Taja turned in her scratchy cot, trying to get comfortable. She first
turned to her left, then turned to the right. Her cot was lumpy and in
every position, she was uncomfortable. Finally, she just gave up and stared
at the cracked ceiling. Besides, even if she got comfortable, she still
wouldn't sleep anyways. The snoring of one of her roommates filled the
room. Taja began to feel depressed. She wished that she had a real home,
not just a cabin shared with her fellow gardeners. Plus, it smelled like
fertilizer. Wrinkling her nose, she tried to forget all the unpleasant
things. Slowly, the young woman drifted off.
She was running through the forest, the blade gleaming with a bright light from the full moon above. Her enemies were close behind and she knew it. Suddenly, a black shadow loomed up before her. She stopped and raised her knife, but it was knocked out of her grasp. Taja was trapped. But then, an arrow flew from behind Taja and pierced the shadow. With a horrifying shriek, it exploded into dust. Taja turned and nodded her thanks at a figure. It was too dark to see, but Taja could tell she was a female. Taja retrieved her knife and whirled around. More shadows appeared in front of her, blocking her path. She raised her bright knife and...
Taja woke up with a start. Her heart was beating quickly. The dream was so real, it was as if she had really been there, in the forest. Her heart slowly regained it's normal rate, but Taja still breathed heavily. It was just a dream, just a dream.
Isabel pulled the blanket around her neck. She was in her room, or rather, closet. It was where she slept. The closet was small and smelled of dust, but Isabel was grateful that she had a place to stay at all. She laid for a while on the hard floor in the dark, resting her exhausted bones. Soon, she fell asleep.
She had to hurry, she had to catch up with her. But which way had she gone? Isabel looked around her frantically, trying to find her friend. But the trees blocked her view. All she could see was trees and the moon above her. Her grip tightened on her bow. Suddenly, Isabel heard a scream. She turned and ran towards the sound, an arrow ready in her hand. Isabel ducked around the branches and found one of her companions. She was cornered by a shadow. Isabel let her arrow fly. It pierced the shadow in the heart and it burst into ashes. The victim turned and gave her a nod. Isabel nodded back, her arm pulling another arrow from her quiver and fitting it in her bow. A shadow appeared before her and she let it fly. It flew through the air...
Isabel opened her eyes. It took her a while to realize where she was. She was safe in her closet. Her legs were tangled with her blanket. She sat up and felt that she was drenched in cold sweat. Her heart was beating loudly. Isabel sighed with relief. Another nightmare.
Raine ran, leaping over the boulders before her. They were after her and she knew it. Their presence loomed behind her. Raine tightened her grip on her sword and plunged on. Raine reached the steps and raced up. The stone was crumbling and she had to watch where she put her foot. Raine reached the door and pushed with all her might. It was locked. She turned and raised her sword in defense. She was surrounded by the shadows. Raine smiled grimly at them. Bring it on.
Raine woke up suddenly. She rolled over and looked at the mirror on the wall. She could see that her face was pale. Her birthmark stood out more than usual and Raine felt cold all over. Was she sick? Raine sat up and looked around her room. Nothing was different. It was a stupid dream. But Raine wouldn't let it go. "That dream means something. It's not an ordinary fantasy. Maybe... It has to do with my mark." Raine shook her head. She was going through the aftermath of her nightmare. But still, she had a gut feeling that it was symbolic. Raine got up and left her room. She went into the kitchen.
Raine sat on a wooden chair, thinking. She often had symbolic dreams like these and she always tried to decipher it. But what did this one mean? Suddenly, something made her look at the window. There was something on the sill. Raine went over to it and picked it up. It was ripped piece of parchment folded in half. Something was under it. She picked it up.
It was a raven's feather, midnight black and glossy as if wet. It felt warm as if it had been lying in the sun for a long time. Raine unfolded the note. In a spidery handwriting, someone had wrote:
It's time to go. Follow your instincts. Don't bring much. Be careful.
