Chapter One
Saffie
December 5th 2018 – present day
“Wake up, Saffie.”
I groaned and wrapped my arms around my body tighter, feeling the goosebumps covering my bare, freezing skin. The wind howled in the distance, and I huddled in on myself to fight the cold. The sloshing of water and crashing waves filled my ears, yet my eyes remained sealed shut.
“Saffie, it is time to wake.”
I frowned and shook my head. It was too cold to get up.
“Wake up, Saraphina. Now.”
My eyes flew open…and my gaze found a black sky that looked soft to the touch. Stars twinkled down at me like they were begging for my attention. And with the moon a mere sliver of a crescent, there was no competition. It was so beautiful and serene, I could’ve laid there forever just looking at it if my skin wasn’t stinging from the cold air. I needed to get up and find some warmth but my body felt heavy and locked to the ground. I took a deep breath and let the salty ocean breeze wash over me.
“Saraphina, you must move now,” that same soft voice urged.
I rubbed my eyes then sat up. “Why, what’s going—”
There was no one there.
“—on…hello? Is someone there?” I shouted.
But only silence greeted me.
Someone had just spoken. I knew they had. I glanced all around me…and found not a single person. I was alone. What just happened?
The foggy haze of sleep vanished in an instant and my heart fluttered. There was no one in sight. I looked left and right, over and over, but all I saw was the soft ripple of waves on a dark body of water and boats floating in the distance. I couldn’t see a difference between land, sea, or sky. Everything was black. There were flickers of golden light but they served only like beacons far in the distance. In front of me there was a short, pale colored lighthouse, but it was dark like no one had ever been inside.
“Who’s there?” I said a little louder in a shaky voice. “Anyone?”
Nothing.
My chest tightened. What is happening? I know I heard someone. I pushed up and flipped onto my knees – and sharp pain shot up my legs. The ground beneath me was some kind of gravel made from dark, rough rocks and crumbled stone. Some of it had a frosty white color, like they were frozen solid.
Ice-cold wind slammed into my back, sending sharp pain down my spine. My whole body trembled violently. It felt like I was about to rip in half. My teeth chattered together. I hissed and wrapped my arms around myself, my breath coming out in a puff of white smoke. I stood up and my feet burned. Looking down, my jaw dropped.
I was barefoot.
And the ground beneath my feet was glittery gold.
My breath left me in a rush, and this time it was just as shimmery gold as the ground.
My heart thundered through my veins. I wrapped my arms around myself again. This is – what is that?
And I only wore a thin, sleeveless lavender dress that stopped half way down my thighs. My pulse quickened. Why am I dressed like this? Where are my shoes? I took a step forward and my toes felt like they were on fire, yet no flames were present. In fact, they looked kind of blue. How long have I been out here? I took another step, then another…everywhere my feet touched the gravel turned gold. What’s happening here?
Wait.
Here? I don’t remember coming here. WHERE am I?
My heart shot up my throat and my legs shook. I spun in a circle, looking for something I recognized…but there wasn’t a single thing. I didn’t know this place. My stomach tightened into knots. What is this place?
I took a few steps forward, leaving a glittery trail behind me. “Hello? Anyone there?”
No answer. The wind still roared and howled. The waves on the water rolled by, crashing into the rocks on both sides of me. Something dark moved out of the corner of my eye – I spun toward it but there was nothing. No one. I was still alone. Time to go, time to go. I hurried forward, trying to ignore the golden glittery footsteps in my wake. I looked left and right again. Still nothing but shadows. I was on a narrow strip of land that stretched out into the water and ended with the lighthouse that was now behind me. But up ahead, there was a single building on my left, and I prayed someone was there, though there wasn’t a single light on.
I need help. Someone help me.
I’d heard someone speaking to me, and with every step I took I felt like someone was watching me more and more. I didn’t like it. My feet screamed in protest, but I sprinted forward anyway. I had to keep moving. I had to get out of here. A shadow danced by me and I spun toward it yet found only ocean waves. I cried out and hot tears stung the backs of my eyes. A gust of wind ripped across the water, blowing my hair into my face. I went to push my hair back and froze. Golden, shimmery mist spilled from my hands. My pulse shot up.
What is that? What IS that?
Over the tips of my fingers, red lights flashed from beneath the surface of the frothy water. I gasped and dropped my hands. My eyes widened. Two glowing red balls sat unmoving just off the shore. I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head. I opened my eyes and shrieked. There were dozens of them now. I stumbled back a few steps then glanced over my shoulder and gasped. There were more red glowing balls on the other side, too.
My body trembled. They’re not watching me. They’re not watching me. They’re not — I leapt a few feet over and those red balls moved with me. I screamed then slammed my hand over my mouth. And then the water moved. But not with the waves. Something darker than the black water moved beneath the surface, swirling and swimming — I gasped.
No, no, no, no, no.
I have to go. I have to GO. Run, run, RUN!
I pushed off the ground in a glittery gold cloud and sprinted away. I had only one option…to go straight. There was some sort of town up ahead. If I could just get up there — and what? Tell someone what happened? I don’t know what happened! I don’t know how I got here.
Wait…
I don’t know how I got here.
I don’t know where here is.
My steps faltered and then I froze. My chest was tight and my throat burned from the cold air I’d sucked in. I didn’t know where I was or how I got there. How do I not remember? How do I not know how I got here?
My mind spun, the wheels were turning yet nothing was happening. I was just…blank. Empty. Vacant. I had nothing. What the hell happened? Why don’t I remember? I can’t just not remember anything…can I?
No, just think. I have to remember something. Anything. Come on, Saffie —I gasped. Saffie. That was my name. No, wait. Something flickered in the back of my mind then words rushed to the surface. Saffie was a nickname, something friends called me. My real name was Saraphina. I had nothing else to grab ahold of. Just my name, Saraphina Proctor.
The world around me spun and I wobbled. Pressure pressed into my shoulders, like someone was trying to pin me down to the ground. My body felt numb. My heart plummeted and tears stung my eyes. This can’t be real. This can’t be happening.
I needed to get…someone. Somewhere. I needed help. Someone had to be in one of those buildings. There had to be someone who could help me. My back tingled as a sharp chill slithered down my spine. I glanced over my shoulder, but no one was there. I have to get out of here.