Who Am I

Chapter One; Her New Beginning

Credit for this idea, cover, and this chapter goes to shayschiesler. After this, chapters will be posted(if possible) every second Friday, starting December first.

My feet propelled me forward, stumbling over branches and pine needles that stuck to my sweaty, sticky skin. I knew what covered me- blood- and by the looks of it, it was a lot. My entire body hurt, but I couldn't remember why. I couldn't remember anything- nothing except the moonlight and stars that I had stared for what felt like hours before I moved.

I was in a field with nothing around me, yet I was covered in dirt and blood. All I could do was push myself forward and hope to have a family where I belonged. Did I have a family? Was I a sibling, a friend? Was I a mother? How old was I, even?

I glanced at my skin, my finger tips grazing against my cheeks. I flinched as they skimmed a sensitive bruise, but felt smooth skin nonetheless. I could only assume I was young, and the family thing was a given. Everyone had families, right? Someone out their missed me right now.

The sound of pounding feet alerted me to the approach of another person, causing my eyebrows to furrow as I glanced around. All I saw were trees. Who would be running out in the middle of the woods? I turned to look behind me just in time for something slam into me, hurdling me back onto my side and knocking the wind out of me.

I had already hurt like hell, but suddenly the pain was increased tenfold, every bruised and bloodied inch of skin making itself known. I croaked as I tried sucking in a breath, my hand shakily wrapping itself around my side where I landed. Pulling it away revealed even more blood, a whimper escaping my lips.

"Shit, I'm sorry," a masculine voice apologized. "I didn't see you."

I looked up to see a muscled man lifting himself off the ground. He was nothing more than a shadowy figure in the lowlighting, the sun's rays beams not able to permeate the leafy canopy above us this early in the morning.

I pushed myself back, dirt flinging everywhere in my effort to get away from him. He was big, and big meant hurt, which almost always found a way to come back to me. He fully stood, and took a single step towards me before my body reacted. It's almost like I shut down, my body curling into itself as I awaited some form of a blow. My response confused me- why was it instinct for me to hide myself? Was he going to hurt me? For a few seconds, it was silent.

"No..." His deep southern voice trailed off, and slowly, I lifted my head up to see him crouched a few feet away from me. Another wave of pain washed over me as the sun's presence in the sky began to make itself known, the man's body very slowly becoming more visible. "Ma'am, I'm not going to hurt you."

Slowly, I forced my body to uncurl, my back pressing against the rough bark of a tree. I could feel the trickel of blood down my sside, pain radiating through my bones at the movement. It was almost as if I was hollow, as if there was nothing but pain.

Maybe that's who I was- bringer of pain, bringer of death.

"Where am I?" I rasped, taking a shuddering breath. The soft light of the sun was rapidly brightening, bringing the man's form into focus.

His hair was a dark auburn color, peppered with brown patches, his eyes a dark, serious blue that brought me in, refusing to let me go. I watched his blue eyes widen as he took me in, my dirty too large shirt and shorts, scraped and bloody skin, hair likely mangled and tangled, covered in leaves.

I had no idea what my face looked like, but I was aware of my rapidly heating cheeks under his scrutiny. His mouth opened and shut, then again, almost resebling a fish as he inched closer to me. He stood slowly, his hands out in a clear, universal gesture. He meant me no harm. "Miss, you- you need help. Would you like to come with me and we can go to a hospital?"