BlackMoon Beginnings Read Free Page B

move no more.
Pressing myself up against a tree, I look around hoping to find
something or someone to help me, but I come up empty. I am
completely surrounded yet totally alone.
    A feeling of panic sinks in as the men start
swarming me. “Ryanne, run!” someone yells from my right. I turn to
see who is talking to me, but I can’t see anything but the
mysterious man’s profile. His body is outlined by the shadows. He
runs past me, sword out, into the group, hitting many men in the
process. I can’t move. I can’t take my eyes away from him.
    Caught up in the moment, I don’t see the man
that got past my hero. Grabbing me around the waist, he starts
dragging me into the forest, covering my mouth. I try screaming,
but no sound comes out. My struggling is futile as the man is much
larger and stronger than me. He carries me farther into the forest,
surrounding me with darkness.
    With a gasp, I bolt upright and frantically
look around. I’m alone in the dark living room. No one is dragging
me into the forest. It was just a dream. Something falls off of my
lap and lands with a thud onto the floor. My breathing is fast and
labored and my body is covered in a sheen sweat. I wait a few
moments for my eyes to adjust to the darkness around me. Apparently
I fell asleep on the couch. I’m still in the clothes I’d been
wearing earlier. Jane must have spent the night at Ross’s because
she would usually wake me up.
    Grabbing the book that I kicked off the couch
when I awoke, I get up and walk upstairs to my room. Turning the
ceiling fan on, I crawl into bed, hoping to get a dreamless night
of sleep. I lay in bed for hours until sleep finally comes to
me.
    My dreams that night were filled with a man
with deep green eyes.
     
    Shortly after going to bed, I am woken up by
the sun streaming from my bedroom window, hitting my face.
Groaning, I get out of bed and walk to the bathroom to take a
shower. I step into the shower and turn the water on as hot as it
will go, hoping that it would help wake me up and shake off the
remnants of the dream last night. Standing beneath the hot water, I
slowly feel the exhaustion leave me. My muscles relax and the fog
in my mind drifts away, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
    As I walk down the stairs, I stop to look at
all of Jane’s photos on the wall. I walk past these photos every
day, but have never actually stopped to look at them. It upsets me
that she has so many photographs and memories, while I have
nothing. The wall is covered with photos of her, her friends and
family members, all smiling and laughing; happy and content.
    I am suddenly overcome with a feeling of
sadness. I’ll never have that. I am an only child. My father left
before I was born and my mother died in a car accident a year ago.
My mother hated taking pictures, so I don’t have many of her. I
have one picture of her in my possession. I stop at the most recent
photograph of Jane and her boyfriend, Ross, both staring into each
other’s eyes, smiling. Will I ever get that?
    I continue walking down the stairs until I
reach the floor length mirror near the front door. I look at my
reflection in the mirror. I’m wouldn’t say I’m pretty, but I’m not
that ugly either. I’m pretty average, I think. I’m a little over
5’3” and thin, yet curvy. My pale skin tone accentuates my long
dark, curly chestnut hair that reaches down to the middle of my
back. Light hazel eyes look back at me.
    Unless I get out of this town, I’ll never
have that Jane and Ross relationship. No one wants to hang around
the quiet girl and no one will take the time to get to know me
better. Everyone is quick to jump to conclusions and listen to the
rumors swirling around.
    Tears well up in my eyes and I blink rapidly
to get them to go away. I won’t cry. I refuse to. I haven’t cried
since my mom died and today will not be the day I start again.
Walking into the kitchen, I see a note on the counter from
Jane:
    Ryanne,
    Going away for the weekend