Raine felt strange. Who wrote this? Was she being stalked? Her mind flicked back to the diary of the girl. Is she angry because a stranger had read her property?
Raine tried to smile, but it turned out as a grimace. She was being overreactive. The girl had died a long time ago. It was just the dark and having strange dreams. Suddenly, it dawned on her. What if the dream meant for her to run away? After, all, she had been running from something. That could've been her horrible life. And the shadows could've been the wild. Maybe her sword could've meant something. Like her courage and ability to protect herself. Raine drew her lips into a thin line. She can survive on her own. It was time to run away.
Taja couldn't fall asleep again, not after the nightmare. She laid on her cot, listening to the snoring once again. Suddenly, she had an urge to go outside. She got up and walked as quietly as she could to the door. She winced as it creaked, but none of her roommates were disturbed. She edged herself out and stood in the cool night.
Taja shivered slightly, wishing that she had brought a cloak. She looked around. There was nothing. She stepped forward and her foot touched something. Taja looked down. What's that?
The girl picked it up. It was a piece of parchment. As she opened it, something fluttered out. It was a feather. Taja looked at it, her face showing her curiosity and confusion. She was no bird watcher, but she guessed it was a raven's feather. She tucked it into the pocket of her shirt before reading the note.
It's time to go. Follow your instincts. Don't bring much. Be careful.
What? But before she could ponder the meaning, something disrupted her. She tensed. Taja never heard that sound before, but she knew right away what it was. The bell rang ominously and she stumbled back into the cabin. Her kingdom was under attack.
Isabel opened the door quietly and looked out. All was quiet and peaceful. She looked around. Something had called her, but what? Then, she saw something lying before her. She picked it up. A note?
She touched the warm feather, before reading the note.
It's time to go. Follow your instincts. Don't bring much. Be careful.
Raine ran through the house. She didn't need to be quiet now. The ringing of the bell had aroused everyone in the kingdom. Raine left the house and ran down the cobblestone street. The lights were on in all the houses she can see. As she neared the stone entrance to the kingdom, she began to hear great horns blowing and the shouts of a foreign language she had never heard of. Raine stopped. She couldn't get out that way, so what was she supposed to do?
She was running through the forest, the blade gleaming with a bright light from the full moon above. Her enemies were close behind and she knew it. Suddenly, a black shadow loomed up before her. She stopped and raised her knife, but it was knocked out of her grasp. Taja was trapped. But then, an arrow flew from behind Taja and pierced the shadow. With a horrifying shriek, it exploded into dust. Taja turned and nodded her thanks at a figure. It was too dark to see, but Taja could tell she was a female. Taja retrieved her knife and whirled around. More shadows appeared in front of her, blocking her path. She raised her bright knife and...
Taja woke up with a start. Her heart was beating quickly. The dream was so real, it was as if she had really been there, in the forest. Her heart slowly regained it's normal rate, but Taja still breathed heavily. It was just a dream, just a dream.
Isabel pulled the blanket around her neck. She was in her room, or rather, closet. It was where she slept. The closet was small and smelled of dust, but Isabel was grateful that she had a place to stay at all. She laid for a while on the hard floor in the dark, resting her exhausted bones. Soon, she fell asleep.
She had to hurry, she had to catch up with her. But which way had she gone? Isabel looked around her frantically, trying to find her friend. But the trees blocked her view. All she could see was trees and the moon above her. Her grip tightened on her bow. Suddenly, Isabel heard a scream. She turned and ran towards the sound, an arrow ready in her hand. Isabel ducked around the branches and found one of her companions. She was cornered by a shadow. Isabel let her arrow fly. It pierced the shadow in the heart and it burst into ashes. The victim turned and gave her a nod. Isabel nodded back, her arm pulling another arrow from her quiver and fitting it in her bow. A shadow appeared before her and she let it fly. It flew through the air...
