Ferne's Thoughts: So this is something I've been wanting to write, even before Unchained. Little to no things in this fic will be canon, and it is purely AU (alternate universe). SerasXAlu, but in the past? DUN DUN DUN! ~suspenseful music~

*** I don't own Hellsing or Alucard or Seras, Alexander Anderson, or any other Canon characters. I only own OC's and the plot, baby. ***

Seras ran through the woods, twigs and thorns cutting her feet, her legs. She was exhausted, but she couldn't stop, not with them after her, not now. She felt the hot tears on her face cooling as the chilly fall air hit her. The breeze ran through her hair as she dodged trees and arrows. She could smell the fire as it grew and burned, smoke drifting through the scenery like dark fog. Her lungs burned and her bare feet begged her to stop, but she couldn't. Not until she was out of the woods.

The villagers, the men and women she once knew, people she grew up with, they now wanted her dead. They were chasing her, they wanted to kill her, gut her, burn her at the stake. They called her a heretic, a witch, called her possessed, a friend to the devil. But until tonight, they tolerated her presence. But now, now, they hunted her with bows and arrows, pitchforks and swords, on horses and feet. They forced her into the woods, the forbidden, terrifying, dark woods. The forest that she had been warned to never go past, as a child. Now, the exit of these woods were her only chance at sanctuary. Her only chance to live.

She could see it now, the end of the forest. The smooth cut off of dark, woody scenery to… something else, shrouded in mystery and fog. 50 feet away… 40 feet away… 30 feet away… 20 feet away… 10 feet away… Come on Seras! Her foot finally crosses the threshold and she felt herself be hit.

Her shoulder burned and she fell. She could hear the men telling each other to stop, the horses neighing in fear. She fell into the fog past the forest, gripping her shoulder. She stood back up, feet shaky and aching, and kept going. She couldn't see anything through the thick fog. The air felt… different somehow, more electric. She breathed it in, grunting and groaning and trying not to scream at the pain traveling through her shoulder and down to her arm.

Her eyes and head darted around, trying to see something, anything, but she couldn't. Her mouth was dry, and she felt herself starting to cry again. She didn't stop running, the motion kept her mind off of the sharp pain in her body. She knew that the arrow had hit bone, maybe even gone through it. She needed somebody to help her, a doctor. But she was lost in the sea of mist, clouds on the ground blocking anything from her view. She heard a crow cawing around her suddenly and turned to find it. She kept running as she turned her head and found herself tripping.

She tripped on an exposed root of some sort, her foot catching in it and sending her rolling down a… cliff? A hill? A mountain? Am I going to die? Her shoulder sent waves of pain through her every nerve with each roll. She screamed and covered her head as best as she could. She rolled quickly, feeling sharp branches and stones cutting and bruising her tender, aching flesh. She rolled faster and faster, further and further. Her heart was racing, and she prepared to die. She opened her eyes and peaked through her arms to see lush, green scenery rolling around her. She looked out past it and saw a large, elegant castle in the distance. She screamed again as she felt herself being thrown in the air, falling off the edge of whatever she was rolling on. She turned around in the air, her face toward the ground as it came closer. She threw her arms out to try and break the fall, and she a sharp bump and something crack against her head as more pain rushed through her veins and the world went black.

Seras felt herself being lifted up gently. She felt the steady rocking and bumping of somebody carrying her, but couldn't open her eyes. All she could do was moan in discomfort and pain she felt throughout her body. She couldn't even think about anything, just feel. Soon, she felt herself being placed down on something soft, one of her arms falling off the edge of it. She moaned some more and felt her head roll back and forth. She heard voices around her.

"My, my! What have we got 'ere?" A woman?

"I found her on the outskirts of the grounds. She's injured. I don't know what happened." A boy, he sounds young, perhaps?

"The Master isn't going to be pleased that you brought her here."

"Well, what should I have done? Left her to die? Bleed to death? Starve? Get eaten by animals – or worse? No, I did the right thing."

"Aye, you did. But, like I said, he isn't going to be pleased."

"When's he due back?"

"Ah, I believe he said he'd be back by nightfall. It's only a half-hour from now."

"All right, let's try and patch her up quickly then."

"Aye."

She felt herself drifting back into the blackness, floating in it. Is this death? I'm dying aren't I? I'm dying and going to hell. It's calming. Peaceful. It's fine. I can go now. I'm fine with this.

Seras was awakened by a searing pain in her shoulder. Her eyes popped open and she screamed, her whole body convulsing and contorting in agony.

"Hold her still!"

"Yes, ma'am!" She felt hands gripping her legs, her other shoulder, and holding them down, their grip tight. She looked around the room as it spun. She saw figures, but couldn't make out faces. She felt dizzy just by keeping her eyes open. She groaned and yelled in pain, begging them to stop.

"Miss, you need to calm down. If you don't you'll only hurt yourself more." She snarled and yelped at every sensation. She felt the arrow she had been struck with forcing its way back through her flesh, the sharp tip tearing through more muscle and stopping mid-way through her.

"Oh lord, it's stuck!"

"What?!" The grip on her let go and she thrashed around, trying to make the pain stop. I have to get away, I have to! They're only hurting me more! I have to escape! She screamed and threw her head back, hitting a soft surface over and over. She stopped screaming once her throat became raw, and instead opted on whimpering and whining. She heard a deep voice call out somewhere in the room.

"What is this?"

"Master, I-"

"What are you doing? What do you think you're doing?" The voice was angry, the words a thick growl. The man had an accent, and spoke roughly. His voice scared Seras and she started to squirm about again, lazily. She spoke for the first time, her voice slow and thick, her words slurred and hazy.

"I have to go… Let me go. Just let me die. I'm ready. I'm ready… I can die now…"

So? Yay, nay? Sorry for such a short intro chapter, but I've gotta keep ya hooked somehow. :)