Chapter I

I heard your name in a whisper. It was from the air, no the water. Or, wait. I think it was the wind…Or was it the bird's melody?

She woke up, and panicked. She didn't know where she was, and started rolling without a good reason for doing it: she was in panic, that was all there was to say. Due to those movements, she hit with her head, somewhere, and got it bleeding. Her already high heartbeat went way faster when she saw her hand soaked in blood, after having it check the hair. She was sweating all over from just those few seconds. Where was she? She had no idea what was that environment. Was she kidnapped?

"God no..." she said, after going against a bed "this is my room... I..." she stopped for a few seconds, and afterwards, started laughing at her own stupidity "I fell from the bed."

She was a sixteen year old girl named Laura, and was the ordinary teenager that tried to fit in her school, trying to keep her grades average but without big ambitions, and with a desire to live life like every day was her last.

It was on a Saturday night, two nights ago, that everything changed, however.

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− Hey Laura, you are coming to my party.
− I don't know… when is i…-
− It wasn't a question. You are coming, period.
− Haha, ok. How will it work, then?
− Well, it'll be in a rented house in the forest. It's an awesome place, since there is no neighborhood to whine about noise! There will be two bands playing in there, one of them being mine, and lots of food. You have to pay 2€ at the entrance though, because renting it wasn't cheap.
− How will it work for the drinks?
− So impatient. I knew you'd ask that – she laughs – well, they're all under a friendly price. It's the perfect place to get drunk! 50 cents for beer and 1 euro for white drinks. Though it might be different for you…
− Different for me? How so?
− I am putting you in charge of the bar, if you want. That way, you are free to drink for free.
− Oooooh, awesome.

They kept speaking about it for half an hour. There was still a long time to go before that party. And a long way, as well. There were many things to prepare, and everything would have to be ready in one month. Laura, being Carla's best friend, immediately offered herself to help.

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The eve of the long awaited day had finally come. Sweating and panting, the makers of the party stood proudly in the room full of food, light effects, loud music, and a bar full of drink. Everyone waited for the following words, and it was Laura who pompously flaunted them:
− It's done.

After that, everyone cheered and shouted happily. Everything was ready, the light effects were perfect, the music was perfect.
− Now all we can do is wait for tomorrow – A guy shouted while turning the music off.
− Yea, if everything happens as awesomely as we just saw − A girl said, this one turning the lights off − it will be one hell of a party!
− Hehe, and don't forget the money we'll get! − declared an extremely happy Carla. If others were that much happy, then she, as the one whose birthday party was being prepared for, should be feeling an indescribable joy.
− Well, I guess we've earned the right to drink a little now! − Laura said, more to herself than the others, as she was already behind the bar.
− But, we said we'd keep them for tomorrow…
− Hum, yea…
− Gosh, we deserve it! Besides, I need to get experience for tomorrow, right?

Everyone looked at Carla, as if telling her to decide. Laura laughed at such action from them, she knew her friend good enough to predict her answer.
− It's okay; let's get us some champagne and vodka!

They all rushed to pick the bottles but were stopped by Laura's hand
− I'm the one who will be serving tomorrow, I'll be serving today. But hey − she placed her hand on the cork of a champagne bottle − look at the hours! − She opened the bottle and champagne wetted everyone; they were all with their backs turned to Laura, in order to look at the clock. It was midnight. Laura slowly placed a hand over her best friend Carla, and kissed her in the cheek − Happy Birthday, oldster.

Everyone congratulated her, while hugging her, smiling and drinking. She was eighteen now, the older of the group. The party would only be tomorrow, but it would be that moment, with her best friends, that would be unforgettable.

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"Aaaaaaaaah. I shouldn't have drunk so much last night!" Said Laura after waking up, placing her hand on her forehead, as a result of the terrible headache that took hold of her.

And she said it so loudly that everyone woke up; they all had slept on the forest's house as accorded.

They had overslept, however. They had overslept a lot. It was 6 PM, they had two hours to get everything ready: Their drunken selves pretty much ruined a good part of the work they put on that party.

Having passed 3 hours, many people were already at the door, shouting, knocking and ringing no the bell, when the door was finally open and everyone rushed inside, but stopped in front of Ricardo, the guy who turned the music off the previous night and responsible for the entrance payments.

The party's staff was the following:
Ricardo, Joseph, Marco and Carla were the vocalist, guitarist, bass guy and drums girl, respectively, of the band mostly known as Triple R, being the real name "Run Rabbit Run". They weren't that much of a famous band nationally, but locally, they were the most popular. Ricardo being the biggest, stood in the entrance getting the entry 2€, ready to beat up anyone who decided to play stupid. Happily, it wasn't necessary.

The other band wasn't as known but was pretty good, as well. They weren't great friends of Carla's either, but were the ones who had the idea of making her party like that.

Mary – the one who turned the lights off the previous day – was taking care of the money people paid for the drinks and Laura was preparing them.

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The party was over. Everyone had left; Laura was now closing the bar. As Carla closed near her, she smiled:
− It was great.
− Amazing.
− Godly.
− Undoubtedly, the best party, ever.

After those words, Carla stumbled to the ground, completely tired and with too much alcohol in her blood. Laura kept her smile and went outside the house. Walking with more zig than zag, she fell on the grass. In a state of pure drunkenness, she rolled on it while laughing like a maniac. She stopped looking at the sky, her vision was starting to get blurry, but before she passed out, she saw an image. It was a man, an old man, shaking is head in disappointment.

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Laura woke up and panicked, like she always did when she woke up in an unusual place. But this time, she had reasons to panic, it wasn't a friend's house, it wasn't the floor of her house… She quickly got up and looked around; she was in the middle of… nothing. Only a small candle stood right in front her, illuminating a bit of whatever place she was in, but the candle's light couldn't reveal the whole place, and an immense darkness stood in front of her.
− Hello?! – She said in a not too loud voice − Hello?! − This time, she shouted, her voice trembling. She was scared.

At first, she just stood and kept shouting, in such a panic that from her lips came not a cry for help, but an incomprehensible scream of despair. Decided to do something, she wiped out her tears, picked the candle and started moving, only to stumble on something in the start of her trip. She fell head on on the ground and screamed, not from pain, but fear, and immediately crawled backwards. She left her candle behind, and was now in the middle of a darkness darker than black, without any idea of how to go back. So astonished by the situation, she took long to notice that a sharp object was below her hand. Just as she had been ignoring the pain on her forehead, she also ignored the big cut she managed to get and picked whatever was below her with her bleeding hand. She didn't know how to react. It was… a sword.

A voice came from somewhere. A calm voice that didn't fit the atmosphere. She got up, sword in hand, legs shaking, and looked everywhere, but couldn't see anything.

I heard your name in a whisper. It was from the air, no the water. Or, wait. I think it was the wind… Or was it the bird's melody? Oh well. Defend yourself, girl!