Farren - Book 1 of the Darkness Series

CHAPTER 1 - EERIE DESTINY

She ran, her heart pounding like a relentless drum in her chest. Fear clawed at her insides, urging her to flee, to escape the shadows that seemed to dance malevolently between the gnarled trees. The forest was like a labyrinth of darkness, where every rustle and every whispering breeze felt like the eerie breath of some unseen presence.

Her feet thudded on the uneven ground, each step a desperate attempt to outrun the sinister silence that enveloped her. The trees loomed like towering specters, their twisted branches reaching out as if to ensnare her in their clutches. The rustling leaves above seemed to whisper foreboding secrets, and the faint glow of moonlight cast eerie shapes that danced on the forest floor like specters beckoning her deeper into the abyss.

Through the inky blackness, she could barely see what lay ahead, relying on instinct and adrenaline to guide her through the treacherous terrain. Roots seemed to rise like gnarled hands from the very earth, threatening to trip her with each step. Low-hanging branches scraped against her, as if the forest itself was clawing at her flesh, desperate to keep her within its grasp.

With every stride, her labored breath mingled with the haunting symphony of the night. The forest seemed to hold its breath, as if the very air conspired against her escape. The echo of her footsteps reverberated like ghostly whispers, each one urging her to keep moving, to keep running from whatever lurked in the darkness.

As she pushed forward, the silence around her became deafening. The absence of sound felt like a malevolent force, as if the forest was holding its breath, waiting for her to make a wrong move. The rustling of leaves, once gentle and calming, now sent shivers down her spine, each sound a potential harbinger of doom.

Despite her exhaustion, she couldn't stop. The forest seemed to twist and turn, deliberately leading her deeper into its heart. Panic and determination warred within her, but she knew she had to keep going, had to escape the clutches of this eerie woodland prison.

Time lost its meaning as she ran, the minutes feeling like hours, the hours like eternity. The moon, a dim sliver in the sky, offered little comfort as it cast eerie shadows that seemed to move and shift with every step.

Her mind played tricks on her, conjuring ghostly figures in the periphery of her vision. Every snapping twig or distant hoot of an owl sent her heart racing, her imagination painting vivid scenes of lurking horrors.

Yet she persisted, her body driven by an instinct to survive, to break free from this haunting forest. She couldn't explain the pull it had on her, the inexplicable feeling that she was both captive and chosen.

Finally, her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the forest floor, tears streaming down her face. The eerie silence was deafening, and the cool breeze seemed to whisper chilling secrets that sent shivers down her spine.

And there it was again, that same tree with twenty-seven lines carved on it. The tree she had carved herself, marking her days in this never-ending nightmare. Each carved line felt like a tally of her torment, etched into the very fabric of the forest, a haunting reminder of her captivity.

Frustrated, she let out a scream, as if hoping someone, something, would hear her plight. And in that moment, a blinding white light surrounded her. The light was unnatural, giving the eerie sensation of being watched by unseen eyes, as if the forest itself was an omniscient observer of her struggle.

She shut her eyes tight, feeling the unnatural warmth against her skin, like the touch of some otherworldly force. When she opened her eyes again, she felt disoriented, as if she had been asleep for ages. The room she found herself in had an eerie glow, casting unsettling shadows in every corner, as if it held its own malevolent secrets.