That unbearable winter chill in the air stung her light pink nose as the smooth breeze whisked through her fur. She grunted and covered her muzzle with her scarf. She opened the glass door to her apartment complex and head upstairs. The complex was very old, in which she assumed had been here for over five years. The walls were a bit cracked in some areas, the wood of the stairs creaked and moved whenever she stepped on them, and there was always a strange smell that went in the air. The neighbors below her always complained she was being too loud, though with her high sensory ears she could always point out how they were the ones being loud. She opened the door to her somewhat small apartment. Basic white countertops and fridge, the simple apartment kitchen. Living room decorated with a greenish couch and a leaf patterned rug with brown and green coloring. She walked over onto the couch and sat down, exhausted from being at her collage all day. She tied up her red hair with a white band and opened her laptop to see two new messages from her math professor.
[Exams are making its way closer into our view. Everyone needs to study and keep pushing to pass this year.] The second message was to her personally.
[Pandora, you are one of the students in my class with a low grade. Because exams are coming closer i will need you to study more in hopes they will back you up.]
She sighed in annoyance and lied her head back against the arm of the couch chair, closing the laptop. She put her paws over her head in the appearance that she was stressed. I really cant take university anymore.. I thought college was supposed to be fun!? Ive never been this overwhelmed in my life.. Then the phone in her pocket began to flash. She took it out and looked to see one of her oldest friends make a post on one of her social media sights.
[Ready to hang out tonight! Anyone wanna join in?] Pandora sighed to herself.
[Id love to.. But ill have to pass. Exams are closing in, and im not looking very good to my professors. Sorry girl]
She would type in the comments. Instantly getting a reply. [Bummer. We never hang out anymore. But if its for college i understand.. That always comes first. Anyone else?]
She closed the app and yawned. College was already hard on her, and her social life wasn't very exciting because of it. She would decline offer after offer on her old friends that had wanted to hang out with her due to her studies. Even then, its not like studying was paying off in any way. "Ugh! I really wish i could've just had it easier! I don't even have any friends i could study with.. I just want to finish my animation course and be done with it already!!" She groaned and complained. Who am i kidding.. Ill never get anywhere with the scores i make. She turned over onto her stomach, her Cougar tail hung over the other side of the couch. Noticing how late it was getting she decided to look around her kitchen for something to eat. Considering she didnt have that money due to apartment bills and student loans, she didnt have enough to go out and eat either. She looked through her cabinets and refrigerator but didnt find much other than some bread, some eggs, and a few boxes of cereal she forgot she had bought. She found a frozen chicken alfredo TV Dinner in her freezer. Checking the expiration date she noticed it had expired a day ago. She looked at it in disgust. "Why do i still have this..? I dont even like alfredo.." She scoffed. "Well I've got nothing else to eat.." She heated the alfredo up in the microwave, then sat down, forcing herself to eat it. She gagged a little here and there, since it wasnt something shed normally eat, but managing to finish it.
After a while, she went into her bedroom and flopped herself on it in exhaustion. Its been a long, stressful day. She yawned, crawling under her sheets, trying to fall asleep. She had her eyes shut for about ten minutes. That was until she felt her body take a fall off her bed. She shot open her eyes and screamed in fear, hitting the ground with a thud, face first. She rubbed her head and rounded cat like ears, only for her to notice, this was not her bedroom. Huh..? Where am i? Is this a fever dream or something? She looked at the grass below her. It was a white-ish grey and she was surrounded by large trees and very thick fog. How did i.. Wait, am i dead!? Ughh! I knew i shouldn't have ate that alfredo!- she growled to herself. Echoing around the forest was an even deeper growl that sent the nearby birds in the surrounding trees flying. She looked around, as the air got still and quiet. A slight hissing sound echoed around her, ears twitching trying to pick up where the sound was coming from. But due to the fog it was near impossible. Afraid and uncertain, she backed up from the near side of the forest she was on, but only to hear a growl from behind her. She slowly turned around to see a large creature with blood splotched skin and decaying teeth in its mouth. Its claws were bigger than the size of her fingers, and it looked like it was forced into a permanent hunters crouch. It dripped green saliva and its back was lined perfectly with very small yet sharp spikes. The beast had no eyes, only empty eye sockets, yet somehow was still able to see her. It slowly inched forward and she stared at it in fear, backing up every time it moved. S-shit!- what is that thing!? The creature continued to move forward, and then it randomly broke into a fast sprint. She screamed and got up running away, but she wasnt as fast as the creature. It hopped from tree to tree, running ahead of her then jumping down from the tree, cutting her distance even shorter. It roared and pounced on her, she tried to get away but its claws were already holding her down. It opened its mouth wide, about to bite down on her throat. She screamed, then instantly heard something whisk through the thick fog, causing the creature to lift up in the air and screech, backing off from her before it was shot directly though its large chest, killing it. Pandora stared at the body of the massive creature in pure terror. She then whipped her head around, falling on her back as the thing that shot the creature was coming closer. She shut her eyes tightly but only opened them to see a wolf girl walking past her to look at the creatures corpse.
"An Abyssling. Not surprised there's some out here.." The girl would shake her head in annoyance after nudging the body with her foot. "What are you doing out here anyway? Everyone knows its not good to be out in the Silent Forest at night." Pandora looked up at her. "Maybe its because i dont live here. Where is this place? Am i dreaming or something?!" The wolf girl looked at her with an eyebrow raised, clearly confused at what she said but continuing to answer her. "This ain't no dream. Your inside the Crimson Reality.. We dont know exactly where this place is, but it's been our home ever since we all got here." The girl moved to help Pandora but she was a bit annoyed, getting up herself to look around. "Thats all great and all but, how do I get back to my home? Ive got exams on a few weeks, ive gotta study!" The wolf looked at her and sighed. "I dont have a way to tell you this.. But maybe it should wait till we get out of here? This forest is crawling with beasts, we need to go." She began to walk away. "Im not going anywhere until i find a way back home!" She crossed her arms stubbornly. "Alright, then stay here. But remember, corpses cant speak." She said with a shrug of her shoulders, getting farther away. Pandora looked around and flattened her ears in fear at the strange gargling and grumbling that came from within the forests foggy atmosphere. Getting up to run after the Wolf girl. "Hey, W-Wait for me!" This would be the start of something she had never imagined.