The Keys: A Tale of a Beginning and End

Chapter one

I came crashing down out of the tree, cause I thought it would be a great idea to sleep up there. As I stood up I brushed the dirt from my grey jeans, and looked around. When I FINALLY got all the dirt off I started to collect my things. It wasn't much just a jacket, a bag containing food and matches, and a flail. The only reason I had a flail was to protect myself against the beasts and monsters in the Estermore woods. I was a bounty hunter after all, maybe even the youngest at 14. While I was looking for the flail, I heard a blood curdling scream. Stopping what I was doing I scanned the surrounding area, looking for the source of the scream. That's when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye, I spun around and yelled "Are you okay?! Do you need help?!" That's when one of the most confusing things happened, the figure turned and walked back into the forest, the same one I was hired to catch a monsters in. Why would you go into a forest crawling with creatures out for blood? Other than being a bounty hunter, and being paid to look death in the face.

I chased after them, they were one of two things, either an incompetent person who wandered into a deadly forest or, an apparition trying to kill me. I was running for about twenty minutes until, I stopped in order to catch my breathe then, I looked up. "Wow..." I gasped as I came to a stop and looked at the mountain in front of me, it was beautiful. The vines and purple flowers added to its mysterious glory, but there was no sign of the shadowy figure. I walked closer to its base and noticed that behind all the vines, and pretty flowers, was a cave entrance. If I was running away from someone and needed to hide it would be there, "Hello, are you okay..." I said as I entered the caves mouth. When I was just a foot away from the entrance, there was a loud crash and the light from outside was no more, it was pitch black.

I started searching through my bag, looking for my matches, I find them and light one. Great, just great, first I fall out of a tree then, I go and get myself trapped in a living breathing cave. As I walk deeper into the cave I start to notice bones, turns out I wasn't the only one to follow its bait and get trapped. Some of the skeletons belonged to monsters, others, animal probably seeking shelter from the elements. The walls had a mixture of things on them, dried blood, writing, and bugs. Looking around I see that the cave is connected to tunnels and hallways that lead to chambers bigger than the one I was in, so I start to go down one then I notice it, a light.

I stop and turn to go down another passageway, hoping that it might be the way out. First I started out running, then I slowed to a slight jog. I didn't want to wear myself down, and after what I believe to have been an hour, I sat down. Exhausted I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes. You wake me up in the middle of the night, have me run all over the place and then, you have the nerve to lock me in some stupid cave! I'm sorry but I think not, I'll take a quick nap then I'm busting out of here. All I need to do is follow that light and then I'm out. Well that's what I thought I was gonna do, until, the knocking on the wall started. Was I ever going to get sleep tonight?!