She awoke with a start, and found herself in the midst of a dark, dense forest. She could barely see her own shadow, as there was hardly any light. Everywhere she looked, she could only see long branches that seemed to move towards her. She bravely took one step forward, and withdrew as she heard the sound of howls in the distance. She could hear her heart beating frantically, but there was nowhere to run; nowhere to hide. The darkness in front of her seemed to evolve into a shape. The shape of a person. Afraid but intrigued, she fought against the response to flee. The person she saw was more than majestic, he possessed a dark aura which made him seem like he was glowing. He advanced towards her; slowly, menacingly. His mouth widened into a sinister grin, to reveal pointed teeth. He was one of the creatures from her worst nightmare. "Come to me", he said. Against her better judgement, almost as if she was hypnotized, she obeyed him. He seemed to touch her shadow, and she watched horrified, as he tried to pull her shadow away from her. She felt her breath get caught in her chest as he extended his fingers to touch her face. His face seemed like it was carved by the gods; alabaster skin, sharp features and that honey blonde hair. When his mouth was closed, he almost resembled Adonis. A twig crackled, which took his attention away from her momentarily. Seizing the opportunity, she made a run for it without looking back.
The clouds moved away to reveal a blood red moon. There was certainly something wrong. Although the moon wasn't bright, she was able to notice the fact that half her shadow was missing. Her breath came out in gasps as she tried to compose herself. What has he done to her? Why did she suddenly feel empty inside? She spied a bright light and walked towards it, seeking new comfort. She was sorely mistaken, as it turned out to be another person, who seemed the complete opposite of the shadow creature. He seemed to radiate light. Although he looked a lot like the other person, he didn't seem sinister. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that his face looked young, and his eyes radiated intelligence. Without stopping to think, she reached over to touch him. He smiled sadly as her hands felt only air. She saw a solitary tear run down his cheek, and could almost feel his loneliness. He sat down, with his hands on his head, like a man possessed. All of a sudden, he looked at her with pure, unadulterated hatred in his eyes. When she looked at him again, his face was so pleasant that it made her wonder if she had imagined his hatred of her. His very presence seemed to illuminate the way. Was he an angel? He beckoned to her and started walking, as if he wanted to be followed. She raced after him, afraid to lose her only source of illumination in that dark forest. She could observe his light slowly diminishing, although he was barely a few steps ahead of her. He slowed down, till she was by his side and stretched his hand to touch her arm. The frustration on his face was visible, as his light kept diminishing. Spotting a rabbit, he grabbed it by its ears with the speed of light, and devoured it in a bite. All of a sudden, he became brighter. He stared at her hungrily, and this time, his desire for her flesh was clear. He didn't make a move towards her, although she could feel his hostility. Trusting him against the wishes of her mind, she continued to walk beside him on that lonely path. A while later, his light began to reduce again. It was time for him to feed. She noticed him stare at her and lick his lips hungrily. She felt her hair stand on end as he surveyed her. Although she needed his light, she made the decision to trust her instincts. When he saw the sudden determination on her face, he grew sad. He watched her move in the other direction as his light faded. "Help me" he mouthed, as another tear slid down his face. He seemed like a little boy that she just wanted to protect. Although she felt her heart hurt to leave him, she ran for her life.
She was beginning to feel exhausted; her legs refused to carry her anymore. She tried to comfort herself that everything would be safe when the day broke. Little did she know how wrong she was. Spotting a bush, she lay down, covered by the foliage. For the first time, she felt safe and protected. All she had to do was rest for a few hours, and it would be daybreak. She had barely rested for five minutes when she heard something familiar in the distance. The sound of water flowing; there was bound to be a little brook or stream where she could refresh herself. She half dragged her feet towards the source of the sound, and came face to face with a stream. She collapsed from exhaustion and stirred an hour later when she heard something. Surely, she had to be mistaken. She could hear someone calling her name. With difficulty, she opened her tired eyes to find a heavenly being staring at her intently. With his sky blue eyes and elfin features, he was easily the best looking guy she had ever seen. He raised his hand, and she felt a gentle mist touch her face. He seemed to have a strange power. Power to control the air. She heaved a sigh of relief as he seemed harmless. His power only made her feel refreshed and happy. She watched as he moved to sit on top of a rock near them, and motioned for her to join him. She sat down beside him, giggling as the tide tickled her feet. She was extremely aware of his interest in her. The way he kept staring at her made her blush furiously. He stretched, and she couldn't help but stare at his muscles. He got into the water, and so did she, after a moment's hesitation. Gripping his outstretched hand, she followed him till she was shoulder deep in the water. He brought his face close to hers for a kiss. Her heart started to race as she felt the gentle pressure of his lips upon hers. Without warning, he brought his hand against her neck and increased his pressure. She pulled away, startled and finally noticed the wide smile on his face. He raised his left hand and the tide rose. She was so wrong. He controlled water, not the air. She gasped as she felt the tide hit her right in her face. He was going to drown her! She struggled to stay afloat, while he pressed her face into the water. The water started flowing into her mouth and she thought that her end had come. Praying for a miracle, she resisted him once again. She placed her hands against his chest and shoved him as hard as she could. She heard him laugh at her feeble attempt and was terrified. She gasped as she was wrenched from his grasp. It was him. The being of the light. He had appeared like a guardian angel of sorts. His whole body glowed with his strength as he fought with the water sprite. She waded to the shore, where she could be safe from them all. She turned back to find only silence. Neither her tormentor nor her savior were present. Shaking her head in relief, she retraced her steps to find her way out.