Isabel opened her eyes. It took her a while to realize where she was. She was safe in her closet. Her legs were tangled with her blanket. She sat up and felt that she was drenched in cold sweat. Her heart was beating loudly. Isabel sighed with relief. Another nightmare.
Raine ran, leaping over the boulders before her. They were after her and she knew it. Their presence loomed behind her. Raine tightened her grip on her sword and plunged on. Raine reached the steps and raced up. The stone was crumbling and she had to watch where she put her foot. Raine reached the door and pushed with all her might. It was locked. She turned and raised her sword in defense. She was surrounded by the shadows. Raine smiled grimly at them. Bring it on.
Raine woke up suddenly. She rolled over and looked at the mirror on the wall. She could see that her face was pale. Her birthmark stood out more than usual and Raine felt cold all over. Was she sick? Raine sat up and looked around her room. Nothing was different. It was a stupid dream. But Raine wouldn't let it go. "That dream means something. It's not an ordinary fantasy. Maybe... It has to do with my mark." Raine shook her head. She was going through the aftermath of her nightmare. But still, she had a gut feeling that it was symbolic. Raine got up and left her room. She went into the kitchen.
Raine sat on a wooden chair, thinking. She often had symbolic dreams like these and she always tried to decipher it. But what did this one mean? Suddenly, something made her look at the window. There was something on the sill. Raine went over to it and picked it up. It was ripped piece of parchment folded in half. Something was under it. She picked it up.
It was a raven's feather, midnight black and glossy as if wet. It felt warm as if it had been lying in the sun for a long time. Raine unfolded the note. In a spidery handwriting, someone had wrote:
It's time to go. Follow your instincts. Don't bring much. Be careful.
Raine felt strange. Who wrote this? Was she being stalked? Her mind flicked back to the diary of the girl. Is she angry because a stranger had read her property?
Raine tried to smile, but it turned out as a grimace. She was being overreactive. The girl had died a long time ago. It was just the dark and having strange dreams. Suddenly, it dawned on her. What if the dream meant for her to run away? After, all, she had been running from something. That could've been her horrible life. And the shadows could've been the wild. Maybe her sword could've meant something. Like her courage and ability to protect herself. Raine drew her lips into a thin line. She can survive on her own. It was time to run away.
Taja couldn't fall asleep again, not after the nightmare. She laid on her cot, listening to the snoring once again. Suddenly, she had an urge to go outside. She got up and walked as quietly as she could to the door. She winced as it creaked, but none of her roommates were disturbed. She edged herself out and stood in the cool night.
Taja shivered slightly, wishing that she had brought a cloak. She looked around. There was nothing. She stepped forward and her foot touched something. Taja looked down. What's that?
The girl picked it up. It was a piece of parchment. As she opened it, something fluttered out. It was a feather. Taja looked at it, her face showing her curiosity and confusion. She was no bird watcher, but she guessed it was a raven's feather. She tucked it into the pocket of her shirt before reading the note.
It's time to go. Follow your instincts. Don't bring much. Be careful.
What? But before she could ponder the meaning, something disrupted her. She tensed. Taja never heard that sound before, but she knew right away what it was. The bell rang ominously and she stumbled back into the cabin. Her kingdom was under attack.
Isabel opened the door quietly and looked out. All was quiet and peaceful. She looked around. Something had called her, but what? Then, she saw something lying before her. She picked it up. A note?
She touched the warm feather, before reading the note.
It's time to go. Follow your instincts. Don't bring much. Be careful.
Raine ran through the house. She didn't need to be quiet now. The ringing of the bell had aroused everyone in the kingdom. Raine left the house and ran down the cobblestone street. The lights were on in all the houses she can see. As she neared the stone entrance to the kingdom, she began to hear great horns blowing and the shouts of a foreign language she had never heard of. Raine stopped. She couldn't get out that way, so what was she supposed to do?
