Young Writers Society

The wind blew in her face as she braced herself for the fall. She didn't dare to look back, knowing that she was above a great chasm. Where was she? How did she get there in the first place? She couldn't remember how many times she had fallen as she looked down at her many cuts and countless bruises. She kept climbing up the steep ravine. Maybe it would be best if she just turned around. How much did it matter? She turned around and was shocked. How did she even make it up to this point. There was no way that she would turn around now. She looked ahead and saw what looked like a nearby plateau. It would bring no consolation from the wind, but at least she could stop climbing.

She noticed the sun begin to fade as she continued to make her way towards the flat, open land. The sky began to darken, and suddenly a fog began to embrace her. She stumbled over every loose stone on the path, slowly making her way in the direction which she thought she remembered. She felt a stone give way and she fell without a hesitation into complete darkness. Where was she heading? Why was it so dark? She wondered as she kept falling, the fog thickening and closing in around her. She saw herself approaching a long branch quickly and reached up to grab it, pulling herself up in the process. She looked down at herself, her arms covered with scratches and bruises. Her legs were practically covered in blood from the sharp, small rocks along the road. She stood up slowly, wobbling and surveyed around her.

Where was she now? She wondered. She was completely surrounded by complete, utter darkness. Chills crawled up her spine as she took a step forward. She wondered if she had fallen into some sort of cave or tunnel or if the fog was simply that thick. She hoped that one step wouldn't be certain death as the edge of a cliff or worse. She shuddered at her thoughts and kept walking.

It felt like she had been walking for hours and still, darkness. She had an overwhelming feeling that she wasn't alone, but the darkness failed to disclaim or prove her assumptions. She suddenly stopped walking and listened. There it was. As slight crunch of something heavy walking upon the ground behind her.

"H-hello," she said timidly. "Is anyone there?" Her voice shook as she spoke. The thing crept closer and closer. She wanted to run, but she had no idea where she should run to. She bravely stayed put in the silence.

She stepped back and felt something slimy and sticky upon her bare feet and ankles. Slipping, she fell on her back. She tried to stand back up, but found it nearly impossible, continuously slipping backwards once again. The creature which she had thought was stalking her earlier took a step forward and lunged onto her. She screamed with all the strength she had as its fangs penetrated into her arm. It looked as if it was the mix between a spider and a snake with a long, scaly body with eight legs and the head of a spider. Her eyelids became heavy as she resisted the spider-snake. She lay back and stopped fighting. She realized that the fight was hopeless and the creature was relentless. She decided to lay back and let herself become destroyed peacefully.

Apparently, fate had another idea, as out of nowhere a sword came crashing down on the creature and a helping hand was extended out towards her. She stood up in shock. "Who are you?" She stated quickly.

"It doesn't matter now." A deep, masculine voice answered. "I believe that you want to go in that direction. Get out of here as quickly as you can, and when you reach the plateau, don't leave it until I find you!" He pointed towards a small light and then walked away.

Confused at this lurking stranger who had apparently saved her life, she walked towards the light. She soon found herself back on the narrow ridge which she was climbing up earlier that day. The tunnel which she was in was a shortcut, she realized. She was closer to the plateau now than earlier. She climbed up with new determination. 250 feet. 125 feet. 75 feet. 50 feet. 25 feet. 5 feet. 4 feet. 3 feet. 2 feet. 1 foot. She made it to the top. She surveyed the landscape around her and sighed in relief. Her arm throbbed from the bite which she had received earlier by the strange, cave creature, and her legs stung as the blood dried.

The scenery was breathtaking. She had no idea where she was. Her stomach growled noisily, but she ignored it. Mountains surrounded her. She was alone, in isolation and desolation. She sat down and pondered her options. She looked up to the sky and felt a strange sense of calling. She looked around again and saw a figure on a nearby mountain. It was a person. She called out to them, but received no reply. She called again but was only answered by her echoing, bouncing voice. She quickly forgot about her instructions and walked back to the path. The ground began to shake beneath her and her footing gave way. She toppled over the cliff and fell. Down. Down. Down.