It's now. The time to flee. To run. I have fought for too long. Fought too hard - too hard to fight anymore. I can feel the moisture draining out of my mouth, transforming it into a cavern of dark dryness. I am petrified, every sinew and every tiny muscle shaking vividly throughout me, my body producing all of the symptoms of being terrified; mind racing, thoughts swirling, heart pounding. Oh how my heart is pounding. A stampede of hooves getting quicker and quicker with every shaking breath I take.

Slowly placing my right knee on the cool, hard concrete floor, I kneel. The floor is rough beneath my knees and I can feel hundreds of tiny little stones digging into my flesh like needles sliding into my skin. I look at my hand as it quivers while I stretch forward, touching the cardboard box with my index finger. It is smooth, yet unwelcoming to the touch and I hear the pitter-patter of my tears on the concrete below me. Tracing my finger over the surface of the box, I leave a trail of dark-crimson blood in the most ironic shape for me. A heart.

My expression transforms into one of anger and frustration as I stare at it, my eyes should not be shining with these tears. I will not allow it, I can't. So, instead of letting any more fall, I blink them away. That's better. Emotions are liabilities and I cannot afford to have liabilities.

"Goodbye Daimon." I don't want to say that. I don't usually say goodbye and I don't like it...at all. My knees click as I straighten them, my back muscles twitching as I stretch up. It's time to go.

<><><><><><><><><><>

I start to walk towards the moonlight that shines through the door. I feel complete. My old life is done, and I am ready to move on to new things...bigger things. Daimon will find the box in the morning, and he will understand my farewell. I am free to run.

I can feel the wind on my cheeks as I stand in the open doorway, my hand on the cool metal frame. The sky is beautiful tonight. It's a patchwork, sewn with the deepest, darkest secrets and embroidered every so often with tiny specks of light. Alive and yet inanimate at the same time, it has always fascinated me. The whole universe is at the tip of our fingertips, seemingly just a few centimeters away, and all we can do is watch.

I lift my right leg up, ready to take a step forward. It's an impulse decision, me looking down at my converse clad feet while I'm in mid-step, but what I see terrifies me and amazes me all at the same time. Atoms are dropping off of me like dust falling off of a long forgotten book. I have no idea how I can see them in this light but I watch, even more dry-mouthed than before, as the cascade of tumbling atoms climb up my leg.

I am disappearing and I can do nothing about it. I am frozen, paralysed in this position - my head bowed, my foot raised, my hand still holding onto the doorframe. I am stuck, incapable of movement, like a statue. But I am breaking, dissolving into nothingness as inch by inch of my skin falls. I close my eyes as I realise I am dying. This is not the way to go.

I've always wanted to go out with a bang. Ever since a young age, I have been set on that way of going. Not like this, I didn't want to just fade out of existence. This, this isn't fair.

<><><><><><><><><><>

My heart is beating slower, relishing each pump of my blood rushing through my body, my breathing is shallow, darkness threatening to overwhelm me, and I am alone, completely and utterly isolated. Story of my life I suppose.

I force my eyelids to flutter open and I strain my eyes to look as far up into the night sky as I can without my head moving. I am as lonely as each one of those stars, committed to a life of desolation, and, as I look at them, I feel drawn to their beauty. They are beautiful, a pure image of fiery innocence, and suddenly I want to reach up and touch them. But I can't, because I am almost gone.

I look back down and a persistent tear squeezes out of my eye. The disappearing atoms have worked their way all the way up to just under my heart and I feel them attacking the dark, shadowy edges as my eyes flick close for the last time.

<><><><><><><><><><>

An uttered breath escapes from me and my eyelids shoot open for the second time tonight. My throat is raw and, trying to swallow, I find it nearly impossible. Silently wondering why, I flop down into a sitting position and look around. I am no longer paralysed. I am free.

For a brief moment, a thought passes through my mind. What if this is what death feels like? But I dismiss it as I stare at my surroundings. No, this is not Hell - although it is as hot as I imagine Hell to be - but I have no doubt that, when I do die, Hell will be the first place I'll be sent.

Instead, my surroundings are beautiful. It's still night and, as I look at the floor, I see a beautifully captivating pattern of dappled moonlight, reflected from the refracting gaps in the leaves above onto the burnt grass littered with writhing vines. Trees are dotted all around me, their branches like arms reaching out and around every tiny little thing. The air is thick and heavy with humidity and, reaching up to touch my forehead, I feel a layer of sweat starting to encase my skin. Sounds and noises make my surroundings come alive as I listen to them.

The ticking and clicking of tiny insects, the croak of frogs, the hiss and rattle of snakes and the scratching of claws on a tree trunk are all vivid and send my thoughts into a whirlpool of emotions. Fear, trepidation and anxiety hit me like a million soccer punches to my stomach. I double over, clutching my stomach as though I felt actual physical pain as my emotions bombard me. Pushing myself to my feet, I stumble.

