Alternate Universe (standard:fantasy, 248 words)
Author: Nightingale Moonryder	Added: Dec 12 2005	Views/Reads: 3245/0	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
13-year-old Esmie lives in a children's home with her younger sister Ronnie. The only kind of guardian they have is Gran, their frail old grandmother. One day, Gran dies of an unknown blood problem which was the cause of her parents' death. Esmie soon aft

Prologue 

The forest lay dark and silent. Shadows lay over the uneven forest
floor. The air was warm and heavy, like rich, thick honey. 

In the pale glow of the moon, a pair of frightened grey eyes flickered
from side to side, searching through the night for some sort of hidden 
enemy. A small, heavily-wrapped bundle lay in her arms, hidden in the 
shadow of her cloak. 

A small wail came from the bundle and cut through the silence like a
knife. The forest, disturbed seemed to awaken. The silent night turned 
into a flurry of activity. A loud cry came from behind and a faint glow 
came towards them. 

She began to run faster, her hurried footsteps even more frantic and
desperate than before. Her panic grew as the pursuers drew closer. In 
her terror, she tripped over an unseen tree root in her path. The cloak 
rustled as she tumbled off the path, still clutching the baby. Their 
pursuers came closer and she froze, petrified, waiting to be 
discovered. 

The hunters passed without noticing them. Her over-sized blue cloak had
saved them. It had covered the two completely, and in the shadowy 
darkness, made them completely inconspicuous. 

Trembling and breathing heavily, she stood up again. She looked down at
the baby in her arms. The child was unhurt, but shaken. She bit her lip 
before looking up. She had decided what to do. With a final swish of 
her blue cloak, she disappeared into the night. 


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