Prologue
I'm…alive.
It was the first thought that got through the red haze of my mind. I took deep breaths to clear it up and for strength. It seemed to work because with each one I could make more sense of the world.
I sat up and instantly regretted it. My vision changed colors like a horrible T.V. channel and pain branched everywhere. I stayed in that position until every discomfort went away. I felt sticky and wet as I tried to get up, another sign of my terrible state. I leaned against something for support to view my surroundings.
I could tell that the thing I was propped against was a tree because I managed to gain consciousness in a small forest clearing. It was night, with a chill in the air. The cool air numbed the needle-sharp pain into a dull ache. I knew I was in dangerous position. I could freeze, my wounds could get infected, and I was lost. I couldn't even move by myself. My mouth moved for a cry of help. Instead, a rasp that triggered a coughing fit escaped. But it wasn't the wheezing that brought me to the ground.
It was the fire.
The flames engulfed me before I could move. But they didn't burn my battered body. In fact, it tingled. I could feel my skin stretch over every single wound. These purplish flames that surrounded me were healing me.
A sudden burst of energy unlocked me from this trance. I ran into the dark wall of forestry, trying to get away from those fumes. I didn't stop until I got to a river. I knelt and splashed water into my face. This was a nightmare.
It's not. It's very real.
I trembled when a low voice popped in my head.
"No!" I screamed. I tried to flee the riverside but something was holding me down. "Leave me alone!"
You can't run from me. I'm you.