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Chapter 1

In the midst of a dark forest, haunted by the winters chill, I ran for ainst the snow as the thunderous roar of the glowing-eyed, black-cloaked monsters chased after me

I shoved helplessly through the brittle pine trees, leafless branches clawing at her on my jeans with every step I took My heart pounded furiously My lungs grew tight, about to collapse fro swirled everywhere They were close Way too close That’s what these things did—they dropped the temperature so drastically the air instantly bruised over with ice And if they caught le me to a hypothermic death in a heartbeat

I threw a frantic glance overFlickers of yellow flooded through trees A sheet of ice crackled over the ground, nipping atmyself to run faster

“Geh the night It was the saht before the monsters captured me “No matter what you do, you’ll never escape”

The sound of snapping twigs and crunching footsteps echoed nearerMyA cool breeze swept ers wrapped around the back ofin protest

I let out an uncontrollable whimper and openedto break free with every ounce of strength I had in s moved in slow ,my skin with bluish-purple lines

“I told you there was no point” A tall, husky man appeared in front ofdeeper into rinned the kind of grin that would’ve sent chills downto death

The goldena white scar scuffing his left cheek His black hair matched his dark, hollow eyes “Finish her off,” he commanded

The black-cloakedhungrily I tried to screah and feltwent black

Chapter 2

I woke up, gasping for air,I was sprawled out on the forest ground, freezing to death fro my room were just an illusion I’d conjured up to comfort me while I died

I bolted upright in led myself fro my t-shirt toif ed and I relaxed It had been a dreaht before that

I inhaled slowly, lettingheart settle, and cliainst the soles of my bare feet I wrapped myself with a blanket and treaded softly over to theThe soft pink glow of the sunlight spilled over the snowyat the tips of the pine trees The pine trees that I’d just been running through, and where I’d keep running every night after I fell asleep because, no htmares

Of course,in the madness that had overtaken er problems to deal with Real problems Ones I couldn’t just blink away

It had all began right before I started having my way too realistic dreams Back before I’d been able to dreaht I used to not be able to dream

Okay, so you’re probably thinking I’ to any conclusions, let irl that I a toto me My oing on inside Don’t get , I could still walk, talk, breathe, and function, I just couldn’t feel anything Ever Crazy, I know But at the time, I could have cared less

Then about a ed The day had started out just like any other day I’d been going throughdressed for school when, out of nowhere, I felt this prickling sensation on the back of my neck Confused, I ran over to the mirror to check for any bumps or marks on my pale skin But there was zilch there except my normal specks of freckles

Chalking it up to rabbed et so I had ever felt—this overwhel up inside

It eird

Up until then, at least as far back as I could re like it beforeFrom then on, my life was never the sa with happiness Or boiling with anger Or…well, you get the picture And once I felt an eled to keep all of s under control There was this one awful incident at school where I had this sudden outburst and started bawling right in the middle of Mr Belford’s lecture on Plate Tectonics People stared at me like I was a freak, which is totally understandable Iplates

But anyways…

I had done quite a few searches on the internet, trying to figure out as happening tothrough Apparently, whatever “it” as one hundred percent original Which was great Just great My life would be so much easier if—