Chapter 2

Death. Nothing but death all around. Dead grass, gray trees with shriveled leaves laying around the trunk. Far off there was a single tree sitting, in what looked like a meadow.

I headed down the small slant of a hill towards the only thing that stood out in this barren wasteland.

The crunch of dead foliage under my feet was amplified in the silence. There was no life anywhere; animals bugs, birds. A growing sense of unease filled me as I got closer to the large, dry skeleton of a tree. I couldn't help my eyes darting around, seeing nothing but different shades of gray.

My heart beat faster and a rock sat in my stomach as I wound my way around the tree, circling, waiting to find something.

I froze mid-step as I heard a thump and a small crackle of leaves. Time seemed to stop and my heart paused, dropping like a stone before returning to my chest with a beat as fast as a humming birds' wings. My feet were leaden as I tried to peek around the trunk. Every ounce of my mind and body screamed at me to run, but I was no longer in control. Painfully my legs moved forward.

Only a second (a single second) had passed, but it felt so much longer. The bile rose in my throat as my fearful nerves strung tighter. I had taken two steps.

Pure white silk blew into my view, casting sideways in the almost non-existent breeze, at about the height of my head. Three steps.

Characteristics came into view �" an arm made entirely of bone and covered in skin completely bleached of color, and the white silk became beautiful, long hair. She wore ratty old clothes that were too big on her, and made her look extremely small, maybe five-foot two-inches and no more than 100 pounds. She stood with her back to me, not quite rigid, but not relaxed either.

“I can help you.”

Warm sugar floated through the air with her voice. Her voice sent a strange calm through my veins, which somehow mingled that the icy fear that trickled around inside of me. A strange combination that left me unable to respond.

With my silence she bolted around, turning so fast it was almost like two separate scenes in a movie with the actual turn cut out.

She had the most beautiful face I'd ever seen, a perfectly round face, so pale it was scary, and eyes so big and that were the darkest onyx.

She looked like a demonic angel.

“I can help you.” She repeated. There was a battle of fire and ice in my body when the warmth of her voice penetrated my mind, but her light pink lips failed to move.

I swallowed hard passed the clog in my throat enough to stutter “Wh- wha-.”

“With your father. Your life. I can make it all better Levi.”

Her sweet voice, so comforting, brought tears to my eyes. I tried to fight them off, to be tough and strong like a man, but I couldn't help but but into my belief that this woman, an angel, could really make this better.

“How?”

“All you have to do is trust me. Trust me and do as I ask, and everything will get much better.” Her mouth remained unmoving, but her hand reached up to stroke my cheek. Her hand seemed cold, but that may have been because my face was so hot with the tears that had escaped.

I nodded vigorously, so much so that I felt my brain rattle in my head.

“I trust you, angel.”

Author's Note

Again, anything and everything would be greatly appreciated. I kinda feel like this chapter was a little funky, so....

Reviews

[FemmeSpookyCorpse]

Very nice work! I've only got a couple of suggestions for you. The first has to do with this statement: "She wore ratty old clothes that were too big on her, and made her look extremely small, maybe five-foot two-inches and no more than 100 pounds. She stood with her back to me, not quite rigid, but not relaxed either." When the woman was introduced, it was without an introduction, meaning that after you introduced when the white silk turned into hair, "she" was the next word. Here's my suggestion: in the beginning, you could have it read "the characteristics of a woman came into view" so, that way, the reader is prepared. My second suggestion has to do with this: "and eyes so big and that were the darkest onyx." could read: "and eyes so big, they carried the darkest shade of onyx." Just a couple of thoughts...I hope what I tried to say wasn't confusing at all ha ha = ] I love your story...it's wonderful! Keep up the great work!

-Brittany

[Arsenic Nemesis]

This is amazing, mortal, I love this so far! Nicely written and quite chilling, the characters seem really cool. I certainly look forward to more of this, keep up the good work!~