InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Soul Possessed ❯ A Soul Possessed: Fun in the Sun ( Chapter 1 )

The bright summer sun shined down on the rolling river deep in the hills of the country side. The land was alive with the blooming of flowers and the trees full of green. The cool clear water of the river rushed over huge boulders in its path. This beautiful landscape was a favorite of many people who lived in the area. It was perfect to lazily spend a summer day for a picnic and time well spent with friends.

Sarah had slept late in the morning and did not get a start to join her friends until mid-day. After her morning coffee to wake up she quickly dressed in her favorite shorts and an old t-shirt and made her way outside with her cooler packed for a day with friends. She loaded up the things she needed into her Explorer and pulled out of the drive without looking back unaware of what the day had in store for her.

She drove down the old logging dirt road towards the river deep in the hills. This road had not been used for logging for years, but it was still well used by the locals during this time of year. People gathered on the banks of the river to enjoy the nature and spend the day relaxing. And in the winter time hunters used it for access to the wild game in the area. At one point, back before the lands were used for timber and the land had been settled well, gold seekers had mined the hills for gold. It was an opportunity to get rich quick for some, but only a very small amount of gold was found.

Sarah soon reached the end of the road, at least as far as she could drive. The rest of the way would have to be on foot. She left her vehicle and walked to see if anyone could help her carry the cooler she had brought full of food and drinks. When she arrived she saw her life long friend Renae. She wasn't as tall as Sarah and she had dark brown hair and a darker skin than Sarah. Her boyfriend Sammy was much taller than she was and well built, he had been a star football player when he was in high school. His hair was blond and he had green eyes. They made quite the couple, he was much taller than her, but their personalities seem to compliment each other, even when they were fighting.

Also there on the river bank was Renae's brother Chris. He looked a lot like Renae but he was much taller than she was. He too had been a football player in school and this is how Renae met Sammy, through the friendship between Chris and Sammy. Chris had also started dating Sammy's sister Tiffany. She was shorter than Renae with pale blonde hair and blue eyes. Sammy's father and a couple of his friend had also come down to enjoy the day on the river bank. They were busy playing a game of horseshoes and the alcohol they had drank made them even more involved in the game and they did not notice Sarah when she arrived.

And so the day was spent relaxing in the sun and enjoying the wild outdoors on the river bank. As the day drew to an end the summer sun began to sink behind the horizon of evergreen trees. People began to make their way back to their cars and trucks parked at the beginning of the trail to the waters edge. Sarah and Renae had decided to take a walk down the edge of the river bank and had wondered off not knowing everyone was leaving. They had decided to stray away from the well worn path to explore on their own in the thick forest.

Renae had stopped to read carvings in the side of a huge maple tree. She recognized some of the names. Sarah continued walking on a few feet beyond where Renae stood. She noticed a small clearing in the trees. It was circular in shape and there was no vegetation in it. She walked closer to explore and found that only leaf litter filled the round shape of the clearing. She looked up and called to Renae.

“What have you found?” Renae replied.

“I dunno,” Sarah said. “Have you ever seen anything like this? There are no plants or anything growing here.”

The ground beneath Sarah's feet began to give way. She heard the snapping sound as if boards were beginning to break. And before either realized it the earth opened up and Sarah began to fall. Renae ran to the edge of the new hole in the ground and called to her, but Sarah did not answer. Worried and scared Renae ran back to the others and tried to explain what had happened. Her boyfriend and brother followed her back to the pit.

No one had a flash light, nor did anyone have rope. Sammy decided they should go back and call for help. After all they had no idea how deep the pit was and it was getting dark quickly.

Sarah rolled down the steep incline after she fell into the mine. Soon her body came to a stop and she looked back up to see where she had fallen from. Her body was riddled with pain from the fall but she had no broken bones. As soon as she caught her breath she began to crawl up the shaft. The light from the entrance was bright considering it was getting late in the day. When she finally made her way out of the mine she noticed she was in a clearing. There were no trees and there was a chill in the air that was unusual for this time of year.

Sarah was confused by the observations she had made this far but she had hit her head. Maybe she had wondered further than she realized off the path along the river. She recalled the direction in which she thought she had came from and began to make her way back towards where she hoped the path lay.

Even though there were no trees near the mine shaft it was not far from the tree line. She stumbled clumsily and held on the trees to keep her balance. Her head was pounding and she felt very dizzy. After walking a few yards she decided to sit down. She called out for Renae, but no one answered her call. Where was everyone and why did no one answer her? Did they give up on her return and leave her behind? Her eyelids became very heavy and she tried to fighting to keeping them open. While she struggled to stay conscious she noticed the tree she sat under had a bald spot. There was no bark in this spot and it seemed to have a small hole in the center of it. Sarah finally loss the battle and let her eyes close falling asleep.