Life Well Torn

I traveled along the well-worn dirt path illuminated by the moonlight sifting through the trees. The forest seemed to hold it's breath as I traveled on, as if terrified to make a sound as I glided through the brush. I extracted my long blade from my side as a snarl shattered the silence. I grasped the blade with my left hand, while throwing my pack over to my right. I turned to my left as the growl grew ever closer.

Just then the moon seemed to hate me, as it let a darkening cloud cloak its gleam. Feeling the darkness encircle me, I bolted into the thicket, expecting to escape the predator that was wanting me to become its next meal.

The crashing behind me confirmed my suspicions as I bounded through the underbrush. I leapt over fallen trees, and cleared decaying tree stumps only to hear, moments later, the animal following my trail. I dashed out into an open field, not even waiting to snatch a breath, only to twirl around and come face-to-face with it.

A mammoth boar like creature lunged out of the woodland, it's muscular figure had thick, coarse hairs dotting its gnarled, black hide. It's limbs were like those of an eagle, the sharpened talons glistened in the moonlight.

"What do you want?" I shouted at the creature, backing away from its giant frame.

"Nothing in particular" It hissed, a forked tongue gliding out of its maw.

"Then what is it that you seek?" A voice declared behind me.

Jumping in alarm, I twisted around to come face-to-face with another human. His green eyes were like emeralds, cascading off of his fair skin, while his inky hair glowed in the light. His attire was not fitted for a life like mine, and suddenly, I was embarrassed of what I was wearing. He had a green trench coat covering an ebony shirt and faded blue jeans to match. He glided up beside me, but never even gazed in my direction. I sensed some sort of power radiating off of him. It seemed darkening but relaxing at the same time.

"Uh, um." I stammered, glancing at the man.

"I desire her." It stated "The name is Beast, by the way, Sweetie."

I felt a shiver coursed through my body as Beast eye-raped me. The mystery man sidestepped in front of me, using his well-toned frame like a shield.

"Her name is not 'Sweetie'." The mystery man spat.

'Creepy man, real creepy.' I thought 'Who is this guy?'

"Well," Beast laughed, wiping a fake tear from his eye "it is just an expression, no need to take it so seriously."

'Maybe I can run for it' I ponder 'They wouldn't even notice if I took off, they are too busy bickering!'

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, thinking of the pros and cons. I swiftly glanced around the field, looking at possible escapes. I finally spotted a mass of trees, the overhanging branches looked sturdy enough to hold my lightweight body, making my escape easier. The only thing wrong with that plan was, it was a long ways away, and even with my heightened speed, they could still catch me.

'Well then, maybe you should haul butt!' a voice suggested.

'Luna, I thought I told you to stop interrupting my thought process!' I replied gazing back to Beast.

'Well, I was giving you some advice. I thought I was helping! Two voices are better than one you know. You are not alone in this!' Luna snapped.

I could imagine her putting her hands on her slender hips, tapping her left foot impatiently, while flipping her silver bangs out of her freckled face. I grabbed her crystal that hung on a silver chain encircling my neck.

Since she had died, the crystal was the only thing that I had left of her, but keeping the crystal and not burying it was selfish. By not burying it, I had trapped her soul in the crystal, thus keeping it from going wherever souls go after their body dies.

I stared at Beast, then glanced over at the mysterious man, who was strangely calm. I took one last glance at Beast then took off. My vision narrowed and locked onto the trees.

'Go!' Luna screamed into my mind.

Not only was my life at stake, but Luna's was too. I pushed my legs harder and faster, and it seemed as my heart was going to explode.

'Help me Luna!' I screamed 'I won't make it!'

I detected a warm flow of energy from the purple crystal down in between my shoulder blades. I leapt, the warmth making my jump higher than expected. I reached out to grab the tree branch, and feeling the knobby bark, hoisted myself up. I twitched as the warmth started to expand off my shoulder blades, as I climbed higher into the oaks. As I reached the treetops, the feeling had extending out past my back. I turn around to gaze where Beast and mystery man were standing and laughed when I saw their expression. They both looked ignorant with their mouths agape, but then took a few steps back. I felt the warmth diminish and lifted up my new wings. I unfolded them from my back and proudly stretched them out.

