Shattered Chapter One

"You'd be wise not to go any further."His warning still echoes in my head.

I didn't give much thought to the warning when I first heard it. He was an old man in our village crippled and bent. Half blind and half mad. Often times he would be seen mumbling to himself.

"Beware the waters of Nova. For when the Midnight comes, the beasts that dwell below will come. Down you'll go, up you'll go, what you thought you knew now you don't, things are different now. The beast is upon you. Run"

The waters of Nova referred to the Lake Nova. The lake that split the borders between our self and the village Mystic.

It was a common form of travel and transportation taking into account that to walk around to the other side was a three day journey. Most of the Villagers, myself included learned over time to ignore the old man’s warning.


I gave a slight smile at the old man. I wasn’t rude enough not to acknowledge his presence but I wasn’t dumb enough to take a three  day  journey when I could get to the other side in an hours time.

“The midnight is here. beware the water's.” That was the last thing I heard the crippled man say. His voice had faded with the sounds of nature and now all I could hear was the wind howling and crunching leaf under my feet.

I adjusted the hood of my Parka as I approached the shore. The river was frozen solid this time of year. making traveling across it faster but more risky.

During this time of the season you’d catch a few of the fishers camped out on the water. Their camp fires would be blazing across the ice making a clear lit pathway.

Today the lake was abandoned. I didn’t think much of it, when I stepped onto the lake. Perhaps the cold had been too much for them and they retreated into their huts. They’d done that plenty of times before.

The ice was slick and slippery but with a few practice steps I’d soon caught my balance and started my journey. It was a late night to be traveling but my great aunt was in need of some help the next few days, while her sons were out hunting.

If it had been my choice, I never would've agreed to going out and helping. Nadie was perfectly capable of caring for herself. She was a strong, independent and stubborn woman. Both her and I knew this, but the final decision came to my mother. A woman who could win an argument against the devil himself.

stepping evenly in a smooth rhythm I listened to my feet under. why had the fishers left the lake.  It was a perfect night. Cold enough for the ice not to melt but warm enough to almost be pleasurable. A clear sky without any threat of rain, why had they left?

Something didn’t seem right about this. The night was too perfect and there wasn’t a single fisherman or hunter on the ice. I scanned the area in the distance a faint light shone on the lake I adjusted my knapsack it was slightly off course from my destination but I was curious. The fog of the lake gave a silhouette of men laying next to the fire.  

“H-hello?” I called

My echo was clear across the lake but the men didn’t react. I should have run but I continued to walk towards the men. I could see the backs of their fur coats now one of them very familiar to me.

My brother Akecheta’s coat he’d killed his first fox last winter, sewing and wearing the fur on the back of his coat proudly. The other men seemed to be sound asleep by their still presence when I approached.

“Akecheta?” My hand fell softly on his fur coat. He didn’t move.

“Akecheta, wake up” I shook my brother but no response came.  

“AKECHETA!” I gave a final jerk. To my horror out of the hood of his coat fell a decapitated head. I shrieked falling back onto the ice.

It was my brothers. a long face with a powerful jaw. his eyes still open showing a feared expression in them. I looked around. now seeing the horrifying image.  circled around me twenty or so men lay shredded.  their blood staining the snow crimson red. What could have done this?

My questions were answered by A deep growl. My eyes slowly raised. In front of my presence was a wolf.  The beast growled. I didn’t move, I didn’t dare.

The wolf circled around me almost in a mocking manner my eyes never leaving the beast site. At the corner of my eye I tried to find something to defend myself with. I knew if I took my eyes off the beast this was a clear welcome for attack.

At last second my eyes caught to a small shine of metal they shifted to the side. This giving the wolf a motive. I ducked down grabbing the small silver object. My Brothers Dagger and throwing it at the animal.

I Didn’t wait to see if the Wolf had been injured by the sound of a blood shattering howl I  took that as an indication i’d Injured the animal. I took off into a sprint  the fog blinding me to any direction I was going. Under my feet I could feel the vibrations of the wolf behind me.

I looked behind me to see how close the beast was, just as I had done so I felt a small crackle under my feet. Before I had time to process the noise The Ice below me had collapsed my head knocking hard on the ground above. I looked above my seeing the moon shine bright. Before the water took me under.


****************

“Shit Mom’s going to kill me.” Those were the first words I heard.

My eyes blinked open as my lungs  filled with air.

I saw the figure Instantly It  loomed over what appeared to be be a little sun. flickering on and off.

The figure on the other hand was not as small. It seemed to look human take away the fact it was 80 feet high.

I wasn’t going to risk giving myself by having a melt down. I had to keep collected and I had to stay still. Maybe the creature was blind to movement. So far he hadn’t notice.

“Aiden?” A female voice echoed into the room holding a tone of confusion and worry.

“Aiden, what was that?”

“Nothing Mo-”

A older female giant stepped into the room.  From the corner of my bottom eye I could just make her out. Messy red hair with a tired face.

She looked down at the floor then up at The boy.

“Aiden.”

“Look Mom it was an accident I swear--” The giant Aiden defended

The Giantess held a hand up “Just grab a broom and clean this mess up.” she turned to leave.

“Wait does this mean I’m not in trouble?”

“Oh no you’re in trouble.”


The Boy was about to follow behind. I watched carefully  eyeing his every movement the glance, the pivot of his shoe and the turn of his head. I was going to get ready for my Escape and then the giant did something. It Turned back around and looked right at me.

I didn't understand his reason for this. He kneeled above me I could see a face now. Ivory skin with Golden eyes. Just a boy. Seventeen years old.

“Well at least you’re still in one piece.” His hand reached down my eyes widened as the large digits came towards me beginning to block my vision.  Did the giant mean to hold me?
I didn’t have a second thought before his lower hands wrapped around my torso. Afraid and by pure terror I did the only logical thing I could think of.

I bit him.

“OW.” The giant instantly dropped me. The drop was low but it held a punch.

The giant looked down. I looked up. Our eyes locked.

It didn’t last long.  I scrambled back reaching in my pockets for a weapon, my brothers dagger perhaps, anything to defend myself with.  

The giant was dumbfounded, so he’d never seen one of my kind before? This was a good thing. It meant I had a chance to run while he was still processing what was going on  

I Picked  myself up and was about to sprint away.

“Wait!” The giant yelped.

Just as I turned.

A moment of silence.

I was surrounded by large shards of glass. Within those shards a white pedestal lay slanted on the floor. Carved around the pedestal was a goldish outline of a forest and lake.

What was going on here?

I turned back to the giant.

He was gone. I Blinked looking around how could he of left without me hearing him?
I took a step back.

“Ahem.” A voice called from above.

I looked up to see the Giant perched on a  small wooden table above me.  He was holding something in his hand. Before I could move the Giant jumped off the table and slammed his hand down towards me.  I ducked and covered.

The room shook, My ears rang, and silence fell.

Nothing happened the next few moments. Was  I dead? I didn’t want to find out.


“Ahem.”

I Slowly raised my head.

“Oh shit.” I mouthed.

I was alive alright, alive and trapped. Trapped inside of a large Glass jar.