Chapter 2

"I'm...."

"I cannot...."

"Breathe..."

I was running for my life, from whatever monster that destroyed my house. It looked scary. It looked giant. It looked like it could eat the whole village. For all I know, it was not human and I didn't want to know what it was.

I was running through the snow-filled forests with tall trees that towered over even the tallest creatures. I was barely skipping past the trees without crashing myself. I was looking for a place to hide before it can catch me. Though I could not see it following me, its presence was prominent and I could feel like it was at my throat. I finally found a small cave and hid inside it, knees to my chest. I stayed quiet, straightening my uneven breathing. Midst of my calming down, my thoughts went back to how this started.

"How did it end up like this?"

It was a normal day for me. Cold breeze running past my face, chopping wood and few birds flying. I threw the axe over the last piece, my force splitting it in half. "Rina..! Rina sweetie...!" My grandmother yelled from inside the house. I rested the axe against a tree and walked in, with the sleeves of my shirt rolled up my shoulder. "Yes, Grandmother" I answered back. She walked up to me and handed me a box. "This is a small present for the man down the hill. He helped me a lot when you were busy with other work in town. So can you please give this to him?" She asked me sweetly, handing me a box of handmade sweets. I took the box from her hand and smiled. "Of course grandmother" I wore my winter jacket and opened the sliding door to our house.

I walked out and slid the door closed. When I was about to leave, I saw my grandfather walk up the hill. I walked up to him. "Where ya headed, young champ?" My grandfather asked. "Grandmother wants me to deliver this cake to the man down the hill" I answered. He nodded. "I think grandmother made your favourite snack. I can smell it. I will race ya to it" My grandfather said, walking towards the house. I smiled competitively. "Ya bet," I said, starting to walk down the hill.

Hello, My name is Akemi Rina. I'm a 16-year-old girl living in a small town where everyone is really sweet. I stay in a small house at the top of the hill. Though it may be a little far away from town, it's more private and reserved so I like it. I stay with my grandparents and help them around the house because they are old and they need to rest. My parents died when I was 6 months old in a car accident. My grandparents said that the accident was so bad that they couldn't even find the body. Though, I would love to know my parents that is impossible now. My life right now is this town and I have to live through it.

"Yes, Mr Kanji. These are handmade sweets made by my grandmother" I said, handing him the box. He smiled at me sweetly and took the box from my hand. He did insist on me having tea but I kindly declined as my grandmother was waiting for me. He nodded and sent me off to my house.

When I was almost at home, I saw a blood trail on the snow leading to the nearby tree. I stood in panic but soon ran to my house. The sliding door was broken and my house was covered in blood. I stood at the door seeing my grandmother heavily bleeding, resting against a wall. I walked up to her at a slow pace and sat next to her. I placed my index and middle finger against the neck to check for her pulse.

Dead.

I remembered the blood trail outside my house and walked out slowly, following the trail. The blood trail ended before a tree and there he was. My grandfather leaning against the tree. I ran up to him and sat down beside him. I placed my hand on his cheek and his eyes opened, ever so slightly. "Are you okay? I..what happened?" I asked, frantically. He breathed out and relaxed a little more against the tree. "Someone....more like something attacked us," He said, closing his eyes. I looked around to see if anyone was there to help but to no avail. I stood up to go find someone when my grandfather tightly grabbed my wrist. "Grandfather, let me find someone-" Before I could finish, he used his last strength to pull me down near his mouth.

"I beat ya"

Was his last words. Pulse not to be found anymore. He slumped against the tree and I just sat there, heartbroken and crushed. Never in my life have I felt this much sadness and pain all at once. I was about to drag my grandfather so I could bury him somewhere when a dark shadow came up from behind the tree and gave a wide, wicked grin with its sharp teeth. I stepped back at the sudden view and that shadow snatched my grandfather and disappeared. I looked around frantically but I didn't find it.

When I was looking around, a liquid dropped on my face. I ran my fingers through that and looked at my fingers. Blood. I looked up and saw that shadow thing, sitting on a branch and munching on my grandfather. That view was vulgar and I couldn't bear to watch it. It spat my grandfather out and slowly started chasing me. I took this as my sign and ran for my life.

This is how I ended up here.

My breathing had finally calmed down but I didn't dare move. I closed my eyes and just prayed to God that I would survive. In the far distance, I could hear the wind swooshing. I felt like someone was coming but my thought was stopped when I heard the growling of the shadow monster right above me. It was continuously growling, probably trying to search me by my scent. I stayed quiet but to no avail. The monster used its huge hands and broke the rock-roof above my head. I was sitting there, knees to my chest, wide open and in view of the monster. I couldn't hold it in anymore so I screamed. Screamed until my voice box couldn't produce any more sound.

I woke up to some bright light flashing on my face. I groaned because I could feel my head pulsing. I slowly sat up and rubbed my forehead. Suddenly my memories about the monster came flashing back. I frantically looked around and realised I was still in the snow forest I was running in.

"Oh you're awake"