'You're welcome!' Luna chimed.

I detected the vast, sapphire, dragon wings span out. I had Luna's crystal and because of that, I was able to draw out on one of her abilities, but it would not last forever. I had totally forgotten about the people below until I heard the crashing of tree branches underneath me. Panic gripped me tight as I quickly thought of what to do.

'Fly!' Luna screamed, panic obvious in her voice.

'I haven't flown in a while! The last time I almost died!' I quickly thought, flapping my wings nervously.

'That is because you threw yourself off a cliff!' she struck back.

'How else was I supposed to get away?' I started, testing my wings once more.

They seemed strong, but I was unsure about what to do. I quickly decided and leaped into the air, beating my wings furiously. I felt my stomach drop as we started to fall, but a strong updraft caught the skin on my wings. It hurled me into the air and the strong winds battered me around until I got control. I beat my wings, higher and higher, until I gazed down at the land below. I saw an angry Beast tearing up the forest as if throwing a fit, and a smile crept onto my face.

I suddenly was not alone up here, as the mystery man soared toward me. His tremendous midnight wings seemed to stretch for miles on either side of his back, but he was approaching me at an alarming rate. I hovered there awestruck by his massive wings. They were so dark that when the moonbeams hit his feathers the light was absorbed into them.

'Those must feel like clouds' I drooled gazing at the fast approaching wings 'I wonder if he would let me run my fingers through them.'

'Hey! Mush-Brains, he is trying to get us! Snap out of it and fly, or I will!' Luna threatened.

I snapped out of my dreams - he was face-to-face with me.

"Please, don't fly away!" he spoke softly "I am trying to help you"

My instincts got the best of me and I took off. I raced in between the clouds, feeling the moisture cling to my face, dampening my shirt. I heard him calling out my name as I flew higher into the darkening clouds. The mood seemed to change as I flew deeper into the storm. My hair seemed to stand on end as I raced through the charged cloud, and my clothes were soaked from condensation. I witnessed a lighting bolt crash from cloud to cloud, making a squeak slip from my chapped lips.

A titanic rumble shook me to the core as I finally decided to hightail it out of there. I nosedived out of the clouds and halted when I broke through. I had somehow gotten over the sea.

'How did this get here?' I panicked 'We were hundreds of thousands of miles inland and now a large ocean comes out of nowhere?!'

The waves of water reached out to grab a hold of me as the wind slung me around like a cat with a ball of yarn. I struggled to stay in the air as the rain pelted onto the skin of my wings. Another wave lashed out at me, hitting me with full force, but I still managed to stay airborne. I choked as the water burned in my lungs, blurring my vision. I heard Luna whimpering in the back of my mind, as thousands of ideas raced in my head, each one ending in being sucked into the water below. I noticed a bolt of lightning hit to my right, stopping me mid thought and I raced off, afraid.

The clouds had completely snuffed out the moon, giving the water an inky look. I pushed my wings harder, but with the weight of my soaked clothing, I was loosing energy fast. The wind continued to fight me and my wings were on the brink of failing, the pain of overexertion making me weak.

"Laura!" A voice screamed through the booms of thunder.

I whipped around to only see a colossal wave racing towards me. It hit me like a wall, the ice-cold water dragging me down. I swam to the surface only to get battered again. Salty sea water forced the air from me, Luna screaming as I struggled to surface. The chaotic ocean surface seemed to be drifting further away as I sank into the depths.

'I can't give up!' my mind panicked, trying to brawl with the water, but my body refused to move.

Exhausted, I gazed into the murky depths as the water embraced me.

Peace at last.

I felt a hand grab my jacket, starting to drag me upwards as darkness consumed me.