Chapter II

"Hello?" Lucy called. "Is anybody out there?"

The girl realized that whatever saved her was gone and, admitting defeat, she found a nearby log and sat down. It seemed strong and trustworthy, though it obviously had been decomposing for some time. It was hollow, the outer ring only about two inches thick.

Just when she began her thought process, something cracked below her. She looked down as the log, apparently not stable enough to support her weight, collapsed under her; she fell on her butt with an oof!

Muttering angrily to herself, the blonde got up and patted the dirt off her rear end. She narrowed her eyes at what was left of the old log. "Stupid thing... I'm not that heavy, you know!"

Lucy looked around at her surroundings. She nearly gasped at how beautiful it was. To her left, the sun was setting; its warm blanket of orange and red tucking it into bed. On the horizon, a few bare hills rose ever so slightly. To the right, more hills – steeper and taller than the opposite side. There were two trees standing next to each other, not too far from where the girl was. She smiled at the thought that those two could possibly be partners; going out on adventures together and having a blast.

A pang of longing struck her heart. Oh, how she wished she could have a partner of her own. She wanted nothing more than to have someone by her side. Maybe then she wouldn't feel so alone…

Lucy pushed those emotions away, turning her curious gaze forward. In front of her was a deep forest of oak trees, some small and others the opposite. A small, worn-out path meandered through the underbrush, trailing blindly along. It was almost too faint for the blonde to determine where it started, or where it was at any point for that matter.

She slid her stare from the path to the forest again. It looked dark and menacing, but something was calling to her. Something that would soon bring her out of her sad, lonely shell. Something that would enlighten her spirit and urge her to keep going. Something that would change her life forever…

She began to doubt if she really should go into the forest. Again, however, her train of thought was interrupted. This time it was due to a sudden, sharp scraping sound. Her eyes widened as she looked over her shoulder.

"Where is she..." she heard in a low tone. Then, louder, "Where are you?"

She listened as the footsteps grew closer, her heart rate increasing each second. I have to get out of here! she thought.

She looked around, seeing that the forest in front of her was the only way to escape. She quickly fled into the trees, not daring to look back.

In the safety of the forest, Lucy used any foliage she could hide behind. She wasn't about to hand herself over, especially not now. Whenever she heard a sound, she quickly bolted up a tree, clinging onto the trunk while sitting on one of its branches. Each time the blonde stared wide-eyed at the ground, expecting something scary to appear.

Though she was more focused on trying to stay safe, the girl couldn't stop thinking about that voice. The one that saved her. She wondered if it was just her imagination.

She shook her head. "No... It wasn't my imagination. It couldn't have been. That voice... It sounded so real."

Lucy suddenly realized she didn't have any shelter for the long night ahead of her. Worse than that, it was getting really cold. She had no idea how to start a fire, either. Besides, she was surrounded on all sides by trees. Tall, short, thick, thin. Even if she manages to light a fire, it would spread.

The girl tugged at her thin leather jacket, pulling the gray hood over her head. She would have wore a warmer one, but this one was her favorite. It was stylish and cute on her, though it didn't guarantee any warmth. Of course, she didn't plan on being trapped in a pitch-black deathtrap or stuck in a forest alone at night. She wore a blue skirt that barely covered her butt, give or take an inch. Under her jacket, she had a blue-and-white zip-up shirt on. It had no sleeves, which was another reason she was cold. Her feet were encased in high black boots, no socks.

Lucy kept walking, hoping she could leave the forest soon and find a town or village nearby. She could leave in the morning. The thought of warmth and a decent bed to sleep in drove the now-freezing girl on. She kept her eyes open, expecting to see the edge of the trees nearing. This place can't be that big, she thought.

For about an hour, the temperature lowered and lowered, and the girl's eyes got droopier and droopier. She stumbled and tripped a few times here and there, but she got back up and continued on. I can't give up... I'm almost there... I know it...

Before long, she couldn't stay awake any longer. When she tripped and fell to the ice-cold earth floor, she didn't have the energy to get back up. Her whole body felt numb, and she felt too languid to move even a single finger. Her brown eyes slowly closed until the chocolate pools disappeared and the world went dark... again.

I hope you're enjoying my story so far! I'll post the next two chapters when I can, but I can't give an exact schedule for the releases... I'll try my best to get them in here for you guys, though! :) It'll most likely be once a week, give or take.