Prologue

 Across the broad farmlands, which stretched on for miles and miles in every direction, sunlight fell. The crops enjoyed the burning heat, growing and thriving, stretching into the cloudless sky; flurries of dust waded here and there through the dry air; and the only the sound that could be heard was that of a tractor making tracks in the distance as it forced its way through the barren, desolate earth.

A young woman sprinted on the single road that cut through these plentiful fields. She ran as if her very life was in danger, looking back momentarily, searching desperately to see if she was still being pursued by that car. The vehicle in question, which could only just be made out on the horizon of the road, roared through the dust and growled and groaned as it hunted its vulnerable prey. Knowing outrunning her hunter would be impossible, the young woman leapt in a flash decision to her left, into a corn field, which swallowed her up and hid her among its intimidating stalks. As the car's roar grew louder and closer, she continued running, not looking as to where she was going but simply trying to get as far away as possible. The wild growl died down as the vehicle stopped to a sudden halt and in response the woman stopped in her tracks and fell down, trying to make herself as invisible as she could. With the corn blocking her eyesight, shielding her vision from her predator, she held her breath and tried listening for the sound of footsteps.

There was silence. The woman's heart thumped against her chest.

Thump. Thump. Thump. But nothing.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Not a single sound.

Thump. Thump. Thump. She carried on holding her breath, frantic to hear anything from the monster's direction.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Silence.

With no warning, the car roared once more. Like an animal, crying in anger as it loses its prey, it howled as it drove off, and its din dimmed down into soundlessness once more. The woman was left to the mercy of the farmlands – the vast expanse, the empty desert, and there was nothing and nobody that could help her. But though she was deserted, she released her breath gratefully, sighing tiredly in relief that her life was safe again. Pressing both hands down lightly and steadily on the dirt below her, she pushed herself up cautiously and scanned the road in both directions. No signs of life. Her enemy was definitely gone.

The heat was unbearable. She wiped beads of sweat off her exhausted head. She felt something strange and looked down briefly. Her hands were caked in a dusty red substance. She shook her head, assuming the temperature was making her hallucinate. She blinked a few times. She brought her hands closer to her eyes. They were most definitely covered in something red. She peered at the earth below her. It was soaked in the same thick substance, the same liquid. It was coming from behind her. She turned her head slowly as her emerald eyes followed the faint scarlet trail, searching for the source. Right up to a figure. A figure standing right behind her, with only a couple of feet between them.

It was a scarecrow. A scarecrow sitting on its pole. With its straw arms and legs and a hat pulled down over its face. Her eyes adjusted to the burst of sunlight that had suddenly afflicted her vision. Her face turned pale. Her hair stood on end. Her stomach twinged with pain. It wasn't a scarecrow, but she'd found where the red substance was coming from.

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Author guidance for This story

Just started continuing this!

If you're interested, the first in this series is www.protagonize.com/story/the-girl-in-the-mask

The chapters will be a lot shorter, but there'll be around 14 or 15 of them.

Enjoy!
^_^

updated Aug 8 '11 by Diomedes