RiseofaFallenAngel Prologue

Who am I? Where am I?

The questions plagued the girl. She couldn't remember... anything.

It was dark. Wet. And cold. Her breath steamed up in front of her, her muscles contracted involuntarily with shivers. She clenched her teeth together, gripping her own arms with icy fingers.

The street was black and damp, steam rising from grates in the sidewalk. The buildings were made of exposed steel, graffitied concrete, and broken glass. It smelled bad, trash and urine, crumbling rock and wet asphalt.

Then it started to snow. Flakes hit her bare arms and legs, her face, stinging like needles.

The hairs on the back of her neck prickled in a vague sense of unease, something like being watched, and she whirled, searching the shadows with eyes that seemed perhaps too keen. A feeling of wrongness washed over her, and inexplicable dread settled cold in the pit of her stomach. Evil. It felt like evil.

A footstep behind her. She spun, saw nothing. Had she really heard it? Or was her mind playing tricks on her?

A rustle of fabric, leather brushing leather. Again she turned, and again nothing. The girl ground her teeth together, the bad feeling increasing in intensity even though it seemed unfounded. Fear curled through her.

Another smell joined the myriad of others. It was disgusting, like rotten eggs. Sulfur. The girl blinked, wondering how she could recognize the smell, wondering why it seemed so familiar, and… hated. Feared. What is it? Why can’t I remember anything?

Frustration made her angry, bold. She dropped her arms, her hands balling into fists and called, “Show yourself.” No, that didn’t feel like the right thing to say, but it was what came out. The girl waited, feeling the malevolence increase. She could feel them, things, beings, more than one. Not human.

Not human?

Despite the absurdity of the thought, it felt right. She knew it was truth, that there were things other than humans. Supernatural, unimaginable beings. Humans weren’t the top of the food chain as they believed.

The girl shivered. How could she know these things, but not her own name?

A raspy chuckle broke through her thoughts. Spinning, she still couldn’t see anything in the shadows. They were surrounding her, she could feel it, sense it. Oh God. Did she believe in God? She couldn’t remember if she had before, but now she prayed that He was real, and that He would help her.