— • 🦋 Paige 🦋 • —

Alone.

I've been trapped in this house for days now. I didn't realise at first but Julia locked the door when she left.

The nightmares haven't got any better. They plague my mind night and day. I don't know if what I saw came true but I think it did as an overwhelming feeling of emptiness filled me yesterday. It hasn't left since.

I was pottering around the house, rummaging through the draws and cupboards for something to do, when a wave of pain hit me before settling in my stomach, making me nauseated. I haven't eaten for days. There's food in the kitchen but I can't bring myself to eat it. I don't care. It doesn't matter. Nothing does.

There was a plant in the windowsill when I arrived, now it appears shrivelled and decaying, as it grieves with me.

Staring out of the window, I see that even the trees, seem hurt, as they shed their leaves, their branches whipping around in the wind.

The thing is... it's currently spring. The leaves shouldn't be falling yet.

I need to get out of here, the air is suffocating and all the windows are locked. Aunt Julia said not to leave but I can't take it anymore. There has to be a way out of here. I need to see if everyone else at camp is okay, or maybe I'll run into Bella. I don't know. I'm just so confused about everything and Auntie J didn't help, she just locked me in here like a caged animal.

Am I really that dangerous? Surely my nightmares are just that right? I mean there was that time with those two men but that was just a mistake. That wasn't my fault, Bella said so.

I clamber up the stairs, hoping one of the higher windows are open. To my dismay they too are all locked. I try the final window when something catches my eye. Out in the forest, there's a sandy coloured wolf and he's staring right at me. Dammit.

I duck down out of view but I know it already saw me. Great so my escape is blocked by a huge dog. Crouching on the floor, I notice a bit of paper sticking out from under the dresser. I grip it, pulling it towards me. Unfolding it, I try to make out what I see before me.

There are a load of symbols and writing in a language I don't understand. But at the bottom left there is a drawing of three wolves, shaded in different ways, all three are different shades of grey, with strange markings on their coats. Some match the symbols at the top of the page. Just next to the picture in English are the words 'good', 'bad', and 'balance.'

The bottom edge of the paper is torn, almost like someone ripped off the end. But I can make out the words 'battle' where it wasn't torn straight.

I fold up the paper and stuff it in my pocket, thinking this may be useful later. I want to show Auntie J but she did lock me in here so who knows what she might do if she knows I've stolen something. I peep out of the window and the golden wolf that was there before is now gone.

Looking around the room for any more information, I come up empty and head downstairs defeated. Throwing myself on the couch, I let out an exasperated sigh, before noticing the bookshelf in the corner of the room. Pulling myself up, I head over. The books are coated in thick dust and the smell makes me cough.

Scanning through I desperately try to find anything with information linked to this scrap of paper. I almost give up hope when I slide a book back on the shelf and it doesn't go all the way in. I shove it a little but it doesn't budge. It's stuck on something. Moving it out of the way, I reach back and my hand grasps a little tablet looking stone. It's black with an engraving of fire on one side and a lightning strike on the other.

Wondering what it means I slip it in my pocket and search the house for anything else interesting I can find. From one of the drawers in the kitchen I found a lone piece of string and tied it around the stone to make a necklace. I looped the key I found on there as well so they're together and safe and hopefully I won't lose them.

After another few, what I think were hours of rummaging through stuff, I finally had enough of this stuffy house. It was late afternoon by what I could tell from the position of the sun, looking out of the window, it was pretty high in the sky but lower than before when I looked.

Checking that I had everything with me; everything being my necklaces, myself and my grief; I grabbed a lamp from the other room and threw it at the front window. Dust flew off from every direction as it bounced off the glass. Disappointed but not deterred, I go into the kitchen and pick up a stainless steel pan. Not a big one as I think maybe the lamp was too big so couldn't shatter the glass properly. Again, throwing the object at the glass, it bounces back, but not before revealing a small crack. Throwing the pan again, I pray that it smashes. I just really want to get out of here.

Again, nothing.

I take off my necklace, hoping the stone is small enough to crack the glass at least enough to create a weak point. I take a deep breath, pray to whoever is listening and throw the stone at the glass with all my might. The glass shatters but doesn't fall, cracking all across looking like stained glass as the sun streams through the tiny gaps.

"It cannot shatter, break or scratch.
It must full stay intact.
For if a single crack is found.
The King will fall and not be found"

The strange voice that I've heard before speaks again, talking in riddles before riding off on a current of air. When she does, the glass falls simultaneously, falling inside the window, which is odd as I'm sure I read somewhere it's meant to fall in the opposite direction.

Walking carefully over to the window, I reach down and retrieve my necklace, careful not to cut myself on any glass. Tentatively I creep out of the window, careful not to step on any bits of glass that may be there.

