「 chapter one. 」

It's happening again.

She couldn't remember how it happened. Her side temple feels wet, dripping she's too afraid to touch it. Her stomach is twisting and twisting in knots begging for to stop and take a breath, if she does she's dead. Each step feels like another bolt of thunder striking her veins with fear. This can't be real. Not now! NOT AGAIN!

The wind slips inside her thick jacket, giving her a cold kiss that rattles her bones inside out. There's green everywhere; trees, ground, on her palms. There's no way out, it's like doing laps around the never ending forest. The sun was no help either ( not the she learned if it can give you directions or something ) and stayed in the same position.

Her breathing was loud in the silence and her steps quiet on the bumpy ground. She wants to take a look back and see if It's still following her, to hide somewhere for a few seconds and get her brain under control ━━but any little stops will end in her death, she can feel it, like when you're in the dark and you can't tell whether someone is there with you or not and you don't know if you want to find out.

A shadow darkens the corner of her eye, for a split second her heart stopped beating and she sucked in a breath. She has never seen what It looked like, she never wants to see what it looks like but mere the thought of it being so close makes her want to bite her own tongue before she starts screaming so loud her voice box shatters. The sky feels like it's moving around and suddenly, she's staring at a mix of green and brown hard ground. A pebble digs into her wobbling knees, she couldn't move.

GET UP! She begs, to keep pushing for a little longer ( despite knowing there's a fat chance she won't ever stop ). It's better than It catching up to her. She winced as a burn runs up and down her thighs rendering her legs useless, her stomach sucks in as it twists harder and harder forcing her to hunch forward her eyes clenched in pain. She doesn't want to die. She doesn't want to die, not now, not ever. And she'll do anything to survive.

"Come on, what are you waiting for?" She flinched back falling on her butt, her nails digs in the dirt. She sounds like music to her ears, the kind you'd close your eyes listening to. Her eyes opened taking in the bright magenta curls, taking her hand without a second thought she's pulled her up like she weighed nothing. "I got you, babe."

Together, the girls sprinted through the forest. A surge of new emotions and feelings rushed through her veins making her skin tingle. Is this... is this what hope feels like? It feels so foreign to her.

The path becomes rocky underneath her shoes, leading them to a cave on the lower ground hidden behind a short hill. She trips skimming her elbow on the ground, she doesn't mind the sting. The inside of her nose is being burned by the smell of inferno the deeper inside they get.

"You're safe here." The stranger reassures, seated in the middle with her legs crossed as she lights a fire in the corner of the cave.

Her hands caress the smooth bumpy walls feeling comfort in something so small and confined. She swallows, glancing over her shoulder like It stood behind her blocking the exit. She had to sit against the wall so she could see if It before It sees her since that is the only exit. Her knees are pressed against her chest and her chin on top, trying to make herself tiny.

"He... here..?" Beck struggled to find her voice, staring at the angry red orange flames licking the walls. She could feel it's heat but it wasn't warming her up like there was a veil in between them. "Who are you?"

The corner of her lips quirked. "You can call me Luci."

When their eyes met, it was like her entire stumbled and was falling in a black hole. Luci blinks breaking Beck out of her spell. "Thanks for, uh, you know, saving me out there."

"Ofcourse, I couldn't let you be taken so soon." Luci murmured vetoing the idea of her leaving her to die, her eyebrows furrowed as she wipes her face clean. The water on her skin feels refreshing, like she finally breath again. Luci brushes her sticky wavy hair behind her ear, eyes fluttering close. Her butt was starting to cramp but she couldn't move, her bones are chained to the ground by exhaustion and her soft touch was like a lullaby, she didn't want to move and disturb the moment. "But It'll find you again."

Her bones freeze, the comfort ripped off her like a blanket at her words, sitting up straight. Her fingers digs in her hair tugging and cranes her neck to the exit shaking her head, her chest feels tight. She can't breath. She can't breath. "It will? No, no, no. You... you have to protect me. Please, protect me."

"Shhh." Luci whispers, taking her hands out of her hair and begins brushing her hair back until the only noticeable panic trait is swimming in her eyes. "I can save you."

"You.. you can?" There is was again; that tiny silver is hope injecting its self in her bloodstream like a drug.

"Ofcourse, ma poupée."

"What do I have to do?" Her canines graze her bottom lips as a wide smile curves on her lips, Luci puffs the fire out leaving her crimson red eyes as the only brightness in the cave and her fingers grow into claws as she runs her fingers through her sweaty hair, watching Beck eyes' flutter close again. Beck made her bed and now, it's time for her to lay in it.

"Some people call it a; Deal with the Devil."