Authors Note: This is a joint fic between my brother and me who share an
account together. It's kind of a dark fic that came around when we was
talking about witchcraft and something my friend had said to me and this
got us thinking, and the result is this story. Unlike Nightmare in Balamb
Street, which was also an attempted joint fic, we hope to actually continue
writing this. So look out for updates soon. And now on with the story...
Disclaimer: Square-Enix owns all the characters from FF8, although any original characters belong to us...well obviously...
Hunted By The Shadows
Chapter 1
It was dark. She stumbled through the dark void surrounding her not knowing where she was. The ground below her bare feet was cold. She looked down to see the dried earth. The surroundings were becoming clearer now, the darkness lifting from all around her. The air sighed, as if taunting her at what was to come.
In front of her she saw tree after tree as if this forest surrounding her were never ending. They were coming. She could feel their presence closing in on her, tightening their grasp upon her. She could feel their invisible eyes watching from the high treetops above her.
They were already here.
She had been here before; it was the same place every night. She slowly placed one foot in front of the other. She knew there was no way out of this forest, the trees stretched on forever, but she had to try to escape from her demons. The snapping sound of a twig breaking stopped her in her tracks and her mouth went dry. Slowly she turned looking into the black, at first it appeared to be nothing, it was the same scenery she had walked through so many nights before. In the corner of her eye she saw a shadow move quickly among the trees. Her head jolted in the same direction but just as she expected it was the same thick darkness among the trees.
Her fists clenched into tight balls as she tried to fight back the fear, not caring as her nails pierced her skin. She could hear the creatures of the forest calling out to her, or perhaps it was something else. All around her a low whisper echoed around the forest in a foreign language. It started softly, barely audible, and grew in volume until it became almost deafening.
From within the trees she saw a dark lone figure emerge from the shadows, then another, then another...
Time stopped for a moment as five figures stood in front of her, dressed in dark cloaks shadowing any features they may have. Fear took over her body and before she knew what she was doing she had turned back in the direction from which she came and was running for survival. Behind her she could hear the figures give chase.
The loud thumping of her heart echoed through her ears and the blood rushed through her veins. The trees seemed to be against her as she dodged around them, ignoring the pain in her upper arm as the side of a tree scratched her letting the dark crimson flow freely down her arm.
She glanced back over her left shoulder to see the five figures running not too far behind her. Her legs stung in pain, but she continued to run regardless. She could feel them gaining speed, hear their hurried footsteps getting louder as they closed in on her.
She couldn't give up now; she pushed all her energy into her legs to try to escape. From the trees in front of her one of the figures jumped from the shadows. The woman came to a stop as the figure blocked her path. One by one the other four caught up and surrounded her. She had no escape.
The first figure pulled out his hand from underneath his robe; she looked on in horror as she saw that his hand was on fire, the flames dancing wildly in the dark surroundings. She opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. The being traced a shape in the air with his hand setting the air alight where he touched. As the fire died down it revealed a short sword. Its metal exterior glistened from the moonlight above.
The figure stepped forward; grasping the sword he walked calmly towards her. The woman backed away in fright as the figure edged towards her. She didn't dare look back, that would mean taking her eyes of her attacker. Before she realised she tripped over and landed with a loud thud on the ground as her foot got tangled in a lone branch. Four of the figures knelt down and held her down, each grabbing a limb. She struggled to break free from their grasp, but it was no use. The fifth member of the small party who held the short sword came forward and knelt down beside her. She felt the coolness of the metal against her neck as he pressed the blade close to her. She stared into the shadows where his face should be. She could sense their evil presence. It ran through her veins along with the adrenaline pumping throughout her entire body. They wanted her.
Slowly she felt him release the pressure of the short sword from her neck. Saw the form bring the short sword over his head and quickly draw it down towards her heart. She screamed in terror as the scene flashed before her eyes. The scene unfolded in slow motion. She closed her eyes in fright as the sword came down towards her heart. She lay in wait to feel the pressure of the short sword go through her heart. Waited for the pain.
