Into The Dark by R. Cronin (ebook e reader txt) 📕

I kept falling. Down, down, down I went. I was screaming my head off and pawing at air hopelessly catching nothing to stop be from falling to my death. I fell for what seemed like ages, yet it all went by in one sudden blur. With no use of ever catching myself I let myself fall limply. Finally when I had no energy to even scream I fell silently, my hair wiping about and tears stinging my eyes.
For what seemed an eternity I let the blackness speed by me. The darkness was overpowering, torturing my mind and making this whole experience even worse. But, in a sudden shock light flooded my eyes and surrounded me, blinding me momentarily. Snapping my eyes shut I immediately connected with a hard surface that didn't hold me. I let out faint moans of pain as I fell from each surface until I hit the ground, crumpled and exhausted. I then blacked out
I was surround my darkness, sitting in a pool of light by myself. I didn't know if I was alive or dead. My dress draped around me and my hair fell into my face. My head shot from side to side frantically, calling out hey's and hello's into the blackness with only my echo in return. I felt glued to the floor where I sat. I couldn't move and the collar to my dress was itchy, which reminded me of when I was eleven and visiting my grandmother. 

I remember that day all too well actually

I was sitting in a chair in my Sunday best, next to my grandmother who laid like a shriveled lump in the middle of her bed. It was quite depressing, she lay insane and dying in a room devoid of all color. Classy, if I do say so myself. I stared at my hands, feeling the awkwardness welling up in me. I was beginning to think I was insane myself. Suddenly, my grandmother stirred in her bed, looking over at me with those crazy, drug glazed eyes. 

"Come here child," my grandmother rasped. My chin quivered. I was scared shitless.

"Y-yes Nana?" She reached out to me, and I hesitated before taking her hand.

Big. Mistake. She then was clutching my hand like a madwoman, her once drugged out state frantic and crazed just like her bloodshot eyes. I screamed.

"You my dear, will fall all the way down the rabbit hole right on your pretty little butt. Just like I did!" She was screaming and cackling when she said this. A short time after the doctors came in and made her let go of me, and I never saw her again... 

As I woke, I had no idea where I was or how I had gotten here. I was laying on my face and breathed hard, trying to remember. But yet the memories came flooding back, and so did the pain, The terrible terrible pain! I took a hard ragged breath and opened my eyes and gave the slightest yelp. Everything hurt, my body, my brain, everything. I sucked in all my breath and closed my eyes, bracing myself. With a painful grunt I rolled to my back going wide eyed and shooting my breath out painfully. I was sweating and my chest heaved up and down, my heart going a mile a minute. My brain was scattered, I was still trying to figure out what to do.
After what seemed like hours I slowly but surely sat up. I was finally up, but it took so much energy, draining like every ounce I had. I laid back down. I wiped my face of the unnoticeable tears streaming my face. I looked about me, where was I? Please god, don't tell me Nana was right, I thought. Seriously! I fell down a freaking hole!? This cannot be happening, I thought. This is crazy! How the fuck do I fall down a hole and end up in a whole different world? And oh god, how was I getting home?
I decided to try and stand up after a while of thinking about it. Pushing the pain to the back of my mind, I stood up shakily and after about ten second I crashed to the ground. Nope, my body was just not having it. I sighed, hard and loud and continued to try and stand several times before my body could take it. Ok, the hard parts over right? But no, it was far from over. I tried to take one step and after doing so my leg gave out and I fell right on my face! Ouch! It went this way for about fifteen minutes before I gave up and just laid on my back.
My eyes watered and closed tightly because of the pain and I rolled onto my stomach and pushed up with my arms, trying to stand up again. This time, my legs seemed to hold me, not very well, but it would have to suffice. I stood there trembling before taking a step and actually not falling. I let out a sigh of relief before I heard noises close by. I whipped my head this way and that trying to see who it was but could see nothing, only hearing bushes move. I staggered back scared out of my mind before tripping backwards and falling, into the arms of someone...

Immediately I clenched my fist and started to weakly punch whoever grabbed my until they dropped me. I searched about on the ground for a weapon before finding a stick and flinging it behind be, hitting my attacker square in the jaw.
"Jesus Christ lady!" they shouted,"I was only trying to help you!" He was holding his jaw while I was trying to crawl away holding my stick out at him.
"Get away from me. Or I'll...I'll hit you again!" He smirked and gave a faint chuckle at my attempt to save myself. "I'm not kidding! I'll hurt you!" I screamed. I swung again. This time connecting with his leg, making him grunt in pain before ripping the stick out of my hands.
"I'm not going to hurt you, damn!" He still held his leg for a moment before throwing my only chance of getting away into the bushes. I was furious and scared. I didn't know how to get away. I glanced over at him. He looked at me and we somewhat stared at each other. I then noticed how handsome he was. We looked about the same age. He had long sandy blonde hair and piercing green eyes. He was tan and from through the shirt he was wearing, pretty muscular too. I stared at him for a little while longer before snapping out of it. Pull yourself together Rae, I thought. You should be more angry with this boy! he just tried hurting you! Or worse! I really was angry at him actually. The nerve he had! Being so disrespectful!
"Who are you? And what do you want?!" I asked.
"My name is Xander. I saw you fall from the sky and came to check if you were dead or not." He smirked. "Seems to me though," he added, "that you are doing quite fine on your own. So I'll just be leaving now." He turned to walk away. I wasn't doing fine on my own at all really. I actually did need his help.
"No wait!" I exclaimed, "I do need your help, please!" I held out my hand. He walked over and took it, helping me up. He was strong, like I had imagined. He helped me up until I put weight on my left ankle and cried out. It seemed to be either broken or sprained. It hurt so badly.
"I-I don't think I can walk. How far away is your camp?" I asked.
"Not far. Here, let me carry you." I had no time to protest before he picked me up bridal style and carried me. He could easily hold me but yet I still felt fat. I snaked my hands around his neck and rested my head in his shoulder. He walked through the woods into a clearing not far from where we were. It was a camp of about five or six men, most likely hunting. The tents weren't regular tents, they look slightly like the tents Indians used to use but had more of a hexagonal shape.
ander glanced at the other men and nodded at them. They nodded back while I rested my head on his shoulder again. He then took me into the biggest tent and laid me down on this huge feather bed and bent to examine my ankle.

"OUCH!" I wailed. As Xander touched my ankle pain kept tugging at the places he touched. It sucked! Tears started brimming in my eyes as I tried my best to blink them away. It was useless because one after another escaped. What am I doing? I thought, I never cry! I turned my face away from Xander so that he didn't see me like this. But again, it was no use because he ended up noticing. He looked at me and his look was telling me he was sorry for the pain. We didn't say anything, but I knew what his look meant. I look away again, suddenly embarrassed. I guess he sort of knew I was