December woke up, gasping for air. Her dreams were getting worse and worse, always showing her mother eaten by the serpent. One monster her mom couldn't beat, one that left December motherless, terrified, and running for her life. Since then, she had been hopping from forest to forest, where she felt most at ease. For some reason, it was easier to spot anything out of the ordinary without other people around. She could vividly remember her first monster attack…

Two days after her mom's death, a grating yell, like a mix between a nightmare and a horse, "Smelling delicious demigod?" The centaur attacked her, taunting her with how good she would be for dinner. It kept telling her it would take her back to its brethren until she stabbed her silver knife in its groin. Thinking it would keel over, she was shocked when it exploded like a piñata, leaving behind only a quiver of arrows. Ever since, she had been stalked by monsters, sometimes hidden with disguises, other times just a frontal attack like the centaur, all dissipating in the wind when she killed them.

Shaking herself out of her memories, December kept moving. Dusk was pulling its curtain over the sky and beckoning the night. The trail appeared as the sun slipped over the horizon, and December realized she had strayed too far north. Fingering the mysterious metal that tipped her arrows, she resignedly followed the moonlight. When she left Four Lakes she had no idea what to do next. Her mom was gone, everyone in town blamed her, and she had nothing except her bow, some target arrows, and her knife. Now, months later, she was still following the shimmering trail she found that first night in the woods, wondering if she would ever arrive at her destination.

December slowed, noticing how weary her limbs were. She had been going for forty-eight hours straight and probably needed a rest. After scouting her surroundings, she built a quick shelter under an overhanging rock, settling in. She figured she was somewhere in Massachusetts. She could still see her trail, but she oddly felt another pull, very different from the one she's been following, but inviting nonetheless.

A/N: Hey guys! This is my first fic so constructive criticism is super helpful! Please don't be super mean though :) Most of my chapters should be a lot longer than this. Also, some things aren't going to make sense for a while, and always feel free to review. I can answer confusing stuff in AN's before chapters.

Updates should happen pretty quick because I'm at home (coronavirus) and have lots of time. Pls R&R! Thanks for reading peeps!

Raven out