~*~
Her eyes shot open and she screamed. She lay there in her bed allowing the air to suck into her lungs while the recollections of the dream unfolded in her mind. She could feel the sweat clinging to her body. Looking to her bedside clock she saw that it was 3 am as she saw it was still dark.
She stood from her bed and made her way blindly to her bathroom. Once she reached her destination she turned on the light and looked at herself in the mirror. Her chocolate eyes stared back at her with dark brown messy locks flowing freely towards her shoulders. She turned on a tap; the water flowed out into the sink swirling around before it disappeared down the plug. She cupped the water in her hand and splashed it on her face.
From behind her closed eyes she could still picture the dream from just moment ago. It seemed to feel so real to her. She could still remember the cold feeling of the short sword as it was pressed against her neck. She studied herself once more in the mirror bringing a hand to her neck as if to make sure there was nothing there.
The sound of something falling to the ground echoed through her ears, as she turned around startled by the sudden noise. It sounded like it had come from down the stairs. She slowly stepped out of the bathroom and out into the hallway. She stepped towards the stairs and stared over the railing trying to see what had caused the noise. Instinct took over as she grabbed the nearest object, a glass vase, for protection. Creeping quietly she descended the dark stairs looking for any evidence of an intruder.
She reached the bottom of the stairs; listening carefully she still could not hear anything. She walked to the closest room and inched the door open to see into her kitchen. Once the door was open wide enough she slipped through the gap stepping further into the room. She flicked the light on and was thankful there was no one hiding among the shadows.
Her heart suddenly stopped as she felt a cold breeze brush past her making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She stood transfixed in fear. She was afraid to turn around to face whatever had just passed her yet she knew she had to, another part of her wanted to run away and never look back. She listened for any footsteps behind but she could only hear silence.
She dared herself to turn around, to face her fears. Waiting for a moment to build her courage she readied herself.
She span quickly to face...nothing.
She scolded herself for her childish fears. Maybe she had watched one too many horror movies. Shaking her head, she decided to return to her room. She still had some chance to catch up with some much needed sleep. She left the kitchen, flicking the light off as she went, and walked confidently back up the stairs. As she reached the top she replaced the vase to its home on a small table in the hallway.
Pushing open the wooden door to her bedroom she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She looked at the bed, its lure inviting her back in. She was about to step over to it when she heard a smashing sound from out in the hallway. She was sure her mind was playing tricks on her but opened the door just to check anyway. On the floor lay the remaining broken pieces of the vase. She shook the fear away and thought that she probably didn't place it on the table properly; after all it was only 3am.
Kneeling down she began picking up the broken pieces of glass. In her mind she could see the hand on fire from the dream. The fire growing and being manipulated into the shape of a short sword, the moon reflecting off the metal blade. She then saw the figure looking down on her. She was struggling to get away but she could feel the other four beings holding her down; their tight grip on her arms. She looked up to see the figure with the short sword in their hands raising it above their head and bringing it down towards her body.
She snapped out of her state of mind when she felt a sharp pain in her hand. She looked down to see the dark blood running down her hand and dripping on the floor where she had cut herself on the glass. She let go of the glass to mend to her finger. From the corner of her eye she saw something dark rising; she looked up to see the shadow, the figure of a man, growing up the length of the wall. As soon as she saw it, she knew who it was. She had felt their presence before; it was one she had felt in her dream. The same feelings ran deep within her veins and pumped around her body like poison.
She turned to face the shadow. It's face remained veiled in darkness although this time its eyes emanate from behind this cover. She could see fire burning deeply within them; an evil that told her what was to come. The same short sword held calmly by his side. Slowly he walked forward, her fear consumed her too much to defend herself now. He stood before her, this small gap between them allowed her to see the true horror behind the mask.
