none-the-less. "P-please."
The woman looked down at him, smiling kindly. It confused him, considering the next words spoken from her lips. "Are you willing to give your life in return?" She asked him.
He paused for a moment, but out of fear and confusion, not hesitation. "Y-you already know my answer," he told her, finally able to bring himself to stand.
He was correct, she did know his answer. She had heard and seen him for over a year now, and listened to his cries for help and mercy.
And he knew, that he would give much more than his life for her, his wife. He knew he wasn't the one she needed, and he was willing to die if that's what it took to save her from this woman she had become.
"Die?" The Harvest Goddess said, her laugh like the sound of bells. "I don't murder people. But I can't give a life without taking one. You will simply become the person she needs."
And before he could ask her what she meant, everything went black.
I don't think I've ever been more excited to write a story before. I really hope you liked this chapter. And hopefully I can write the next chapter soon and have it posted. Spring Break is finally here, so I think I'll have lots of writing time. Also, any reviews you have for me, I'd love to read.