Chapter 1

Boredom lets you make various things. Neither if they are good or bad, funny or dangerous. I think it is never good to be bored like this, like I was on this Friday. Nothing to do, no homework, too lazy to study for the next test. Just a normal teenager, bored to death. I always liked adventures, explore some things. But somehow, I didn't explore anything in the last time, why should a 16-year old anyways go explore things? I still don't know what was happening with me, yet I went down to the cellar not sure what to do there. Why anyways? Confused, still not sure what do to here I wanted to just shake my head and go back to my room. Then I laughed, stupid me. Something was wrong, I felt it. Deep in there ,I knew it. The damp air down here amplified the feeling of something being wrong. But wasn't it always like this down here? Why then did I feel sweat slowly running down my face? It was bitter cold, cold as always down here. I tried to tell me this, to go back to my room, but something held me back. Anxiously I made my way further on, expecting all, something deep in me still finding the whole thing ridiculous. In my cellar? Why should anything be wrong with here? My inner voice repeated the whole thing all the time..until I believed it. I lifted my arm and stroke back my red-brown hair. I could hardly see anything now, it was too dark. I went further on, tripping over various things from my dad and one time, I nearly tripped over an apple, an old withered apple and took a few steps back again, clearly disgusted.
Looked like our normal cellar, nothing wrong with it. My inner voice was speaking again. Stop! My inner voice again,screaming , I didn't want to hear to it and the next thing I realized was me lying on the cold cellar floor. In front of me was a small wooden door, half the size of a normal door. It seemed strange, full of decoration and a small silver doorknob. One small diamond was decorating the knob and I lifted my head to get a better view of the door. Strange, I had never noticed it before, never seen anything like this. Maybe I had just never payed enough attention to it? Curious as ever, the anxious feeling vanished, and I lifted my hand towards the small doorknob, the diamond shimmering and blending my blue eyes. Slowly I came the knob nearer and nearer, my eyes focused on the small shimmering diamond. The world around me had vanished, the only thing I still realized was that I was still half-lying , half-sitting on the cold floor. My breath was coming out in small clouds and something clung to my hand. The more I came nearer to the doorknob, the more the world around me vanished. Finally, my frosted hand enclosed the silver doorknob. It felt cold and slippy, but I enclosed it with all my strength. I didn't want to loose the hold of it. It felt too good to describe, too mysterious. It was like an eddying that whispered: “Come here, come to me, touch me.” I clearly didn't want to let it go, I wanted to get hold of it, to open it. It was there, it wanted me, I was now ready, ready to open it. But then something let it all vanish.
“Scarlett!”, a voice shouted.
It was my mother.
“Scarlett, where are you? Dinner's ready!”
I shook my head and blinked, my hand, my fingers let go the doorknob and I turned around. The cellar suddenly lightened up, my mother was standing at the entrance staring down at me. She had the light turned up. How weird did I look? Lying in the dust on the floor, half frozen to death, still confused. “Oh honey!Are you okay?”, she asked and came a few stairs down. I wanted to nod, to roll my eyes, but I was stiff. How much time had passed? It felt like a few moments, yet how long had I already laid down here, staring at the door?
I turned my head and wanted to stare at the door again, but it was gone. What? I wondered. How could this door vanish? Slowly my mind got more clear again and I decided to not tell my mother about the door. She would think I have gone insane. I finally managed to nod and move my lips. “Yes, I only tripped over that...thing” I said and pointed at the apple.
