So… Hey all! I haven't written in awhile. So forgive me if this isn't the greatest of my works lol. This is a new story I will be working on, so R&R. Enjoy!

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Nightmares – Chapter 1

She was running – faster and faster as she urged her legs to use more speed. They hopped on branches and ground, alternating and changing course as she went. She moved past the damp grass and tree roots and branches in the dark of the night, unseen by most, heard by none with her discrepancy. Her body was so nimble and light it practically flew past the muddied ground as it accumulated wet drops from the constant rain. She must hurry.

The rain fell lightly from the sky, its delicate drops sliding through the cover of leaves and falling consistently on the forest floor. Puddles covered much of the ground, reflecting nothing but the black of night and barely disturbed by the chase. Sweet drops of freshwater dripped from the edges of the leaves, watching the forest until its delicate life became part of the ground as it crashed down and filled the soil with moisture. The wood was slippery with dampness and moss… the entire forest had the effect of a lonely, haunted area.. Humidity hung in the air and increased as the forest became more and more dense. Insulation from the overhead canopy of leaves kept the water inside, as well as the cold. A light mist and fallen leaves covered the forest floor, and any living animal had gone into hiding, from both the cold and the strange beings that had entered their domain.

The distinct scent of rain hung in the air and distorted all the other scents that lingered. Her nose twitched. Where was she going?

Her eyes darted to her left and right, looking frantically for safe passage out of this place. Tree – tree – nothing but trees! Her brows furrowed in frustration for her recent string of bad luck, and she inwardly cursed herself for leaving the safety of her brother's side. Where was she? Deeper in this cursed forest, no doubt. Her path was becoming harder and harder to navigate through as the night deepened… though it wasn't the dark that bothered her. The thickness of the trees was making it harder and harder to keep up her speed… but she mustn't slow down, not one bit.

CRACK.

The girl gave a small audible yelp at the sudden noise and ran away even quicker. She took a deep breath as she yanked her head in the direction of the snapped branch, her damp hair lightly swinging to the other side of her face and sticking a little. Only 11 paces behind, her fine-tuned ears told her.

She leapt with her graceful dirtied legs onto the branches and stayed above the ground. Carefully calculating which branches could hold her weight and steady her, she leapt from branch to branch in a hurry and decided she had a better chance of escape up here, seeing as how small her frame was. Her breaths were coming in shallow gasps and her muscles were tense from the chase; her delicate flowing white dress that came to her knees was now ripped and dirtied-especially on the edges. She didn't care. He was gaining.

Their movement was invisible to the human eye – fast and silent. To others, their legs may have moved or they may have had wings that were never seen – like hummingbirds, but quicker. Their frames were overly beautiful… graceful as swans, perfect and cunning and swift, and endowed with the gift of strength and speed… and darkness. Both bodies moved quickly through the forest in an endless chase, only a glimpse of them was seen here and there, and then they disappeared again. Their breath condensed in the air and made small puffs of smoke as they continued their endless cat-and-mouse game.

She reached for the next branch and propelled herself forward, allowing the smooth wet wood to get stuck in her fingernails. She scratched and clawed her way from branch to branch, sneaking in and through smaller spaces between them and making it more difficult for her pursuer to follow. The smaller twigs and branches bent around and scratched lightly at the young woman's skin, which she ignored completely. The rain was coming down harder now, getting in her eyes and rolling off her soft, white skin. She was starting to breathe harder as she hurried forward, navigating her body from branch to branch through this unknown forest. Her eyes widened at the sight in front of her. Ahead of her lay a large redwood tree – she would attempt to lose him now.

Giving herself one good surge of energy, she pushed forward even quicker towards the tall, dense tree and began her quick, tireless ascent. Once she had reached the tree, she began to run swiftly upward. Keeping a constant pace was key to being able to stay on the side of the tree without falling backwards. Normally, this would have been no problem, except the rain that was falling was now running directly into her face, breaking her concentration and making her blink often. Her face turned to a frown even more and she felt a light growl deep in her throat. This was becoming more and more troublesome.

As she ran up the tree, she dodged the tree's large, mammoth branches that seemed to come out of nowhere, alternately hopping from large branch to branch and running up the tree higher and higher. The branches were decreasing in size as she ascended… 'Good… I am nearing the top.' She thought to herself.

Quickly, the young woman landed atop a branch near the top of the tree and stopped. For a moment, time slowed and she looked around.

