WinterI crash into the ground, my butt hitting it first. The spinning is gone, and I blink at my new surroundings.It's dark here, with dead-looking trees all over the place. There's space between them, almost like some kind of fruit orchard.These trees definitely don't grow fruit, though. They look incapable of growing anything.Getting to my feet, I take a shaky breath. Damon was right. His ritual worked.That or it just killed me, and I'm walking around the afterlife, unable to return to Earth.Slowly, I creep through the trees, following the path of least resistance. A light fog covers the ground, and it's beautiful in a strange, ominous kind of way."Hello?" I call. "Alec?"Something moves out of the corner of my eye, and I whirl around. There's nothing there, though.My heart races. I swear I saw something.Maybe I shouldn't be walking around this place, calling out his name, drawing attention to myself.I start walking again, this time only using my eyes to hunt
WinterI awake to the sound of rustling outside my door. My heart races as I sit up, rubbing sleep from my eyes. Was it Alec? Had he found me?But as I strain to listen, I realize it's just Lavinia moving about in the main room of the cabin. I groan, feeling disappointed and a little foolish for getting my hopes up.I get out of bed and stretch, feeling much better after a good night's sleep. I glance at the washbasin, thinking a splash of water on my face might do me good.As I head out of the bedroom, I hear Lavinia muttering to herself. "Strange, strange...I've never seen this before..."Curiosity piqued, I move towards the sound of her voice. As I enter the main room, I see her hunched over a dusty old book, muttering to herself. She looks up when she hears me enter, surprise registering on her face."Winter!" she exclaims, snapping the book shut. "Good morning, dear," she says softly. "I hope you slept well."I rub the sleep from my eyes and glance out the window. It's
WinterSpinning around, I survey the mist just as someone emerges from the thick gray. It's a young woman, only a few years older than me. She looks freaked out, her red hair hanging loose around her face and her green eyes wide."Hello?" she asks cautiously, stopping a few yards away. "Are you... are you a human?"Not quite. I don't know what I am, really. Just that I'm some kind of supernatural with really unpredictable powers."Human" is a close enough description in this context, though, with wisps floating around.I nod, my heart racing. I'm not used to seeing other people out here. "Yes," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "Who are you?"The woman hesitates before speaking. "I'm Lucy. I was out here on a camping trip with my friends, but I got separated from them. I don't know where they are."I feel a pang of sympathy for her. She doesn't know she's dead, does she? She must have been killed while on her camping trip--maybe from falling down a cliff--and now she thin
TyrThe wind is ferocious on the little island with the lighthouse. Standing on the rocks, I survey the area. The place looks deserted, the lighthouse an automated one that probably hasn't been run by a human in decades.This is it. The last place Gray Finnegan and her Silver Hunter team were seen.My lips turn down into a frown. She was supposed to retrieve the Golden Coin, but I know for a fact that she never did, thanks to my skills in remote viewing.Instead, that stupid Winter Grace has the Golden Coin.I feel like an idiot. I knew she was clever, just like her parents. Really, though, I should have kept a better watch on her--and I shouldn't have sent some senseless Silver Hunters to nab the coin. I should have just done it myself.Heat rising in my chest, I stride to the lighthouse's door. The door is unlocked, and it leads to a winding staircase. My jaw tight, I take it two steps at a time.When I reach the top, I stop in shock.The chair next to the light is empty.
WinterI jog along the path, which twists and turns its way through the trees. Just when I think I'm done crying, another tear slides down my face. I hastily brush each one away.What happened to Lucy is so unfair. She seemed like such a nice person.Did she do something to deserve what happened to her? How could anyone deserve having their soul consumed by one of those wisps?The questions about Lucy lead to bigger questions. Is this the place that everyone comes to when we die? Are we trapped here forever?God, I hope not. That seems too cruel. This place is nothing but a wasteland with evil floating around it.The path levels out again, and I'm back in an even area. The trees are still the same, though. Scraggly, nearly black, and with sharp branches that remind me of claws.My legs are getting tired, and for the first time I realize how thirsty I am. Picking a tree, I sit on a thick root and open the bag Lavinia gave me. The water is cool and refreshing, and I drink nearly
WinterAlec is standing at the edge of the river, his back to us. I can see his dark hair and the broadness of his shoulders, and I feel my heart both ache and race at the same time. He's alive. He's really alive.My heart skips a beat, and I break into a run. I don't even think about the danger I might be walking into. I just need to get to him."Wait!" Jack calls out behind me, but I don't stop. I'm too close.As I approach, Alec turns around, and my relief is short-lived. His eyes are vacant and empty. Something is wrong."Alec!" I yell, skidding to a stop in front of him. "What happened? Are you okay?"He doesn't answer, just stares blankly at me. I reach out to touch his arm, but he flinches away from me, his eyes darting around as if he's afraid of something."What's going on?" I turn to Jack, who's arrived behind me."I'm sorry," he gasps. "This is what I was about to tell you. Sometimes, when people come here, they go through some sort of amnesia. It could have happ
HeatherI watch the back of the grocery store like a hawk. There's no sign of anyone, and so I signal for Marlow to go for it.Darting out from behind his tree, he grabs a roll of bread from the dumpster and runs back into the woods, where Gregory, Brynn, and I are waiting.God, I feel so pathetic. Is this what it's really come to? Eating out of the trash like a raccoon?We're too close to Hawthorn to show our faces in public, though. School is only a twenty minute walk from here. Which means there could be Silver Hunters around."Looks like it's still good." Marlow tears the bag open. "There's only a little bit of mold."I hesitate before accepting a piece of the bread. It's not like I haven't eaten questionable food before, but this seems like a new low."We have to keep moving," Brynn says, breaking the silence. "We can't stay in one place too long or they'll find us."Marlow nods in agreement. "Yeah, we need to find somewhere to hide out for a while. Somewhere they won'
WinterAs we make our way down the path along the river, I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. Every step feels like a step closer to doom, and I can't help but feel a sense of despair as we go further and further towards our goal. The path is narrow and winding, and the trees are so thick that it's almost impossible to see through them.Suddenly, Jack grabs my arm and pulls me back. "Shh," he whispers, pressing his finger to his lips.I quiet down immediately, signaling for Alec's attention. "Alec," I hiss. "Get down."Thank God he listens. The three of us huddle behind a thick tree, watching the path ahead of us."What is it?" I whisper.And then I see it. A three-headed dog the size of a horse, with wings and a tail like a dragon's. The creature is black, with eyes the color of coal.Every hair on my body stands on end, and I freeze in place. I've seen a lot of monsters since discovering the supernatural world is real, but something about this one is particularly chil