My mother narrowed her eyes and kneed down in front of me.
“How late is it?”, was the next thing I asked. Still unsure of how much time had passed down here.
“I think it's about half past six..are you okay? Oh my god, you're half frozen to death, come out of here!”
“Alright” I tried to assimilate what just happened, but failed somehow. My limbs were shaking and suddenly I felt dizzy. My mother carefully helped me up and then we went upstairs. My mother was a nurse and today she came home earlier than usual.
Then it hit me. When it was half past six, then I had laid there over three hours . I froze where I stood and wondered how three hours could feel like 30 seconds.
“What the heck did you do down there? Come here, I made a bath for you.”
I just nodded, too perplex to answer her and followed her into the bathroom. I was still cold and the hot water felt so relaxing. Slowly, I began to recover from my strange experience, yet the door couldn't vanish from my mind.
My red-brown hair had soft waves and it gently touched the foam of the bath. So relaxing, I finally closed my eyes and decided to not try to think of what happened. I resolved that I fell asleep down there and dreamed of the door. That was the most acceptable explanation for what happened. Yet my inner voice said something else, again. It screamed and tried to convince me it really happened. Again, I just blocked it all out and laid in the bath for over an hour.
Then my mother came again and helped me out. My limbs were now back to normal again.
“Oh kid, I guess you caught a cold down there. Did you fall asleep?”
“Yes, I think so.” this was just the only acceptable answer.
“Better stay in bed tomorrow!”, she shouted while I was on the way to my room.
***
Two days had passed since the strange thing had happened to me. Luckily I didn't fetch a cold, but the door with the silver doorknob just couldn't vanish from my mind. It was there, always, making me doubtful and my inner voice was screaming and begging me to go to the cellar again. My hands wanted to touch the doorknob again, it was whispering: “Come here, come to me, touch me.”
I shook my head. It was Sunday evening and I was sitting in front of my computer, clearly not knowing what to do. It was so strong, every minute I waited the feeling grew stronger, the longing to touch the doorknob and see what lies behind the door. My normal common sense told me to stay in my room and refuse to go to the cellar. But my inner voice was still begging and wouldn't give up.
I was in a weird situation. Struggling against my own..mind?
That simply couldn't be the reality. Was I dreaming again? No, it didn't seem like a dream. I felt my body moving, going to the the cellar door. I didn't want to go there, or did I? I was confused again, the strange feeling was returning.
I opened the door carefully and went down the staircase, without having the light turned on. My mother shouldn't know. She had told me to sleep in my bed the next time and not on the cellar floor. She hated the cellar floor, since there were things of my dad lying around. My dad,who was dead for about three years now. Usually I also hated the cellar, but something else was calling for me. And I definitely couldn't refuse anymore.
I now stood on the last stair of and then I saw it again. The door on the other side of the cellar, the silver doorknob blending my eyes and the shimmering diamond. Before I knew what I was doing I went towards it, slowly then faster, until I stood right in front of it.
There it was. My hands were longing for the doorknob and this time I tried to react faster and tried to enclose the doorknob faster.
It felt so good and cold, so mysterious. Again the world around me was vanishing, getting unclear. But this time I wasn't scared, only full of curiosity.
I smiled and turned it. It gave a clicking sound and suddenly a strong breeze was hitting me. It was so strong, all whirled around me and suddenly the cellar was vanishing. I screamed, as loud as I could, the fear was returning, adrenalin pulsing through my body. But it seemed as nobody was hearing me. Not my mother and not anyone else.


