Chapter 1

The Woods

“Ashley! We are going to miss the bus!”
“I’m coming, I’m coming!”  I said as I came into view.  As soon as I spotted her I took off past her towards the open door.
“Come on Ash, we are going to be late!”    I said in a mocking voice, then smiled as we ran to the bus.

Ash is my best friend.  Ash is tall with dark green eyes and long curly dark brown hair.  We have been best friends since the first day of middle school.  When we found out that both of our names were Ashley.   We cut nicknames out of it, she was Ash and I was Leigh.
It’s Friday at the end of march, and we are half way through the last semester of our senior year at high school.  We have been inseparable for the past 7 years and we always have something to talk about.
“I can’t believe we are so close to graduation.  It seems like yesterday we were the scared little freshmen.” Ash was telling me.
“I know.  It is hard to believe.”  I trailed off, staring out the window.  The truth of it was, it was the easiest thing in the world to believe. I wanted high school to be over so badly, I was counting the seconds.  I hated the high school drama, the cliques, and how every one thought they were better than every one else. Somehow I know I don’t belong in this world.  Even after high school, what then?  Maybe college and a job?  I didn’t want any of it.  I liked my head in the clouds, staring up at the stars at night wondering if there was such a place that didn’t have all this mundane society nonsense.  Ash felt the same way.  I guess that’s why we stayed so close over the years.  I turned my attention to Ash.
“I just wish that their were more to life than this…”  I trailed back off looking out the window.

I just turned 18, and my name is Ashley.  I am short with light green eyes, and long light brown hair.  My dad left my mom right before I was born.  When Ash and I were freshmen, a lot of things changed us.  My dad tried to come back into my life.  After the initial shock of things my mother and I realized that he was a raging alcoholic and ended his part in my life.  As for Ash, she found out that her mom had met someone, shortly after she married him and brought his two sons into the family as well.  Ash was really tore up about it, because her mom was her life.  Now her mom barely notices that she is there.  All they do is fight, I hate to see my best friend go through that.  So we both came up with the idea to start pretending to go on adventures in the woods having sword fights with mythical creatures.  Sometimes when we are sad, even now, we still go into the woods and pretend.
We got off the bus and when we got into the commons area I gave Ash a hug.
“We will find our place in life one day.”  She whispered in my ear.
“I hope so.”
“See you in band.”
“K, Bye.”
“Bye.”
As the day goes by as usual, the only class I have with Ash is band.  Our fourth and last class.  It was the only thing I was semi-good at in high school.  I played the French horn, and percussion.  Ash played the trumpet.
After school we rode the bus back to her house.  Her mom and her step dad worked at the hospital.  They don’t get off work until 7.  Her step brothers when to a different school and they wont be home for another hour or so.
I slung my book bag in the corner of Ash’s room.  Her house was a cute little single story home, with three bed rooms and a bathroom.  The boys shared a room.  Outside there was a huge forest behind their house.  Ash put her book bag down next to mine then went straight for the kitchen.  We fixed ourselves a sandwich and sat down at the table.
“I hate school.  I am so glad that we are seniors so it will be over with soon.”  Ash said.
“Yeah, me too.  So what do you want to do today?”
“Well, we can go walking in the woods, watch T.V., or OH,  I know!  We can check out that cool new video game I bought the other day!
“Sounds great!  Lets go walking tomorrow, that way we have more time.”
“Ok, cool.”

So we finished eating and curled up on the floor in her room and played a really cool RPG, about a female adventurer, from the mid-evil times.  Taking missions from people and killing giant spiders and being a hero.

The next morning I woke up feeling strange.   Like something was going to happen.  We gathered our water bottles and some crackers in a backpack.  I grabbed my walking stick as she was fastening her dagger to her belt.  She grabbed her walking stick and we headed out the door.  We went around back and headed for our usual trail.
“I wish we could really escape this world.”  I said.
“Yeah, I know.  That would be awesome.”
We both loved to read.  Especially the fantasy novels with a big adventure.  Of course this was the real world where nothing ever happens.  We get to the trail head when I hear a loud snap behind us.  We both jerked our heads around, be we didn’t see anything.  So we shrugged if off and kept going, even though it sounded like someone rather than something.
We get down to the creek and went right.  Ash looks across the small creek and stops dead.
“What’s up?”
“Look,” she said pointing at the clearing straight across from us.
“I have been in these woods countless times and I have never seen that there before.”
“And it looks fairly worn down too.  Lets go check it out.” I said as I started across the creek.  Ash grabs my arm.  “Are you mental?  That trail appears out of nowhere and you want to go down it?”
“Well sure, think about it Ash.  We were down this exact path last weekend.  This trail had to come from somewhere.  This could be that one chance we were just talking about.  This could be it!”
“Well, I guess you are right.  But if this is it, then we are using our other names if we meet any one. I am Brin, and you are Nedra.  Okay?”
“Alright then, Brin. What are we waiting for?”
In an instant, we have no choice.  We here growls coming from all around us.  And then we see them.  Huge wolves the size of small cars, nearly surrounding us.  We have no other option I take her hand and we bolt for the mysterious new trail. We run together as fast as we can with the wolves snapping at us, it was at least a mile before we realized they were gone.

I drop to my knees out of  exhaustion, as Brin fell to my side.
“Where did they go?”
“I don’t know, but it almost looked like they were herding us into this trail.”
“That would make sense. They were huge.  They could have eaten us whole.”
“Exactly.”
“They were inches away from us snapping, when they could have taken off our heads.”
I stood up and looked around, but I did not want to believe my eyes.
“Brin?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you remember how we followed the trail as we were running?
“Yeah?” She said a little panicked.
“Well its not behind us any more…”
Brin stood up and turned on the spot.   Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung slightly.
“How?”
“I don’t know.  But there is only one way to find out.” I said grabbing her shoulder.
“I smell the adventure we have been waiting for…”
We both grin at one another and start walking the trail again.  I finally relax enough to look at the scenery around us.  We were surrounded by tall mossy oaks, and full green pines.  I could hear water rushing nearby, and birds were singing in the trees.  We walked another mile or so, and finally see a clearing up ahead.
I hear rustling of trees, I turn my head towards the sound but see nothing.  I look all around for the source of the noise, but still see nothing.  The sound starts to get louder, my heart starts beating heavily.  I look at Ash, she is also alarmed. We stare at each other and slowly turn around.  The source of the sound was there, a wolf steps out of the trees, not 5 feet from us.  A low growl came from its throat, then it snaps at us.  It was the first time we really got a look at it.  This wolf was horrifying.  Razor sharp teeth, matted black fur and gruesome blood red eyes.

I was frozen in my skin.  I come to my senses and turn to Brin
“RUN!” I screamed.
We grab each others hand and run as fast as our legs would carry us.  Before long I notice Brin’s hand is slipping out of mine, then it is gone.
“Brin!”
I turn around to see the most ghastly scene, Brin is hanging out of the wolfs mouth, screaming for her life.  The wolf turns and starts running, I follow as fast as I can.  I notice something I had never seen before in my life.  A black portal opened up in front of the running wolf, as it jumped through.  I ran after it, but I was too late.  The portal had disappeared.  I kept running, making sure to stay on the trail.  My eyes were filled with confusion and fury, I had to find help…