Chapter 2: Into the Forest

There's something about the darkness that draws her near… Just like being in a dream in which all the pain and sadness of her heart is taken away and forgotten… Familiar faces become unrecognizable, laughter fades into silence. Everything fades into the blackness until there is nothing but darkness and the lone figure within it. But just like all dreams must come to an end, so must this darkness. Because everyone has to wake up sometime.

Alice felt her closed eyelids light up as if a ray of sunlight was shining down on her. It felt warm on her skin, and she welcomed it with open arms. She felt so much lighter and at ease in the sunlight then when she was in the dark, damp shed out back of her shrine.

Wait… Sunlight? Alice quickly opened her eyes only to squint at the harsh sunlight. Where... Where am I? The girl thought as she looked around the sun filled clearing she was in. Slowly coming to her feet, she scanned the area. Is this the forest? No, it can't be… I was just in the shed a few minutes ago… I must have fallen through a hole or something.

Alice continued to look around, seeing if she could spot her shrine in the forest. I need to hurry up and get back before the festival is over or else I'll have to wait another year to work it! She thought as she began to search more frantically for the shrine. As the minutes ticked by, she felt herself beginning to panic. Where am I? I should be recognizing this place by now...

"Mother! Father!" she called out into the forest, hoping someone would answer her. What's going on?!

"Hello? Anyone?!" Alice could feel her voice beginning to rise as her panic grew. "Calm down Alice… You're okay, they probably just can't hear you," the girl told herself, but she couldn't let go of the feeling that something just wasn't right.

As the girl began to walk away from the clearing she felt the panic within grow as the landscape continued to remain unfamiliar to her.

"Where is everyone?" she asked, "Man… I wish I had my cell phone with me then I could just call the house." Mentally smacking herself for forgetting her mobile the one time she really could've used it, Alice sighed, "Oh well, I doubt I would've gotten any service anyway."

She then continued her walk down the path and deeper into the forest. Leaves cracked under Alice's black shoes as she began to walk down what seemed like a path that led into the foreign woods. As the trail came around a corner she felt herself relaxing as she spotted three people on the far side of the path. Excited that she finally met someone in the forest, she ran up to them only to slowly come to a halt about ten feet from the group of adults.

Wait… kimonos? Why are they wearing kimonos? I know that I'm always wearing one, but I thought it was just a shrine keeper thing, not to mention that it's not exactly the hottest fashion now and days.

Alice felt her confusion quickly transform into panic as one of the people spotted her and yelled, "There it is!" "It" quickly backed up a few steps as she saw the group run up to her with spears pointed in her direction.

"What's the deal?!" Alice yelled at them, "Why are you pointing those things at me?"

"Careful! It's a demon," she heard a young looking woman in the back of the group yell to the two men pointing the spears at the girl.

"Demon? Oh come on, I know I don't exactly fit into what you call the 'normal' kids, but you don't have to be calling me demon now," Alice snapped at the women, who immediately winced in fear.

Not the best tone of voice for the situation she realized as it only made the men angrier.

"Demon! Where have you taken my daughter?" the man in the front of the group called out.

"What? What are you talking about? I didn't take anyone's daugh-" Alice began before the same man cut her off.

"You can't fool me! Tell me where my daughter is!" the man demanded as he trust forward his spear so it was only a foot away from Alice.

"Whoa!" Alice exclaimed as she jumped back, "I don't know what you guys' problem is, but you're crazy if you think I'm going to stay here any longer and find out!"

She quickly turned around and ran away from the angry group of people. "Don't let it get away!"
"After it!" Alice heard the men yelling as she ran.

Oh great, as if my day couldn't get any worse she thought in dismay as she continued to run from the men. As the voices began to fade in the distance, she slowed down and found herself in a meadow filled with flowers.

"Great. All I needed was some simple directions, and now look at the mess I've gotten into. I don't even know where I am!" she yelled in frustration.

"What's going on?" Alice asked sadly, lowering her head. "If this is some kind of sick joke then you can stop it right now!" She yelled out into the forest, praying with all her might that someone would pop out of the bushes right then and confirm what she hoped to be true.