Chapter 2

It felt strange, struggling against something you can never beat. It makes you feel weak, exhausted and sad. Coldness was crawling up my hands, my back and my feet. All seemed frozen again. I opened my eyes, only seeing dark brown earth. Where was I? Where is the cellar?
I didn't understand what had happened, but I didn't question anything. I just silently lifted my head and stared around. Mist was hanging over the dark pine trees. Here and there were small pools with dark brown water. It was freezing cold, but there was no snow and there was no frost on the earth or on the trees. What dark place had I entered? Great. Such a thing could only happen to me, right?
I slowly stood up and looked around. Suddenly I heard a rustling and I spun round, fear and adrenalin pulsing through my body.
Something was hunting me, something was there. This dark world seemed so lifeless, yet there were living creatures, I was sure now.
As I turned around to see what was lurking on me, I realized how much my fingers and feet were shaking. A soft and cold breeze swept over me and let my long red-brown hair go up and down. I was shaking, my whole body was shaking with fear and coldness. It seemed as all of my curiousity had vanished and I wished I would be back in my room, lying on my bed or sitting in front of the computer. Even speaking with my mother, but not standing here all alone and confused.
The rustling grew louder and I finally turned around to face the thing behind me.
I stood there, like a cold stone and found myself staring at a human, a real human, like me , with hair, eyes and feet. My eyes grew wide and my mouth opened as if it wanted to shout something. The human was obviously a boy, at the age of 17 or older. He had dark brown hair that was not long, but also not too short. I found myself staring at him and I guess he did the same with me.
It was clear that someone had to break the silence, the big wall of silence. I don't know how long I just stared at him and he just stared back, but finally his lips moved and I heard his voice for the first time.
“Erm..hi.” he said with a lower voice.
That was all? I continued staring at him. That was all he could say? After I had entered this place that seemed so lifeless and met another human. This was ALL? I shook my head and lifted my head. It hurt, because I hadn't moved it for such a long time. But finally ,I forced my lips to form a few words.
“Who are you?”
That was my response. Not better than his 'hi' , but in this strange situation it was ..okay, I guessed.
“My name is Alex.” he then answered and took a few steps forward. Now I could see his eyes and what he wore. His eyes were a beautiful green, with a yellow spot inside it, it seemed like a small sparkling flame that wanted to enclose the colder green. To my surprise, he only wore a normal pair of jeans , a t-shirt and a thin jacket over it. That was all? It seemed as he hadn't prepared for this either. Maybe he had also randomly entered that world? Maybe I was not alone with this!
“My name is Scarlett. Did you also randomly enter this...place?” I finally said, my voice sounding a bit frightened and raw. What should I name this world? Or place? I quickly searched for an answer in my brain, but failed. I had never learned about this place in geography and never seen it on any map.
He stared at the marshy ground and then nodded.
So he had also entered this world, maybe also through a small door with a silver doorknob? I had so many questions, but I held them all back. The most important thing was to survive in this cruel place, or whatever I should call it.
“Do you think there are more of us?” this was the question that begged me the most to be asked. I shook my feet, and noticed how frozen I was by now.
“Maybe? Let's search for a warm place and food, you seem pretty much frozen.” he said and laughed. His laughing sounded strange to me, but it had something wonderful in it, something unique. However, it felt good to hear a laugh, it seemed to warm the cold air.
I just nodded and went near him, but then my lips formed a slight smile. I had only met him, but when you are confused and just want to survive , then you clearly forget about strangers or smaller issues.
It was good to know that there are other people that have to deal with the same things as you. You make a special connection with them, without knowing it at first. Moreover, it just feels good.
He took my hand and together we explored that strange place, our first goal was to find some water and maybe a place , where we could spent the night.
We both just went forwards silently, without speaking. I knew nothing about this world. Neither what creatures lived here, nor how dangerous it was or how we were going to survive. I was just hoping to find someone else. The more we were, the better we could keep us alive and survive.
Soon I felt guilt coming up in me and I regret that I hadn't listened to the advice of my mother. I bit my lip and tried to forget these things. I was now here and I would fight. What would it bring to think about how it could have been? When I would have held it back, maybe I would have never met Alex. I breathed in and came to the conclusion that it had to be my destiny. I was special that I could see this world. I had never believed in any 'magical' things, but now I deeply believed in them. I looked at Alex and went forward. I wouldn't give up.