Victorious I do a little dancy-dance before continuing on.

I don't have many hours before the sun sets and it gets dark. I head in the direction I think camp is but the feeling in my stomach doubles and I almost fall from the intensity of it. Turning towards the right I walk a few steps and realise it subsides slightly. So weird.

I head off in my new direction, following my instincts. Although it might be dangerous and naive of me, I don't really care anymore. I'll either survive or I won't. There's no use worrying about it.

I walk for a few hours I think before I finally realise just how dark it has become. Unsure what to do, I carry on towards a river I can sense. I'm not sure how I know there's a river nearby but my body wills me to go on.

As I near it, a sensation of being watched washes over me. I crouch down and take a little drink as the water looks fairly clean. As I dip my hand in, a black sludge washes off my hand despite my hands being clean. Confused I dip my other hand in and the same thing happens. What the heck is going on?

Scared by what this means I retract my hand. Slowly I dip it back in, almost as if I'm trying to convince myself of what I'm seeing. But to my surprise when I do, a lighter sludge comes off my hands. It almost glitters in the low light that filters down from the sky.

Truly baffled by this, I get up and continue on. Something weird is happening to me and I need to find out what. Surely there is a town or something nearby? A library or someone who might know something.

The feeling of being watched increases as goosebumps coat my skin. Yep, now is the time to go I decide. I hope whatever is happening to me isn't dangerous.

Trusting my instincts once again, I head off in a direction I know is taking me further from camp and that abandoned house. The strange feeling in my stomach quietens the further I go, so I continue on through the night. The feeling I had of being watched is now gone thankfully as I follow the pull of my instincts.

Dusk soon approaches, and with no where to rest I clamber up a tree for refuge. It's dry and high so surely I'd be comfortable and safe, right? Right.

Decided on my resting place I fall asleep under the smile of the moon and the hope of the stars.

Morning soon comes and somehow I made it through the night alive. Maybe this won't be as bad as I thought? Although I shouldn't say that because when you do things always get worse.

The howl of a wolf startles me. Nevermind, I take it back. Hopefully I won't have to deal with any wolves today. I just want to find Bella or whatever it is that is pulling me in this direction.

I quickly scout my surroundings before somehow elegantly dismounting from the very high tree branch I was on.

Taking a backseat to my instincts I wander aimlessly heading in whatever direction feels right. I travel for only a few hours before the feeling in my stomach returns but different this time. More of a gentle fizz than a somersaulting mess it was before. Whilst it feels off it doesn't feel bad, just weird and wrong. I continue on until I reach a small clearing. I follow the edge of the tree line until I'm at the other side and wander just a few yards ahead.

I'm not really paying attention until the faint smell of smoke catches my nose. Heading towards it I see that it is still lit with embers. Whoever was here is close and somethings tells me whoever it was that was here, is the person I have been following.

I search for any clues as to who it could be just in case it is someone dangerous. Although if they were dangerous surely they wouldn't leave anything behind. Weapons and such. I'm thinking about this too much. My neck hurts.

Ignoring the mess of my own mind, I slowly search the area, believing that whoever was here is still close.

Finally, I hear low chatter carried in the music of the wind. Who is that? And why do they sound familiar? Is that Bella? Omg I've found her.

Ecstatic I dart towards the noise only to find that the noise has moved. How are they so damn fast? I move again, only for the voices to filter further away.

Frustrated I let out a very small scream. My neck starts to feel very hot like a fire is burning inside it. I claw at my throat scared of what is happening? Am I dying? Realising I'm wearing the necklace still I remove it, causing the pain to stop almost immediately.

What the hell is going on? I let a few tears fall as stress overcomes me. I'm alone, in pain and so confused on what the hell is happening to me.

Pain wracks my body as I cry. Just another weird phenomenon of the day I guess. Goddess why couldn't I have just stayed at camp, been good and tried to help? Why did I listen to Julia?

This is all Bella's fault. If she didn't run away I'd have my bestfriend, my family, and the camp wouldn't be such a mess. It was only after she left everything went to shit. Goddess I'm so mad. Anger bubbles up in me until I can't bear it anymore. An overwhelming urge to hurt someone, anyone fills me. Not knowing what to do with it, I sink to my knees and shove my hands in the ground. I want to hurt Bella. It's her fault my family is dead. I don't know how but it is. It's her fault I'm here alone. She should be here with me.

I'm so alone.

A fierce fury fills me. The sky goes dark and the land around me dies as I wallow in grief and anger.

Word count [2189]

Hey guys,

What did you think to Paige's pov?

I think I made it pretty interesting and there are a few details I threw in that will make more sense as the story progresses

- Bri xox