Raging and rushing relentlessly, the river surged on powerfully, throwing aside the boulders in its path like they were the lightest of feathers. Razor sharp like knives, rocks towered above the liquid fury. Intimidating, forceful, strong guards; they prevented anyone from leaving the terrible prison.

But I barely noticed any of that.
Silently, stealthily – like a cat stalking its pray – I sneaked through the forest on the edge of the river. Rain trickled down my back as I surveyed the area; looking for any threats.

Why? Why am I even here? For about the hundredth time, doubts flooded my mind. A sly voice whispered in my ear; telling me to run away, to leave the world I hated behind (quite tempting) but despite that I kept going. Even though I really didn’t want to.

Crack. Somewhere in the distance, a twig snapped. The low hum of voices caught my attention before I saw the figures. A group of people (about five, I think) were stood close to the river’s edge. Hikers? Not likely – not many people dared to venture out towards the, harsh, unforgiving fury.

So who?

Cautiously, I faded back into the invisibility cloak of the trees. Patiently, silently, I remained camouflaged. Waiting.

Angry, threatening clouds rolled across the sky, casting a dark shadow over the valley.

Is this a trick? Have they sent me out here just to get me out of the way? Do you even know what I’m talking about?

Well, my name is Kat (Katherine) and I’m fifteen years old. The Old Ones killed my family my family and they were going to kill me. But they didn’t, and I didn’t know why until just two weeks ago. They thought I would be ‘useful’ to them – whatever that means (I heard two of their associates talking). So now I’m here, being soaked in the sky’s tears, waiting for a girl I’m supposed to just let them kill.

A low buzzing sound took over my brain, and mist began to cloud my vision. Slowly, I felt myself drift into unconsciousness…

Crunch. The sound of a branch breaking dragged me rudely from my restless sleep. Nervously, I turned around; almost fearing what I would see. A girl of about my age crept cautiously through the trees. She didn’t seem to notice me, but I melted into the earth as a precaution. As she drew nearer, I was sure I’d seen her somewhere before. Curling slightly at the ends, her read hair tumbled down her back, shining despite the lack of sunshine. A narrow, thin face combined with her fiery hair made her resemble a fox – surely I would easily remember someone like her.

A gasp escaped my protesting lips. She knew I was here! She had to! Those bright emerald eyes x-rayed the area; just for a second they looked directly at me. Waiting to be discovered, I held my breath for what felt like an eternity.

But she walked straight past my hiding place.

Why?

Dancing and skipping silently, I followed the girl like a shadow. She left the relative safety of the forest, making her way towards the river. The minutes felt like hours as she stood at the edge of the raging water.

Then she jumped.

Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion as I dashed towards the river. Secrecy forgotten, I just wanted to help the girl who was so exactly like myself, hunted by people we had no hope of overpowering.

I expected to see the angry, terrifying water happy after its latest meal.

Instead I saw Fox Face, crouching on a rocking ledge about half way down the cliffs; searching for something. She showed none of the cautiousness she had in the forest not five minutes earlier. Totally consumed by the task she was currently undertaking, she paid no attention to what was going on around her.

The so-called hikers I saw earlier appeared from no-where behind her. How? I saw them leave the valley myself, just before the confusing, restless sleep overtook me. What did they want with her?

“Elena…we’ve been expecting you….”
The piercing green eyes found me again. A clear message.

Help.