Chapter 3


We had been going for hours, without finding anything new. By now I was really giving up and not knowing what to do. I was half frozen to death, hungry and thirsty. I looked up at the dark gray sky and sighed. This couldn't go on like this.
“Alex.. how long have you been here?” I finally asked, not fully aware of myself. My voice sounded raw and cold, not like myself. I blinked and looked at him. The soft breeze was ruffling up his dark hair and I smiled.
“Some.. time.” he then answered and shook his head and smiled back at me.
“Come on! I will show you a better place than this one.”
Before I could argue (or better my aching muscles could argue) he grabbed my hand and began to run. Soon everything around me vanished in a blur and I laughed. Dawn was coming and a few birds began to chirp. Maybe this place wasn't as bad as it looked? Maybe the running would warm me up and make me less hungry? I mean, I didn't believe myself and my babbling in my head, but I had to be optimistic, right? Besides, Alex's hand was warming me. But there was one thing my head couldn't stop wondering about and that was his strange answer to my question.
He finally stopped and I panted. I looked around. We had run up a hill and we were now staring down at pine trees and the sun as it was rising. The landscape looked beautiful and soothing at the same time in the soft dawn light.
“Wow.” ,I breathed and smiled at him.
He smiled back , but then his eyes darkened and his face took on a weird expression.
“What?” , I asked, startled by the sudden coldness in his green eyes.
“We're not safe here. Better come with me, now that it is light we can search for some food, I know a place!” His hand enclosed my wrist and I stared at him with a typical 'Why' glance before I actually asked: “Why?”
“No time for explaining. Do you even know what you have entered Scarlett?” he shook his head and turned around. Suddenly he didn't sound comforting anymore and I began to wonder why I was listening and following a stranger. At least my mum would have been totally freaked out if she could see me. I sighed and shook my head.
“No, I have no clue” I whispered, my voice cracked and tears filled my eyes. I realized what all I had left back and I missed my mum already like crap. What if I would never see her again? Or die? No, I couldn't even think of that, I had to go on and just trust him. He was my only chance.
“Well, you will soon find out.” his answer stopped the babbling in my head and I looked at him. He had faced me and had managed a weak smile.
“You're special Scarlett, I believe in you and I hope you can trust me.”
I bit my lip and tried to smile back, but obviously failed at it. Ah, crap.
“Eh. 'Kay then, lets go..?”was all I could say, when I heard an unusual rustling behind me. Sure, I still had so many questions in my head, but the rustling had distracted me.
“What's that Alex?”my voice sounded high and it was more a squeak than a question, but he just silenced me with his hand and fell to the ground. I instantly copied him, before I would freeze on the spot where I stood. Yes, I was scared to death and yes, this could be anything from a bird to I don't know what, but I assumed it was something dangerous because Alex acted as we would have to die. And yes, this didn't really comfort me either.
“Keep down” he whispered, his lips were barley moving. I just managed a nod and followed him to a rock. We hid just as the rustling grew louder and louder.
“We are too late, I told you so.” he whispered into my ear and for the first time I could see the fear in his green eyes. Sure, his face was expressionless but his eyes told something else.
“What do you me-” I wanted to ask, but my question was drowned by a loud hissing sound. He shook his head and motioned with his hand to keep down. I didn't see what it was, but by the sudden heat I felt around me I could say it was something strange, something I didn't know until now. I felt how near it came and I hold my breath.
“A Dragon” Alex murmured and I had to force myself not to scream. So in this strange country/place/whatever were dragons? I just couldn't believe it. Had I reached a strange land from a fairy or something?
Suddenly the heat vanished and I felt coldness creeping up my arms.
“Quick, we have to run, as fast as we can before the coldness will drown us” he shouted now and I assumed the dragon was gone. But I didn't understand why we had to run, good thing I figured out it was not the time to ask questions but just follow him. You know, I often ask questions before I think. Anyways, I just nodded( because that was all I managed) and followed him as quick as my exhausted legs would carry me. The coldness was unbearable by now and I thought I would freeze while running. Even breathing was hard and I wondered what was happening. Then suddenly, when I thought I would seriously die and freeze to death, it stopped. Panting, I came to a stop and let myself sink to my knees.
Okay, I once said I wanted adventures, but that was too much, even for me.