Without warning he plunged the weapon into her stomach. Her eyes shot open to the pain as blood began to pour from her body, staining her nightgown. The shadow calmly removed his sword, allowing the woman to fall to her knees as her energy escaped her. The figure calmly turned his back and walked away disappearing into the shadows. Forcing the woman to die alone.
Disclaimer: Square-Enix owns all the characters from FF8, although any original characters belong to us...well obviously...
Hunted By The Shadows
Chapter 1
It was dark. She stumbled through the dark void surrounding her not knowing where she was. The ground below her bare feet was cold. She looked down to see the dried earth. The surroundings were becoming clearer now, the darkness lifting from all around her. The air sighed, as if taunting her at what was to come.
In front of her she saw tree after tree as if this forest surrounding her were never ending. They were coming. She could feel their presence closing in on her, tightening their grasp upon her. She could feel their invisible eyes watching from the high treetops above her.
They were already here.
She had been here before; it was the same place every night. She slowly placed one foot in front of the other. She knew there was no way out of this forest, the trees stretched on forever, but she had to try to escape from her demons. The snapping sound of a twig breaking stopped her in her tracks and her mouth went dry. Slowly she turned looking into the black, at first it appeared to be nothing, it was the same scenery she had walked through so many nights before. In the corner of her eye she saw a shadow move quickly among the trees. Her head jolted in the same direction but just as she expected it was the same thick darkness among the trees.
Her fists clenched into tight balls as she tried to fight back the fear, not caring as her nails pierced her skin. She could hear the creatures of the forest calling out to her, or perhaps it was something else. All around her a low whisper echoed around the forest in a foreign language. It started softly, barely audible, and grew in volume until it became almost deafening.
From within the trees she saw a dark lone figure emerge from the shadows, then another, then another...
Time stopped for a moment as five figures stood in front of her, dressed in dark cloaks shadowing any features they may have. Fear took over her body and before she knew what she was doing she had turned back in the direction from which she came and was running for survival. Behind her she could hear the figures give chase.
The loud thumping of her heart echoed through her ears and the blood rushed through her veins. The trees seemed to be against her as she dodged around them, ignoring the pain in her upper arm as the side of a tree scratched her letting the dark crimson flow freely down her arm.
She glanced back over her left shoulder to see the five figures running not too far behind her. Her legs stung in pain, but she continued to run regardless. She could feel them gaining speed, hear their hurried footsteps getting louder as they closed in on her.
She couldn't give up now; she pushed all her energy into her legs to try to escape. From the trees in front of her one of the figures jumped from the shadows. The woman came to a stop as the figure blocked her path. One by one the other four caught up and surrounded her. She had no escape.
The first figure pulled out his hand from underneath his robe; she looked on in horror as she saw that his hand was on fire, the flames dancing wildly in the dark surroundings. She opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. The being traced a shape in the air with his hand setting the air alight where he touched. As the fire died down it revealed a short sword. Its metal exterior glistened from the moonlight above.
The figure stepped forward; grasping the sword he walked calmly towards her. The woman backed away in fright as the figure edged towards her. She didn't dare look back, that would mean taking her eyes of her attacker. Before she realised she tripped over and landed with a loud thud on the ground as her foot got tangled in a lone branch. Four of the figures knelt down and held her down, each grabbing a limb. She struggled to break free from their grasp, but it was no use. The fifth member of the small party who held the short sword came forward and knelt down beside her. She felt the coolness of the metal against her neck as he pressed the blade close to her. She stared into the shadows where his face should be. She could sense their evil presence. It ran through her veins along with the adrenaline pumping throughout her entire body. They wanted her.
Slowly she felt him release the pressure of the short sword from her neck. Saw the form bring the short sword over his head and quickly draw it down towards her heart. She screamed in terror as the scene flashed before her eyes. The scene unfolded in slow motion. She closed her eyes in fright as the sword came down towards her heart. She lay in wait to feel the pressure of the short sword go through her heart. Waited for the pain.