It's too hot, the air too heavy. I start to gasp for breath, my head swimming, my body convulsing, struggling to take in oxygen, as I continue to stumble backwards. I fumble with my right hand for a purchase of some sort, something to hold, anything. My outstretched hand finally grabs onto something rough that scratches my skin and I grip hold of it tightly.

I start to suck in the heavy air as I search my vivid green surroundings. Rainforest maybe? Well, this is definitely a forest of some sorts...and it is way too hot to be a normal forest. Plus, I'm pretty certain that normal forests don't have poisonous snakes slithering around your feet. I can feel myself screaming as I look at their bright red skin, but no noise is coming out. What's happening?

Then something happens that makes me forget all about the snakes. A snarl, barely audible at first, starts behind me and I hear it rumbling through the air, vibrating the ground. I duck just at the right moment, just before a tide of thick dark-green fur skims my creamy white hair, making a few bits stand up on end as I cower against the roots of the tree. It lands with an ear-splitting growl on the burnt-out grass in front of me and bows its head towards its left paw where one of those snakes lay visible, twitching slightly as it takes its last breaths.

It's slow, how it does it, ripping the head off of the snake and, for a brief second, I pity the thing. Then I turn back to the...monster that is doing it and I inhale a shaky breath.

It's about a foot above my height and just about the same length. Thick tidal waves of silky dark-green fur covers it from head to toe and, as it turns to face me, it stares, unblinking, through huge vibrant emerald eyes. Muscles ripple throughout its body, giving just a hint of the power it's capable of and another rumbling sound emits itself from deep within its throat. I start to back away, feeling completely and utterly trapped as my back hits a tree and I press myself hard against the surface. The beast blinks close it's huge emerald eyes and my mind bizarrely flits to How To Train Your Dragon. Not the best time to be thinking about that...

My eyes widen even more as it starts to prowl forward, the frozen-green spheres staring defiantly at me as the rumbling increases. I am weirdly calm, facing death for the second time tonight. The only form of terror inside of me is the beating heart that threatens to burst out of me. But, apart from that, I am accepting of my fate. It comes further and further until I can smell the foul stench of decaying flesh and poison as it breathes directly into my nose. So many instincts are screaming at me to turn away, run...run for my life. But I can't rip my gaze away from its glare. It's the most beautiful thing I've seen, and it's going to kill me.

I close my eyes, preparing myself yet again. This was it. This time I am going to die. Goodbye life. Goodbye world.

<><><><><><><><><><>

I can sense it opening its foul mouth and I imagine sharp, unforgiving, ivory teeth tinged with the black blood of the snakes it has just murdered as I feel a boiling wave of horrors hit me. Darkness threatens to overwhelm me as panic rises up my throat. For I am panicking now. I don't want to die.

Then something wet and rough slithers across my skin and my breath catches in my throat. This is disgusting! Ugh! Repulsed by the slimy thing that was now rubbing up and down my arm, I sneak a terrified glance. It's eyes are closed in bliss as it licks my flesh and I stare, wide eyed, as it stops and looks up at me. I feel lost, trapped in the emerald depth of its eyes, captivated by the pure innocence that seems to exude from them. All at once, I realise that I am it's master.

It starts to back away and sits down, curling its massive tail around its humungous paws. A thin, wailing whine lifts from its jaws as I stride towards it. I have absolutely no idea what I am doing but I'm pretty sure that this is that part I am supposed to play if I want to survive. I stretch out with my hand, feeling the soft silky green fur brush against my fingers.

A leaf falls down from the tree above and I watch as its beige form flutters delicately in the wind. It comes closer and closer and clearer and clearer until I finally realise that it's not a leaf, it's a letter. I reach up and grab it, pulling it closer to my face so I can read it.

Yvonne Elmwood, Seer Of The Darkness, Hater Of The Light, High Elf Of Madness.
Fifth Quater.
Night Rainforest.
93C D36.

I raise my eyebrows and they wiggle into a pattern of uncertainty. Curious, I start to unfold the letter, feeling the rough material slide across my fingers.

Yvonne Elmwood,
You have been transported to The Island to determine your powers as a High Elf. Your powers consist solely of seeing through the dark that hinders so many in the hours of the night.
Currently you are situated in the Fifth Quarter of the Night Forest and you have undoubtedly met your familiar, Azor. He will be vital to your survival and is sworn to protect you from any dangers you may come across.
You will need water so the spial you packed in that abnormally large backpack will be useful as the only source of fresh water comes from within the trees. Food, on the other hand, will be supplied by Azor, as will transport.
The heat of night is nothing to the day so we suggest finding shelter before dawn breaks.
Good luck,
High Elf Elders.