Chapter 4

Still panting I looked up to see Alex standing above me, his eyes now showed nothing of the fear I had seen earlier in them, but they now showed the warmth I had first seen when I had met him yesterday.
He kneed down in front of me and before I could think what was happening , I was in his arms and crying the crap out of me. He comforted me by saying that all would be okay and then he just stopped talking and just held me in his arms.
“You will learn how to deal with it. Now, just come with me and then we can get something to eat and drink.” he then said after a while with a soft voice.
I blinked the last tears out of my eyes and managed a weak smile.
“Okay”, I rasped and for once I was glad that we were somewhere in the nature and not in a house where I could see myself in a mirror. I honestly didn't want to know what I looked like, but I assumed I looked horrible because I felt horrible.
He helped me standing up and gently took my right hand. I looked around in the forest and was overwhelmed at how breathtaking it looked. It seemed like the light had changed everything, it was not misty or cold, the trees looked friendly and there was grass nearly everywhere, no dark brown pools which smelled bad. Maybe this place wasn't so bad after all? Then I thought about the experience with the dragon we just had and shivered.
“Alex, why dragons?”, I whispered , still clearly afraid of what just happened.
“They are common here, they are death itself when you understand what I mean” he answered, looking away from me.
“You mean the coldness?”
“Yes.” was his only answer.
“But why coldness after a dragon passed, I just don't get it, ya know.” I tried to sound normal, but kinda failed at it because my voice was still raw and now I realized how my lungs burned and how my muscles ached. Hell, all of my body ached. I sighed and slowly followed and wondered how Alex still could be so wide awake and not be tired.
“Here we are, better drink and wash yourself while I can organize something to eat.” he said instead of answering my last question and then quickly vanished into the undergrowth of the thick green forest. I assumed it was about ten o'clock by now and the sun gently warmed my skin. I stared at the big lake in front of me. It was glittering like a thousand diamonds in the soft rays of sunlight and it was the perfect picture landscape. Huge mountains were one the other site of the lake and pine trees surrounded everything. Smiling I made my way down to the shore were the waves were gently lapping at my feet. For the first time in what seemed like ages, I relaxed and let myself sink down into the cold water. It felt good to wash of some of the fear and drinking clear cold water felt definitely better than anything else right now. After what felt like half an hour I made my way out of the water, realizing that I was literally starving to death. I sighed and fell down onto the soft green grass. All I wanted was to eat and sleep.
Before I could actually fall asleep a sound distracted me and I looked up to find Alex return with few berries and a dead bird.
“How did you catch the bird?”, I asked.
But he just smiled and sat down beside me.
“Man, I'm so tired. Let's eat and then sleep.”, he suggested and stood up again to fetch some wood for a fire.
“Should I help you?”, I asked , already half standing up.
“Nope. Someone needs to guard the food.”
“Oh..okay.”, I answered and wondered why someone had to guard the food? Like we were in the middle of a town with a lot of hungry street people around or what? I shook my head and sat down again.
He soon came back with a lot of small wooden sticks and threw them on the floor beside the rocks I had gathered meanwhile. I had figured out we needed some stones.
“Thank you for fetching the stones, we will definitely need them.” he said and smiled a big warm smile at me.
I instantly replied with a warm “No problem.”
Okay, I have to admit , I first was a bit disgusted when Alex ripped off the feathers of the bird and I had to look away, ready to puke. But then I remembered how hungry I was and turned back to see him making a fire.
“Better help me and do not stare at me.” he said sarcastically and then motioned with his hand to copy what he was doing. I crouched down and gently blew at the small sparkling flames. Soon they were powerful and warming the air around us.
After the fire had died down a little bit, he took a bunch of thin wooden sticks and laid them above the stones. Then he took the bird and laid it on top of the sticks. I smiled as the air filled with the fresh scents of something cooked and wished instantly to be back in the kitchen of my mother.
“You miss your family, right?” he asked and drank some water.
I nodded, not sure what to say, I just knew that I really did NOT want to talk about my mother and my father. Instead I asked what was begging me for hours to be asked.
“First, what is this place called, second, why are we even here, third, why the coldness after some dragons passed by? Oh and answer my questions, don't change the theme again.” I literally snapped at him these words.
“Fine. We don't have a name for this place because we also entered it Scarlett, I don't know why I am here, but you will soon know what we have to do and this dragon lives up there and like I said before, they are death itself.” he kind of snapped back at me and all I could do was look away.
Great, he had NOT answered me what I wanted to know from him AGAIN.


Chapter 5

“I mean it Alex, can you please answer me to my questions? I am totally serious.” I said and tried to look angry.
Why had he said 'we' when he talked about how this place was called and why was he keeping so many things from me? Did he not trust me?
“Look, I know what you must think of me. You think I don't trust you and that I want to keep things from you on purpose. It's not like this, Scarlett. I also said that you would soon find out what was really happening in this place and I'm planning on taking you to a place where you will find out everything. Please, just trust me.” he whispered the last words and I had to find myself stare at him with my mouth opened.
I quickly shut it again and nodded.
“Okay.” I murmured and he smiled at me, then he handed me over a piece of the delicious roasted bird. I bit into the flesh and kind of mouthed it down. Wow, I had to be really really hungry.
“Can I have another one? I am pretty hungry.” I asked him and he nodded, but then he said coldly: “You will have to get used to being hungry.”
I wanted to ask 'Why?' of course, but then realized it was not the right thing to ask now. Instead, I just nodded and ate the second piece.
“Can we just sleep now?” I asked him again and he just nodded.
“Is it okay here or should we go into the shadows of the trees?” he whispered softly and gently took my hand.
“I-I guess here it is okay.” I managed to answer in a low rasping voice. Wow, how embarrassing! I quickly shook my head to get my mind clear and began to think: Okay, I liked him somewhat, but there couldn't be more between us than just a plain friendship, right? I mean, like I said before, when you want to survive you make special connections with other people, right? So, I just had made a special surviving connection with him, nothing more. But then I stared in his green eyes and saw the warmth in them again. Okay, yes, he was hot and cute. I sighed and let him take me into his arms.
This was definitely not the time to think about love or boyfriends or whatever. Especially because I never had a boyfriend before, besides I never found myself pretty. Whatever.
I smiled at him again and he returned a warm smile , before I fell into a deep sleep.

***
n e x t p a r t o f c h a p t e r a n d b o o k c o m i n g s o o n............

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 01.08.2011

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