Chapter I

A man was walking in the dark. Sometimes, he turned his head around nervously, checking that nobody had followed him as if he was fleeing something. His way was an extremely narrow path going through a bramble’s wood which thorns on which he had no choice but to scratch himself to progress. That scene was only illuminated by the cold light of the moon which seemed to keep a close eye on the fugitive. He was tall, and almost round-shouldered, with a long black coat partly ripped.  On his face was depicted an expression of intense fear; a pale visage with gaunt features bringing out the frightened look in his eyes.

All around him, the blowing wind made strange sounds in the forest, like human cries expressed to the sky. And, along the way, brambles were becoming more and more giant, more and more thorny and painful until they plunged our man in a real tunnel of spikes through which we now could only imagine the moonlight.  Nevertheless, he continued to walk again and again, to escape from the reason of his terror as he was convinced that IT pursued him. Our fugitive was now no more pushed by his hope, but by this animal instinct called survival.

Hours later, still in the night, the guy stopped exhausted and bleeding a lot, due to scratches he had all over him. He collapsed in a sigh, lost in his loneliness. Suddenly, in the distance, behind the woods, he recognized lights, not the moonlight as it was moving. It was the lights of a city! A city with human beings! It seemed to be incredible for him. By the way, a whisper of his hope re-appeared and urged him to stand up. That is when, taking the rest of his courage, the guy began to run, crossing over the forest, heading for the way-out that this potential city represented. Perhaps could he save himself?! That was what he hoped for.

Strangely, the narrow path seemed to become wider, more passable. The brambles began to disappear letting the place to small and hornless brushes. Even the way encouraged the man to continue! He was safe! The fugitive was as happy as he couldn’t help smiling and weeping with joy! Now he could make out the city, surrounded by a wall which prevented him to see houses.  But it didn’t matter as rapidly, he was arrived. The fugitive pushed the portal, drying hIs eyes and walked a few steps. His face turning to white was now lighted up by the Will-o’-the-wisps of a graveyard. He turned the head around with the quiet of a corpse, and saw with a vacant stare the bramble’s wood just behind him and without any path. It was at that moment the shadow came nearer without get spotted by the man.