Chapter 01: I for an I
July 17th, 2007
Wheezing, she looked around and grimaced—not from pain but from frustration. Before her, bathed in the silvery light of a full moon, stood the ruins of what looked to be an old mansion or castle. So bright was the moonlight that she could almost make out the individual stone blocks that comprised the buildings' walls. Shit…she was going to be an easy target once the men won free of the forest.
But then she noticed the dark shadows cast by the remaining walls that stood defiantly above the ruins. Dark shadows she could hide in.
Clutching her aching ribs, she ran forward slipping behind a ruined structure into the darkness and leaned heavily against a damp stone wall slick with moss and mildew. Her shirt catching on the rough stone, she slid down the wall coming to rest in a crouch that seemed to ease the pressure on her ribs somewhat.
She had found cover just in time for behind her came the snapping and crunching of dead twigs and old leaves as her pursuers broke into the clearing.
And then…silence.
Not daring to steal a glance, she struggled to quiet her gasping breath. A shiver racked her frame as the cold from the slimy wall seeped through the thin fabric of her top. Taking care that her movements remained inaudible, she chafed her hands over her arms trying to rid them of the goose bumps that roughened her skin. The night was rather mild for mid-October, but there was still a crispness in the air that spoke of autumn's entrenchment and winter's inevitable advance. She cursed the men again, but this time for having the gall to take her leather jacket.
"Come out, come out wherever you are," said one of the men in a sing-song chant that changed into a growling snarl as he spat out, "you murdering pirate bitch!"
She narrowed her eyes at the insult. How dare they call her a bitch! Toadying Mafioso-wannabe bastards!
24 Responses to “Chapter 01: I for an I”
July 17th, 2007 at 11:18 am
Amazing! When I first saw that girl I thought she looked like Brandee and I was right! Poor girl, getting beat and broken like that! By the way, where did you find her outfit? It looks so real, or maybe it's just the lighting? I knew those two girls were twins or something like that, they both had the same birthmark above their lip and both have 'B' names too. Anywho, fantastic chapter and I absolutely cannot wait until the next one comes out 😉
July 17th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
That was definitely worth the wait Kara! Despite it being a written story with pictures, I could hear in my mind the action and all the sounds of the story. The pictures and words were so eloquent and did a fantastic job of setting the mood. I have to say the last scene was my favorite with the darkening vision. As always, you know just how to end each chapter- with incredible suspense.
July 17th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
That was brilliant. Worth the wait definitely. I love how you ended the chapter with the fade out.
July 17th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Great chapter! I'm so glad you didn't give up on the story. I started to think you might have.
That was so well written and your pictures are stunning as always. Please don't make me wait as long for the next chapter… *pleading
VJ
July 17th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
I was so happy to see Chapter One up. I thought that the first girl looked like Brandee but wasn't too sure if it was her. Much to surprise, not only was it her, but there's two of her! I can't wait to see how this play out. It seems to me that the curtain of light is a portal to a parallel universe. I guess I'll have to wait and see. The writing and the pictures were superb. Good job. =)
July 17th, 2007 at 9:28 pm
Oh my…a new story! I had to read this, since I loved your other stories and this one is a block buster too! I'm glad to see you are uploading again! This is going to be an interesting read…I hope you update soon :)! Thanks for this cuz now I have another site to read from!
~LaTasha~
July 18th, 2007 at 4:24 am
Nice, very nice! I love the sense of uneasiness that comes out of it!
Can't wait for the next update (do I need to wait another year??)
July 18th, 2007 at 5:54 am
Brilliant! More than worth the wait 🙂 I wonder what's going to happen to the shot Brandee – will she die or is she just unconscious? Can't wait to find out!
July 18th, 2007 at 9:53 am
Wow! I was riveted as I read this chapter – it's so nice to be to get back into a story having not read any new material for so long. But it was well worth the wait! 😀 Now I understand why some of the outtakes from Prologue 02 were telling of the future…muhahaha! Very nicely-written, and such lovely pictures! I wonder why there are two Brandees? Hmm indeed…
July 19th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
wow…
that is the only word to
describe how great this chapter is…
great job.
July 20th, 2007 at 6:45 am
I am clapping my hands with glee at your return! To be honest, I thought you'd vanished for good.
This new chapter is exquisite…I am forever impressed with your skill and attention to detail. As I was reading, I got lost in the words and actually forgot there were pictures; it was like a movie playing in my head, and then when I finished reading, I had to go back and enjoy the corresponding images.
Also, the new layout gave me quite a shock when the site started loading. ..That's a good thing.
July 26th, 2007 at 10:10 am
Hi. Yey! you're back!. Hopefully now that this chapter is out of the way the next one will come easier to you. I love the new layout very cool.
I knew thosse women must be the same person though I wonder what's on the other side of the light?. I guess we'll see in the next chapter.
Keep Simming!.
See ya.
July 27th, 2007 at 3:24 am
i'm happy you back!!!
July 27th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Om gosh this is truly amazing. Your site is now my homepage ^__^. Cant wait for the next update. Keep up the good work
July 31st, 2007 at 8:24 am
Brilliant! I love your effects. Like the others, I'm very glad to see you back.
August 6th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
Wow. Just…wow! I loved it! This update was well worth the wait!
August 8th, 2007 at 4:25 am
This story is so … unbelievable… great!
I "discoverd" your page 30 minutes ago and I love it from the first second! ^^ It's swell that you put so much effort in your details and effects. I love the plot, it's really enthralling!
I'm waiting for the next update!
August 12th, 2007 at 3:00 am
Woah! What a comeback! Sorry I hadn't checked in for a while so I didn't realise you were updating again. This is so awesome! I wonder why there were two of them, I hope the first one is going to be alright but somehow it doesn't really look like it. I loved the last sequence of pics when she is losing consciousness. So cool :).
Also just a quick side note, Mhalwae now has its own domain at http://www.mhalwae.com.
January 1st, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Dang I didn't want her to die! She was so awesome! I love her dreads, where did you get them? Shoot she was so badass 🙁 Interesting that there's two of them, I hope the next chapter has some answers, I gotta keep reading!
January 1st, 2008 at 9:54 pm
February 6th, 2008 at 1:21 am
I wondered when I first saw the woman. She did look a lot like Brandee and I was a little surprised Brandee didn't remember those ruins. She went there as a little girl. The mystery deepens!
March 22nd, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Fascinating! I've always loved the concept of "gates" — and you've drawn the concept extremely well.
Love the opening shots with the car and Brandee on the road! Well, every single shot is a masterpiece, but I really liked those.
July 20th, 2008 at 10:06 am
I like how all the pictures was taken at night and one could tell there was a bit of moonlight filtering through the dense forest. I could feel Brandee's pain and her fleeing through the trees, heart pounding….
October 30th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
hello, I must say, I was really instently hooked when reading your stories :3 your pictures are just awsome =D. I was wondering, where did you get the choaker/necklace that pirate brandee is wearing?