EP 1 CHAPTER 1

EP 1: THE CONTEST

EMBERLYN WOLFSONG

The air around me is a dangerous, choking aura that I can't seem to contain as I fidget in my position, looking around the thick, vast darkness surrounding my entire being. I can't describe what I am feeling right now; it feels as though I have been locked up, surrounded by the most dangerous darkness that no one can ever contain, dead or alive. I can't control and shake off the eerie sensation and the chill running down my veins. I can't help it; it's as if I am dreaming as I look around me, shaking and gasping painfully.

There are lots of dust and ashes,  fluttering around the air as though a burning incident has just occurred. I sigh to myself, trying to make sense of my surroundings.

I turn around my position, looking around the thick vastness of the forest with my eyes wide and still as if I have just seen an apparition – what the hell is going on? I can't even understand what I'm seeing. What am I doing here? This is just so uncontainable. I do not understand how I got to this. I can remember clearly that I was just in my room, about to sleep, and then... I don't know. I bite my lip and frown as I look around me. How did I even get here? What is all this? What the hell is just going on?

I continue to look around.  fear is running through my bones, my entire system, and my heart, shaking my soul uncontrollably. My heart is pounding immensely with an uncontainable fear that is capable of tearing my spirit and body apart if I don't gain control of myself. I bite my lip, nervously.

"Hello, "I  call into the thick darkness. I listen as my voice continues to echo continuously without control, as though I am in a long tunnel with no end. What the hell is going on? I can't even picture and figure out what this is that I am looking at right now. How did I even get here in the first place? Just what is this?

I bite my lip and blink my eyelid as I continue to look around with extreme, nervousness pounding through my senses. 

"Hello?" I call again, loud and clear, this time, but then again, just like the first time, my voice continues to echo as though someone else is a far-off following my exact tone and voice box. I gulp once again, feeling my breath stuck in my throat as though my respiratory system has been obstructed, I am currently breathing through my mouth as I slowly take a step and begin to trot through the dark forest with no coloring. What the hell is going on? How did I get here? I don't understand this.

I blink and continue to look around me; it is then that I begin to hear things – noises and whispers surrounding my ears.

 "Hello?" I call again, hoping I can see another figure and maybe I might be the only one locked up in this doom. I bite my lip and continue to look around as I slowly begin to make my way, feeling the dry grass crunching and crushing under my feet. The sound of that alone is sending shivers through my spine. I blink and sharply turn to my back when I feel a presence behind me, but I see nothing. All I can hear are the whispers piercing my ears endlessly, as though someone is trying to talk to me from the thin hair.

 "Hello?" I call again, but there is no response.

What the hell is going on? I feel like I am about to explode. I feel like my brain is about to combust. I can't contain this anymore. What is this? Who the fuck is calling me?

 "Hello?!!!" I scream so loud this time, with all the frustration within me, but there is still no good response. The whisper continues, threatening my mind, making me place my hands on either side of my head as I groan and clutch my head tightly, trying to shake off the whispers. They are already making me feel crazy; they're making me feel so damn nuts I can break and smash into pieces right now.

What the fuck is going on? I groan and clench my fists together; it is then that they become so plain in my head. 

"You are a failure; you are a very, very big failure. You can never make it. You have locked yourself so deep down you won't feel any sort of energy within you. You are going to fail the contest; you are going to fail it; you are so going to be banished, and your foster family will no longer accept you anymore. You are going to be kicked out and become a lonely wanderer in the woods with no one to care for you."

The voice continues to torment my head, making me fall to the ground on my knees as I clench my head so tight, feeling my eyes about to explode with an extreme, measurable amount of tears. I can't take this anymore. 

I groan with frustration and clench my fists together as the voice continues to persist in my head. "You are a failure; you are a very, very big failure. You can never make it. You have locked at yourself so deep down you won't feel any sort of energy within you. You are going to fail the contest; you are going to fail it; you are so going to be banished, and your foster family will no longer accept you anymore. You are going to be kicked out and become a lonely wanderer in the woods with no one to care for you."

It is then that I hear a very deep growl. I slowly look up to see the most furious, stick, dark, hairy beast I have ever seen in my life. My goodness, its tooth is like a very sharp, pointy saber that can break through the strongest dynamite. It is glaring at me with blood-red eyes, licking its lips as though it has just seen the tastiest meal in its life. 

Oh crap, I feel my lips tremble as I slowly place my hands on the ground and then push myself up onto my feet. I remain stable in my position, glassy-eyed, staring at the ginormous, dangerous beast with wide eyes, stepping back slowly in an attempt to escape. The beast snouts and then slowly begins to make its way close to me, watching and observing and stalking. Oh shit, I follow the next instinct in my mind and turn around sharply; I begin to run away from the presence of the beast.

The next thing I hear is a loud howl, and then next comes this thumping quick movement of the beast's feet against the dry grass, running to me with such amazing speed that it made my heartbeat almost burst out of my chest. Oh my goodness, what the hell is going on?

 "Are you seeing yourself?" the voice continues. "Are you seeing it? This is what happens when you can't reveal your inner self and protect yourself from danger such as this. Fight, Emberlyn, you can do this. If you can't do it, stand there; there is nothing we can do to help you. You are going to die in this memory like a lonely peasant. Protect yourself, Emberlyn, and right this demonic ravage about to break your memory. Fight, Emberlyn, get up and fight, god damn it, and break free from the stronghold of this imagination."