She was hundreds of feet off the ground, on the branch of an old redwood tree. All around her the raindrops glittered silver against the black of knight as they descended towards the ground so far below them. The forest was pitch black and the sound of the rain made it difficult to hear any sound other than that of the constant patter of raindrops against the wood. Thunder cackled vigorously, making the girl jump slightly and shiver in the cold of the night. She looked around herself in a paranoid matter as her body heaved up and down – trying to catch its breath. Her brows furrowed as she tried to see past the heavy blanket of rain and hear past its noise for her pursuer. She looked all around herself for a long time, never blinking and letting the water roll off her face.

Had she lost him?

Her nose searched for his scent in the thick air, and her fangs bared as she frowned at herself. She should never have gotten into this situation… How did it happen?

Fists clenched, she turned back towards the tree and waited, anxiously.

Crack.

There! A footstep! The girl's heartbeat accelerated quickly as she turned towards where she heard the sound. Her eyes took her to a nearby branch lying on the same level as the one she was on. She reached for her weapon…but as she looked more closely through the falling rain she realized there was nothing on the branch..

She relaxed a little. Was it her imagination? An animal, maybe?

Crack.

Again! But this time behind her, on a different branch! Her body twisted quickly as she swung her Artemis Scythe, hair flying in front of her face in wet strands as she watched the now sliced branch fall towards the ground. But again… there was nothing there..

'Damn!' She thought as she turned back towards the tree. 'I swear I heard-'

* Thunder roars*

Just then, as the thunder cackled and shook the tree with its powerful crack, the lightning lit up the night sky, lighting the face of a tall young man with silver hair… and the gun her held in his hand, facing her from where the middle of the tree met the branch she was on.

Her heart froze. In that split second, the girl's eyes widened with fear and she backed up on the branch more and more…

She hadn't lost him, after all.

The girl's feet slipped off the edge of the branch and she fell in darkness, towards the forest floor in shock. She lay in the air, unmoving except for the fact she was falling, as she let the branches in her way hit her. The cold air swept past and burned her face and her damp hair flew around her…

Why can't she get away….

Blinking, she regained some of her composure, reaching out and grabbing a branch and flinging her body upwards. She flipped and landed gracefully on the thick branch, breathing heavily and trying the regain her composure from her shock. She needed to keep moving.

The rain was falling heavily now, and the thunder and lightning shook and lit the forest often. The girl was shaking now, and she continued running from her pursuer through the forest. She ran from branch to branch, moving in no particular direction because she was lost.

'How did he find me…' She thought as she ran. 'I've never had a problem getting away until now… why does he seem so…' She shivered at the thought.. 'Intent..'

Tears pricked at the girl's eyes as she ran and she wiped them away quickly. There was no need for that. Soon, past the thick passage of branches and twigs, the forests resistance let up and the girl reached a clearing in the forest. About fifty feet in front of her was a cliff wall… reaching high up past what her vampire eyes could tell her. It looked like there was a half-circle of clearing in front of the wall, and she approached the area cautiously. Still breathing heavily, she reached the wall and felt its side. It was cool and slick from the rain, and her fingertips slid quickly down.

A dead end.

Her nose caught his scent before her eyes saw his figure, and she turned around to face him in the darkness.

When the lightning flashed, his figure lit up and shined… The young man stood there, silver hair glistening and wet. His body was tense, his right hand grasping firmly onto his Bloody Rose gun, his only friend. His finger was pressed gently against the trigger as he looked at her. His grey eyes were bold and intense, glaring directly at her, looking right through her, dehumanizing her.

Her eyes widened again with fear as she stared at him, watching his every move.

Why did he look so… hateful?

She looked down at her hands in sadness. 'I know why…' Closing her eyes tightly to let the tears escape, she looked back up at the young man, and clenched her fists.

Suddenly, he did something she did not expect. His eyes softened a little as he looked at her, as if stuck reminiscing when things were different.

"I… can't.." The young man slowly took the Bloody Rose and pointed it towards his out head and-

"ZERO!!" The girl's eyes widened and her voice rang throughout the forest as she screamed out his name as he pulled the trigger. The wall of the cliff cracked from her release of energy and shook the ground.

She ran to him, crying, seeing if he was alright. This couldn't be…. It wasn't supposed to be like this…

His body lay lifeless on the ground, the gun still in his hand. His soft hair lay matted against his head from the rain, and his eyes were closed, his face showing peace, and sadness.

Zero was dead.

"No…. no…" Yuki sobbed while placing his heavy body on her lap. She saw the blood run down his face and onto the ground.

Why did she only bring sadness to those around her?

Somewhere in the distance, she began to hear a voice calling to her. Tilting her head towards the noise, she listened.

"Yuki… Yuki… wake up…."

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To be continued! Read and Review please. =] Any suggestions for the story? Questions? Tell me!

Beamz