Okay, a few things are rushing through my mind. First of all: WHAT!!!!! The Island? High Elf? Powers? Fifth Quarter - for a start, that's not even possible!!! Night Rainforest? Familiar? WHAT?

I can't comprehend what I've just read. This can't be...it can't be right. But, deep within me, I know the truth. Slowly, I stumble backwards and slide down Azor's flank, my heart beating, my mind hurting and my head buried in the palms of my hands. Flashes of images bombard my mind and I begin to shake as I start to remember my life before.

A woman, eyes as old as the sun, skin as pale as the moon. She stands, her dark brown hair billowing out behind her, the strands fanning out as her piercing golden eyes look forward. The sky is dark blue except from the blinding light that emits from somewhere behind her, making her look like an angel as her pure white dress flows backwards in waves.

"Yvonne. I'm sorry." Her voice is soft and has a musical tint to it as she whispers those three words. She smiles sadly and a single silver tear falls down her cheek.

"Mummy...please." A little girl's voice rings out...my voice. I am crying, tiny racking sobs that shake my whole body, as the woman starts to step back, her steps graceful and elegant. She turns and starts to advance towards the light. "Don't go..." My voice sounds defeated as the light engulfs her.

---

A building, encased in glittering diamonds and crystals, shines in the setting sun. It is deserted but it still looks so beautiful. I smile as a laugh fills the air, its happiness a stark contrast of the sadness that hangs around the building.

---

"Dad! No!" His body hits the ground and, although I am not him, I feel every snap of his bones as I watch, my nine year old eyes wide in horror. I am too upset to cry as the car swerves to avoid driving over his body.

"Sorry mate!" He is drunk, I can hear it in his voice as he drives past, dismissing my dad's broken, dead body. He doesn't care about him. He doesn't care about the life he'd just wrecked. He doesn't care about the little girl who just watched, open mouth as her dad had been mown down in front of her. He doesn't care.

I scream, not knowing what else to do. He is dead. I am alone. I sit, finally crying, on the kerb in front of my house. I cry until I can cry no more. Tears refuse to come so I look up and stare at the broken body that was still lying, motionless, in front of me on the now-deserted road.

A broken milk-bottle lay, empty, next to his head.

---

I watch from up high, my bare feet tingling on top of the purple grass that lay beneath me. I am smiling, my white hair flying in streaks around me, as I look down at three little kids, two boys and a girl. They are hunting for something, peering under bushes and around corners. "Yvonne? Yvonne?" They call out and I smile again. They are looking for me. They are my friends.

I throw the letter to the ground, tears shining in my eyes. I remember. I've spent my whole life blocking these memories out of my life that I'd eventually forgotten them. But I remember now.

My father and I had transported to Earth after my mother had left us. We'd lived comfortably for four years until that fateful day when we had been walking home from getting the shopping and the driver had...yeah.

I'd lived in an orphanage for six years after that until I'd finally ran away just an hour ago.

<><><><><><><><><><>

After a couple of hours of sitting against a now sleeping Azor, head in my hands, I get up. I am drenched in sweat from head to toe and my mouth is completely dry. I feel like death. I stand and, grabbing something from my backpack, walk over to the nearest tree and plunge it in. Water starts to flow from it. Beautiful, crystal clear water, my saviour.

I drink from it, relishing the ice cold feeling flowing down my throat, until I feel so much cooler. Cupping my hands, I collect a small pool of water in the makeshift dish and walk back to Azor who lay, his dry tongue lolling out. He wakes as I near him and gets groggily to his paws. He laps the water until every drop is gone. I have no idea what possibly possessed me to do that but, looking at him now and seeing a bond spring between us, I am glad that I did.

I grab the spial from the tree and place it back into my bag before looking up at the tree-top canopy. Dawn is starting to break. Grabbing the letter from the ground, I tuck it into my pocket and turn to face Azor. "Do you know where we can find shelter?" He stares up at me and his eyes say everything.

He tosses his head before leading the way through the maze of vine-covered trees. Sound of birds and insects fills the air as we walk and we both have to fight off the buzzing flies that continue to pester us.

We walk, and walk, and walk until we finally reach salvation. It's now burning hot and day is just about to start. Our salvation comes in the form of a cave hidden in the floor of the rainforest. Azor tugs at the fronds hiding it and the gaping hole slowly comes into view. He jumps in first and I follow, pulling the fronds back over the hole.

The cave is plunged into darkness and I turn around. At first I am disoriented but, slowly, I start to make out things. It is not light but, somehow, I can soon see everything in pure detail. My mind flickers back to the letter as I wonder why.

Your powers consist solely of seeing through the dark that hinders so many in the hours of the night.

I smile slightly and look at Azor who is already curled up on the floor. Still smiling, I lay next to him and place my head on his warm flank. Day was for sleeping and night was for exploring.

Slowly, I drift off as I find myself in a bizarre stat of peace. I am in the midst of an adventure and it thrills me.