ASCENDER

Chapter 1

A blissful night.

That's how every horror story began, until chaos ensued.

The peaceful night of a certain forest was interrupted by the sounds of pounding footsteps, the sounds of heavy breathing and the sound of wings flapping through the air. A small boy appeared through the brush and slid down a small hill mound before continuing his violent run across the woods, the sound of his heartbeat was deafening and all he saw was spots in his line of sight.

A violent screech followed him from behind, he turned to look back. That was a mistake, as he looked back he completely lost his balance and fell down into some mud that was wet and slippery. The boy heard the sounds of the wings getting closer, he quickly got up and decided to hide in the thick bushes that were around him. He tried to slow his breathing but it was hard since he felt like his lungs were gonna explode, his heart beat wasn't doing him any favors either.

He heard the thud of something hitting the ground, the boy decided to risk the chance and took a look at his pursuers. He saw two giant bat-like creatures scanning the area like ravenous beasts, he saw one sniff the air and growl. The other one started to groan as the sound of bones were heard, the boy saw the monsters shrink in size and mass until taking the form of two men.

"I do not smell the brat," one of them stated as he surveyed the area.

"He is not here," the other said.

The boy covered his mouth with his hands as he stared at the two males, his eyes were watering from extreme fright and he felt his heartbeat speed up again. At that exact moment, one of them turned and looked in his general direction, a smirk played across his lips which revealed a good set of canines.

The boy's breath hitched and he didn't have time to react as a cold hand gripped the back of his neck and lifted him out of the bushes, the boy screamed and thrashed, trying his best to escape.

"Covering yourself in mud to hide your scent, huh?" the first man said as he approached the raised child, "Smart".

"Come on, hurry up. We don't have all night," the second man said.

The first man growled at his partner before the nails on his hand extended into claws, the boy watched with wide eyes as he saw the man bring his claws closer to his face.

Before anything could happen, a snarl was heard from the nearby trees and this caused the two men to pause and look around. The second one brought the child to the ground and held him on his shoulder, the boy started to cry as he felt the grip.

"What do you think it was?" the second man asked.

"I don't-" the first man was cut off when a black mass slammed into him and pinned him to the ground, followed by the sickening sound of flesh and bone being torn apart.

The second man gasped in horror, the child saw his chance and broke free from his grip and took off running. He was about to chase after him but another mass slammed him also to the ground, his screams filled the night air as bones and flesh were being crushed.

The child screamed in panic and fear as he ran.

............................................

An ebony skinned woman dressed in all black was busy browsing for flowers in a flowershop, her hair was as black as night and was in a wavy style. She changed aisles and continued to check for more flowers that would catch her attention, she made her way to the end and was about to head for the next aisle. Suddenly, she laid her eyes on a small boutique of purple tulips and this caused her to smile before she picked it up and made her way to the cashier counter.