~*~
Her eyes shot open and she screamed. She lay there in her bed allowing the air to suck into her lungs while the recollections of the dream unfolded in her mind. She could feel the sweat clinging to her body. Looking to her bedside clock she saw that it was 3 am as she saw it was still dark.
She stood from her bed and made her way blindly to her bathroom. Once she reached her destination she turned on the light and looked at herself in the mirror. Her chocolate eyes stared back at her with dark brown messy locks flowing freely towards her shoulders. She turned on a tap; the water flowed out into the sink swirling around before it disappeared down the plug. She cupped the water in her hand and splashed it on her face.
From behind her closed eyes she could still picture the dream from just moment ago. It seemed to feel so real to her. She could still remember the cold feeling of the short sword as it was pressed against her neck. She studied herself once more in the mirror bringing a hand to her neck as if to make sure there was nothing there.
The sound of something falling to the ground echoed through her ears, as she turned around startled by the sudden noise. It sounded like it had come from down the stairs. She slowly stepped out of the bathroom and out into the hallway. She stepped towards the stairs and stared over the railing trying to see what had caused the noise. Instinct took over as she grabbed the nearest object, a glass vase, for protection. Creeping quietly she descended the dark stairs looking for any evidence of an intruder.
She reached the bottom of the stairs; listening carefully she still could not hear anything. She walked to the closest room and inched the door open to see into her kitchen. Once the door was open wide enough she slipped through the gap stepping further into the room. She flicked the light on and was thankful there was no one hiding among the shadows.
Her heart suddenly stopped as she felt a cold breeze brush past her making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She stood transfixed in fear. She was afraid to turn around to face whatever had just passed her yet she knew she had to, another part of her wanted to run away and never look back. She listened for any footsteps behind but she could only hear silence.
She dared herself to turn around, to face her fears. Waiting for a moment to build her courage she readied herself.
She span quickly to face...nothing.
She scolded herself for her childish fears. Maybe she had watched one too many horror movies. Shaking her head, she decided to return to her room. She still had some chance to catch up with some much needed sleep. She left the kitchen, flicking the light off as she went, and walked confidently back up the stairs. As she reached the top she replaced the vase to its home on a small table in the hallway.
Pushing open the wooden door to her bedroom she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She looked at the bed, its lure inviting her back in. She was about to step over to it when she heard a smashing sound from out in the hallway. She was sure her mind was playing tricks on her but opened the door just to check anyway. On the floor lay the remaining broken pieces of the vase. She shook the fear away and thought that she probably didn't place it on the table properly; after all it was only 3am.
Kneeling down she began picking up the broken pieces of glass. In her mind she could see the hand on fire from the dream. The fire growing and being manipulated into the shape of a short sword, the moon reflecting off the metal blade. She then saw the figure looking down on her. She was struggling to get away but she could feel the other four beings holding her down; their tight grip on her arms. She looked up to see the figure with the short sword in their hands raising it above their head and bringing it down towards her body.
She snapped out of her state of mind when she felt a sharp pain in her hand. She looked down to see the dark blood running down her hand and dripping on the floor where she had cut herself on the glass. She let go of the glass to mend to her finger. From the corner of her eye she saw something dark rising; she looked up to see the shadow, the figure of a man, growing up the length of the wall. As soon as she saw it, she knew who it was. She had felt their presence before; it was one she had felt in her dream. The same feelings ran deep within her veins and pumped around her body like poison.
She turned to face the shadow. It's face remained veiled in darkness although this time its eyes emanate from behind this cover. She could see fire burning deeply within them; an evil that told her what was to come. The same short sword held calmly by his side. Slowly he walked forward, her fear consumed her too much to defend herself now. He stood before her, this small gap between them allowed her to see the true horror behind the mask.
Without warning he plunged the weapon into her stomach. Her eyes shot open to the pain as blood began to pour from her body, staining her nightgown. The shadow calmly removed his sword, allowing the woman to fall to her knees as her energy escaped her. The figure calmly turned his back and walked away disappearing into the shadows. Forcing the woman to die alone.