The Phantom's Secret

Part One: Taken
Snow, a white arctic fox with pale blue eyes, knows the phantoms are coming. She could smell them, and see their pollution forming on the plants as they approached. She broke out into a run, leaving behind her den and fleeing into the forest, hoping that none of the phantoms will search through the woods. If Snow can just make it to Sarepia Forest, she'll be safe.

"That arctic fox," a gurgly voice shouts. "Get her!" Snow wants to quicken her pace, but her legs ache from running too much. The phantoms gain on her, and she pulls out her bow and arrows. She cocks an arrow on the bowstring and watches as the phantoms approach. She had been waiting for this moment- practing her archery ever since she was young. A swarm of slimy, black phantoms arrived, all holding spears or other weapons. They didn't seem worried about her weapon, which worried Snow.

"Surround her! Quickly!" A voice shouted from somewhere in the cloud of phantoms. The terrible creatures spread out arround Snow, and the arctic fox began firing arrows at them rapidly. She hit a few, but there were way too many for her to defeat. The came closer, and started to attack her. Snow fought back fiercely, thinking about why the phantoms would even cared about her. A tough blow hit her, and she blacked out, as she feared she would.

Sierra0925 (talk)

Snow awoke in a small, dark space. Walls closed in tight around her, and a barred door sat right in front of her. She barely had room to lay down, and a horrible stench hung in the air. She couldn't smell a thing with the black smog drifting around the enclosed space. Phantoms occasionally passed by the door. One stopped by her cage and began speaking to her in a gruff voice.

"You will begin your work soon. Possibly today. Always follow the phantom's orders or else you'll be punished. Don't talk to anyone you meet. The last rule is to not escape. It would not benefit either you or I," it said, hovering glumly. The phantom drifted off. Snow attempted to lunge at the barred door, not even making a dent. What would she do now?

An armored phantom came about an hour later, holding a ripped piece of paper. It addressed her as "Arcticfox4" and began opening the cage.

Snow's heart leapt and she tried to escape, but the phantom guard pointed a pointed spear at her, and she stopped. He chained her, and guided Snow along a corridor without answering questions or even speaking. Snow tried and failed to escape, and the guard began to grow restless. He made a strange hiss and smacked her with the side of his spear. Snow leaped back in terror and immediately calmed.

The phantom lead her to a long room of conveyor belts. More chained animals were sitting around the various machines that filled the room.

"Slavery? Really?" Snow growled, flexing her claws. The phantom put her to work on a machine manufacturing some sort of phantom goop. A viberant pink rhino sat next to her, smiling cheerfully somehow.

"Hi, I'm Cherry," the rhino said. Snow greeted her, showing obvious annoyance. "You must be new here! Make sure to follow the phantom's orders. I'm one of the only prisoners who doesn't get punished often. See that otter over there? He's covered in scratches from being attacked by the phantom guards when he disobeyed. Even if the work is tough, keep going because what the phantoms do to you is worse." A large, black otter sat at the end of the conveyor, somehow operating a machine.