When no one replied, the girl sank to the ground and pulled her knees to her chest. "I just want to go home," she said miserably, resting her head between her knees. Just then, a rustling in a bush on the other side of the clearing broke the silence.

"What? No way! I thought I lost those creeps," growled the girl, as she backed away from the noise until her hand hit something. Looking down, she noticed the sword from the shed.

Perfect! Alice quickly pulled the sword from her obi and held it out in front of her. Well, I've never used a sword before but what other choice do I have? I have to defend myself somehow or another she thought as she directed her attention back to the bushes where the noises came from.

"Come on out! I know your there!" she yelled to the bushes.

"Hehe… As you wish little girl."

Alice's blood turned to ice as she realized that the voice didn't belong to the group of people she encountered earlier, but a demon - a real genuine demon - that slowly approached her.

"I thought I smelled something," the demon said in a raspy voice, "I was just getting hungry too, what luck do I have!" Alice's eyes widened as the demon set its eyes hungrily on her.

"What? Me?! Oooh no, I'm not about to be some passerby's meal," she snapped while pointing the sword at it, her thoughts racing. I have to do something quick, or else I'm done for!

"Heh, you've got quite the attitude young miss, but it doesn't seem like you have the power to back yourself up!" the demon growled, readying itself to pounce on its prey.

Power… Wait, that's it! Alice thought. Maybe if I can unleash that power again I can get out of this alive!

"Enough! I'm starving! Farewell little girl!" the demon yelled as it pounced.

"Not on my watch!" Alice yelled back, focusing all her might towards the demon. Please work! She thought desperately as the distance between them was shortening drastically by the second.

A moment before it reached her, the same symbol from the shed appeared around Alice as she let out an impressively sized fire ball at the demon, who immediately screamed in shock of the unsuspected counter attack.

/././././././Flashback/././././././

Alice was a little girl, about 10 years old, and she was sitting in her favorite spot - a meadow filled with blooming flowers - thinking about the day's recent events. She sighed.

"I wish that everyone wouldn't hate me so much," she mumbled to herself.

She felt tears beginning to form in her eyes when she heard a rustling on the other side of the clearing and let out a small startled gasp.

"Who's there?" she asked timidly. Not even a minute passed before a little kitten came running into the meadow and straight into Alice's arms.

"Oh it's just a little kitten. What are you doing out here fella?" the child asked the kitten while stroking it comfortingly.

The poor kitten was terrified, and soon Alice figured out exactly why when a huge dog ran towards them. The kitten ran for its life, but the child was too frozen to move an inch, and when the dog was just about to pounce she screamed, "Stop!" Immediately a symbol of a star inside a circle appeared around her as a bright light, followed by a flash of fire that came from her outstretched hand.

The dog narrowly missed getting hit and swiftly ran off with its tail between its legs, leaving a very startled and confused Alice.

"What… What was that?"

/././././././End Flashback/././././././

Later on Alice came to realize that she could use this power to protect herself and practiced it every day in the same meadow, keeping it as her own little secret since she knew if her parents found out, she would more than likely be forbidden to use them ever again if not sent away to a mental institute. Thank goodness for all the training, because now she really needed its help.

Alice yelled in triumph as she saw the demon fall to the ground, defeated.

"Yeah! Try eating me now!" she gloated at the demon, which was slowly disappearing.

Alice was just about to make a snappy comment about her being so wimpy that the demon had nothing to worry about, when she caught sight of another from behind, approaching swiftly and silently. Before she could even turn around, the girl felt a sharp pain explode down her left shoulder and herself hit the ground hard. Crap.


Okayo~ There's chapter two! Yay!

I think I'm going to enjoy this writing thing, its very fun ^-^
Oh! And in case if any of you didn't know, and obi is the thick band across the center of the kimono that holds it together. In the story, Alice uses it as her own personal sheath for her sword, much like how Sesshomaru keeps his swords in the loop of his kimono.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.

Please review to tell me what you think of it so far and you can expect another chapter in less than a week if I don't have too much to do~