Hope in the Shadows

Given psychic gifts at a young age, Terra leaves everything behind to rescue those who lost hope and fell in the dark realms of the world she lives in; they are The Lost.

The cold wind blows in my face as I stare into the dark canyon ahead of me. I pull my sweater tighter around me as my red velvet cape blows against my ankles. The howls from those in The Lost echo can be heard from miles around. Their horrific cries make the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up, but it does not hinder me from pressing forward. There is a foul smell being carried on the wind through the canyon, but that does not stop me. The sun setting behind the long stretch of the road ahead creates darkness so black that I can barely see past my hand, but that does not bother me. What bothers me is the canyon; the Canyon of the Shadows.

Many tales have been told about this cursed path in my village. The canyon has so many different pathways, dead ends, caves and cliffs that all who enter never return, and those who are captured in the cruel clutches of death in this canyon become one among the multitudes of The Lost; creatures with wings of bats and bodies of humans. They are those who have lost hope in finding an escape from the canyon, and died in despair, only to be cursed to become a Lost until a living is able to lead them and find a way out. Unfortunately, the only one who was able to accomplish such a task died when he himself got caught in a landslide in the canyon. After that, all on the earth avoided the cursed road.

The dreams have lead me here, I say to myself, and here I must be. As I close my eyes, I see hundreds, thousands, even millions of Losts flying around a dark cave, deep in the canyon. All crying out in their moaning and groaning, tears of blood flowing down their black faces. “No hope... no chance... no life.. no hope...” their groans surround me and even as I open my eyes, the sounds continues to ring in my ears. My dreams have already given me my purpose in this quest; to find and bring the Lost ones hope. Looking down at my hand, my snap my fingers to create a bright purple flame, a purple similar to the color of my eyes, and I sigh. No turning back now.

“My dreams have lead me through success and victory through other trials thus far,” I say outloud, “so courage, strength, faith, and feet, don’t fail me now.”
Then within ten long strides, the earth seems to shake as I step into the entrance to the Canyon of the Shadows.

“I’m coming for you, Lost ones,” I say as the darkness surrounds me, allowing the flame to play as a beacon for my path, “I will be your hope.”

Author's Note

A concept for a story I left behind a long time ago. Should I start to work on this as a story? Feedback and inspiration for other possible chapters welcome!