She was terrified; it seemed like she would most certainly die in this forest, in her current state. Now the moon has disappeared behind the clouds yet again, and she couldn’t see a thing in front of her. If only she had a lighter with her…or anything that would help; unfortunately, she had nothing of value at the time. She was suddenly engulfed in light. More than light, it was heat that seemed to envelop her body. Where was it coming from? Her eyes started watering, as they usually do when in contact with smoke. There was no way there could be a fire in this forest…she seemed to be the only inhabitant there. The only human inhabitant, that is. She had to know what was going on, so she followed her nose to the source of this level of heat. Her eyes hurt as she kept walking; it started getting way too hot. Along the path, she spied burnt leaves, which crackled as she stepped on them. Disturbed by the sudden noise, a crowd of bats flapped their wings and shrieked as they flew towards silence. Peace. That was something this forest had, before she had intruded. She followed the trail of burnt leaves and singed bushes until she spotted a figure walking in front of her. With flames licking the bottom of his feet, he was a rather formidable sight to behold, even from behind. She watched him silently, to afraid to even let out her breath, as he emitted a ball of flame from his slender fingers and set fire to a nearby bush. Almost as if he could sense her company; he spun around, a ball of flame at the ready. His eyes blazed red as he hurled the ball of glowing flames at her. She dropped to the hard ground, with tears streaming down her sweaty cheeks. He was brilliant to look at, with dark hair mixed with red streaks. He was clothed in a black and crimson robe, which seemed to reveal his power. The raw energy he possessed was enough to send her into frenzy. It seemed impossible that those cold eyes would turn into flame, but that was just what happened. When he gazed at her, she felt her body heat rising. How was he doing this? He walked closer and closer, and she started to feel a burning sensation. It was getting way too hot for her to handle. He reached over and touched her wrist. She watched in silent horror as blisters appeared on her skin. With great difficulty, she yanked her hand back from him with a shout. "Scream. Don't stop". He was a vicious sadist who seemed to crave her screams of pain and horror. Just as she was about to lose all hope, he returned again. The majestic Prince of the light. The fire fairy seemed to shrink in size when confronted by the giant beam of light that was hurled his way. With a cry of distress, he moved back into the darkness of the forest, where he had come from.
Almost as quick as lightning, the handsome savior disappeared from her view. She never even got to convey her thanks. No matter how hard she searched, she just couldn't find him at all.
She spent ages searching for the heavenly being and was exhausted. Unable to move a step further, she sank against the trunk of a tall tree. There were some really eerie noises that she could hear, from her spot. There were like nothing she had ever heard before; the sounds filled her with body numbing fear. Once again, the moon hid behind the dark clouds and her vision was no more. Quivering, she pressed her back harder against the tree trunk as she heard something that sounded unmistakably like a laugh. Powerful, soft, and filled with utter mirth. It sent chills down her spine. Spotting a fallen tree branch, she grabbed it and threw it in the direction from where the noises could be heard. Immediately, a dark cloud swarmed towards her. The forest echoed with the cries of the bloodthirsty bats that encircled her. Too stunned to even scream, all she could do was crouch and cover her head, hoping that they’d leave her alone. She felt their sharp nails graze her flesh…her arms, legs, face…nothing was spared from their unholy touch. She could hear the twigs crackling as someone walked towards her. Was it her savior again? With a smile, she stopped panicking and saw the bats disappear. How wrong she was. The being in front of her was pale, almost like a marble statue, and wearing a long cape. His hair, however, was two toned and the contrast between ancient and modern was quite remarkable and distinct. She looked into those black eyes, which seemed to draw her towards him. Before she could say anything, or move, she heard a voice in her head. His. “You’re bleeding…I can’t resist this”. Rooted to the spot, she couldn’t even move, no matter how hard she tried. The being touched her face, with his cold hands, yet she was unable to flinch. Her mind was full of his voice, whispering to her. She couldn’t even think. She had to resist him, but she couldn’t. He grabbed her, raking her skin with his sharp nails, as he held her by the neck, slowly choking her. When he grinned, she could see the elongated tips of his fangs. A vampire. That was what he was. A creature from her worst nightmare. “Scream as much as you want, no one can hear you here”. Suddenly she gained control of her body. Gasping for breath, she sank to her knees, as he laughed evilly. With the power of hypnosis, he was able to force her to do whatever he wanted. She was going to die here, at the hands of this monster.
All of a sudden, it became really bright, as though the midday sun had appeared. Squinting against the light, she struggled to see what had happened, as she felt the vampire flinch. It was him. He who possessed the power of light. Had he come to rescue or devour her? All she could do was tremble in fear and hope for the best. A slight smile curved on his luminous face as he gazed upon her and the monster that had her in his grip. The vampire released his hold when the being walked close to him. This was it. She was going to be free. Free from what seemed to be an eternal nightmare. This was her escape. Inwardly rejoicing, she took a step towards the being and extended her arm to touch him. She felt a sharp pain as his hand grasped hers, and she could feel her energy and strength drain. With a gasp, she raised her eyes to question him, when she saw the vampire approach her again, grinning. This wasn't supposed to happened. The heavenly being was her protector. Was he only saving her for himself? If only she had sensed this sooner...she dropped to her knees. "Please don't...please let me go. I'll do anything".
"Anything?" asked the being of light, as he traced the outline of he face. She bit back tears as the pain struck, yet again. Why was he doing this? The vampire reached out to the being and smiled. She waited for him to feel the same pain that she did, but nothing. Her voice of reason was screaming warnings in her head. Finally, she understood. They were a team. Light and night, a fearsome duo. She felt rather than saw the vampire hold her shoulders in a vice-like grip. It was soon going to end, but she still felt a shimmer of hope.
"Save me", she pleaded to the being of the light, as the creature of the night plunged his fangs deep into her throat.