Silent Gulch 2 Chapter 1

Alessa moved through the forest. She'd been here many times before, she knew the way. Still, her moves were hesitant as she moved along the unmarked path. He would be at the end of the path, he always was. A part of her didn't want to see him, but she was desperate for it at the same time. She knew in the end she would regret finding him, she always did. She hoped this time would be different; this time would be good, happy.

She jumped down from the large fallen tree that was blocking her path. The wilted brown grass crunched under her feet. She was getting closer and she knew it, and feared it as well. Everything was dead beyond this point. The trees were all dead, dried-up leaves holding on to the branches in patches. Wilted vines hung from trees where they'd once climbed and clung tightly t the bark. Dead plants and leaves crackled under her feet with each step. At first glance it looked like a radioactive testing sight. The area was void of sound other then Alessa's steps. No birds, no wind, not scampering little creatures running about.

She moved through the dense trees, being careful not to touch them. She'd felt them before and something hadn't felt right about them. Nothing felt right in the dead part of the forest. There was something different, though. Something had walked the path before her, something with claws. Some of the trees had deep gashes running across their trunks. Alessa moved just a bit closer to the tree as she realized something was seeping from the cuts. She reached out wiping up a bit of the liquid. She expected it to be sap, but it wasn't. It wasn't a shade of brown but, rather, a bright red. She knew she should have been more scared. The trees were bleeding, after all. It didn't strike her as odd, though, and she was more focused on what made the cuts.

There was a light source ahead and Alessa slowed unsure if she should keep going. Her mind screamed no, to turn back, but her feet moved her forward. As she stepped out of the trees and into the clearing light seemed to hang in the air, with no visible source. He was there, just as she knew he would be, just as he always was. He stood in the center of the clearing, back facing her. His faded blue shirt was soaked with blood. The long slash marks across his back looked almost identical to the cuts from the trees. Whatever had done it had ripped into his shoulder as well. The wounds were still fresh as blood dripped down to the ground.

Alessa's eyes fell lower, to his feet. On the ground before him lay a mutilated body. She wasn't even sure if it was human. The chest had been ripped open, limbs torn from the main body. The skull had been caved in, leaving no face to prove it had been human. Alessa gasped and clamped her hands over her mouth to try to keep herself from screaming.

The sound caught his attention and he looked up from the body. Alessa drew her attention back to him and away from the corpse. His face turned partially toward her. His black hair was matted with blood, some of which was still wet. Blood ran down from his hairline down his face. The clear blue eyes that stared back at her looked fearful. He turned his body toward her his mouth working to try to find words.

"What did you do dad?" Alessa asked.

His mouth moved but no sound came out. He suddenly froze as a large blade broke though his chest.

"Dad!" Alessa shouted before the blade was pulled free. He fell to the ground struggling to breathe as he bled. Alessa screamed in horror.

She sat up right in her bed, only partially aware that it had all been a dream. Her throat hurt from the screaming and she was aware of the tears streaking down her cheeks. She pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging her legs to her. She let herself cry as she tried to calm herself.

The door to her room opened and a woman walked in taking a seat beside the teenagers on the bed.

"Alessa, dear, what's wrong? Did you have another nightmare?" the woman asked. Alessa nodded and the woman wrapped her arms around her. "Was it the same as the others?"

Alessa shook her head. "It was worse than usual, mom." She leaned into Tex in need of the comfort. "He was there like usual but he was hurt, and there was something else there."

"What else was there?" Tex asked, concerned. The dreams had been getting worse and worse over the past month and been escalating even more in the recent weeks.

"It was a body, all torn up." Alessa was silent as though unsure of her next words. "Mom, he looked scared."

Tex sighed holding her daughter to her to comfort her. "Do you think that you can get back to sleep?" She was unsure of anything else that she could do.

Alessa was silent, then shook her head. "Every time I close my eyes I see him, that body, the fear." She buried her face into her knees.

Tex stood up and walked across the room. She returned a moment later with a sky blue dragon stuffed animal. She'd given it to Alessa for her eighth birthday, the first birthday they'd celebrated together.

She held out the dragon to the teen. "Here, Harry always helps you calm down." Alessa snatched up the dragon quickly hugging it to her.

Tex smiled a bit at her adopted daughter. "Try to get some sleep, dear. If you feel up to it, we'll talk about your dream in the morning."

Alessa lay down, curling up under her covers to try to get to sleep. Tex frowned, watching the young woman try to get to sleep. She moved out of the room and was sure to shut the door behind her before moving down the hallway back to her own room. She lay down getting comfortable under her sheets.

Tex turned to look over at the picture on her night table. It was of her and Church from back before they'd joined the army. They were happy and smiling and it made her miss the blue leader.

"I wish you were here," Tex muttered, turning over and falling back to sleep.

~End chapter 1~