Chapter 1

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear."
-- Ambrose Redmoon

Aomi-

In the depth of my sleep, a loud screaming had awakened me. I wake up to find myself in a graveyard... Why was I here? How did I get here? What was that screaming? I need to know. I stand up to see the silver moon light shine on my silver jacket with the word MILESTONE on the back. I have jeans and a blue sweater on. I look down to find that I have no shoes on, but also to notice a pungent smell arise. I look at my hands to find that they are covered in blood. I look on the ground to see that where I had been laying was covered in a huge pool of blood!

I hear another scream. My pulse is racing. My hands are covered in blood, I'm sweating and I can barely keep still while my knees shake, but there is no other way to find the answer I seek. I dash towards the screaming without thinking; as if it was instinct. I've never ran this fast before. The wind brushing against my hair, the freezing snow under the balls of my feet, it is exhilarating to the point I don't want to stop; but I reach the location of the screaming. Everywhere the smell of blood prevails; there is no sign of anyone, until I see it.

I don't know why this is, but the body of this woman gives me a strange feeling. I walk closer to see her face more clearly. She was so pale she was nearly blue. She was bleeding from an injury in her side and her hands were even colder than the snow. I could hear her faintly, but she was breathing. I don't know why, but I feel that I know who this person is! She may even be the reason of why I am here... I know I need to help her. I take her on my back and run off. I have no idea where to go, but under all the loud sound of bristling through the trees and rushing through the snow, I hear her speak. She barely manages to whisper.

"S-Saul. I-is that you?" Saul... that sounds familiar... could it be me? Am I Saul?

"I... I'm not sure myself. I don't remember a thing ever since I woke up, but the most important thing is to get help for you right now." I reply.

"I know a place where you can take me, but it's impossible with me on your back..." She whispers.

"Tell me. We have no other choice." I demand.

"U-up the mountain... there's a cottage. It was where I was staying until it attacked..." She tells me. She is bleeding a lot. She can't hold on and faints on my back. I know where to go now, but trying to find answers has only left me with more questions. Who is this woman? What is it? Am I Saul? There is a whole mountain of questions I want to ask her... but right now I have to get her to this cottage, and quick.

I start scaling the mountain. It is freezing, I can't feel my legs and I barely make it up to find a cave. I know I am at my limit, so I bring the woman up into the cave with me. Her bleeding has finally stopped. I can hear her faintly breathing. I take off my jacket and drench it over her. It is very cold, so I huddle up next to her. We rest until the sun comes up. I feel weak, for some reason, even though I just rested. I take her onto my back again. She feels heavier than last night, but I try not to mind. I find a path up the mountain into a forest.

I walk into the forest, hoping it will be safe. As I walk through the forest, through the chirps, squeaks, and rustling, I feel someone watching us. I quicken my pace through the forest but no matter how hard I try I can not escape this presence I feel! It feels irritating to me, it makes the hairs on the back of my neck go up, and feels like it will suck the life out of me if I get too close. In the middle of it all I can hear them. The wolves in this mountain... they are angered by something, I can tell. They are howling, warning me, but I must get through! Suddenly a wolf jumps out of a towering pine tree, I freeze up in my place. I feel petrified, I have to move or the wolf may as well kill me along with this women.

This wolf does not have a hostile presence to me, it feels as if he wants to lead me. I decide to follow, he leads me with his pack, surrounding us. I don't know why but I feel strangely calm, but all the while I feel it again; the very presence I tried to escape. Some wolves run back, while others continue to lead on. We find the edge of the forest along with a cottage, we've finally made it!

"Thank you, wolves." I said. I have no idea why but, the wolves seemed to understand. I walk into the cottage to find two little girls with their mother in the cottage.

"Aomi! Thank God you're alright!" The mother shouts with great enthusiasm.

"Aomi!!" The children yell.

"Thank you so much! Excuse me, I don't seem to know your name?" The mother said gratefully.

"I can't remember a thing ever since I woke up... but please may you answer some of my questions? I have so much to ask." I ask her.

"Yes. I'll try my best to answer." She replies.

"Is this women your daughter? Is her name Aomi?" I ask.

"Yes, she is my daughter and her name is Aomi. How did you find her out here? My husband is still on the mountain, searching for her." She answers.

"I found her barely breathing in the graveyard under this mountain. After I picked her up she told me something attacked her, can you please tell me, what happened before she disappeared?" I ask.

"Aomi went out looking for our brother!" Yells the little girls.

"Yes... she went out looking for my son... we heard her screaming but my husband didn't make it on time to help her, I have no idea what it was but my husband saw what it was I believe." She said with a gloomy expression on her face.

"Thank you... you've been great help." I said.

"Please, rest. It's getting dark out, if you go out at these times the wolves may attack you." She pleads. Their mother lead me to the guest room, she gives me a new change of clothes and a bed to sleep in. I toss and turn in bed, I can't seem to sleep at all. I still have questions that even Aomi's mother can't answer, do I know Aomi? Does Aomi know me? Now that I think about it, Aomi is quite beautiful, she has hazel eyes, light brown hair and is very attractive...

"What am I thinking? It's not going to help thinking about such stupid things!" I said to myself. Suddenly, I hear someone open the door, It was Aomi.

"Hey..." Said Aomi.

"Do you need something?" I asked.

"No... I just came to thank you for saving me. I owe you my life." She says while walking towards me.

"Oh, it was nothi-," I stopped mid sentence, I nearly jumped. She gave me a kiss on my cheek.

"Good night, and thank you." She said with a smile on her face.