The circle of the unknown surrounds me, closing in tighter. Their claws come out and slash at the empty air infront of them. One steps forward and I back away, sure it's come to kill me. It calls out softly to me.

"Willow? Willow?" They taunt, always sounding like an echo.

Tears stream down my face as I scream at them, "What? What do you want from me?"

They stare blankly and continue to call me in a haunting voice, "Willow. Willow. Come back, Willow."

Then everything hurts again. I can feel the blood down my arms, their claws digging into my neck. Squeezing and squeezing. The breath of life slowly being sucked out of me. Their fangs are close to my face. Suddenly, as they make their move to tear my face in half, I have awoken.

The monsters are gone. All except one.

Gale.

He strokes my thinning arm lightly, fingertips as light as a butterfly wings. I shift my body slightly and he takes the hint, drawing his hand back. He crouches beside my head and stares at me. Despite how much I try, I seem to be captivated by his eyes. The grey that reflects the hatred he feels for me and the desire of torturing and hearing my screams.

I lick my cracked lips. Everything hurts so much, especially breathing. That is the most painful.

"Willow, my dear girl," he says. "You have nightmares just like your stupid mother. Why she married that idiotic, half-retarded cake boy? I'll never know."

He ignores the hot tears forming in my eyes and moves to the other ear. "Oh, you actually like that good for nothing man? Is that why you never told him that his own wife was sleeping with his worst enemy? You're a pathetic little girl and its no wonder your father didn't care for you as much as he did his measly stale bread."

"My father was a good man," I start, but my throat is hoarse from not talking in days. All that comes out is a low grumble. I cough twice and try again. "No! It's not true! My father was a good man!"

He laughs like a madman. " Your father was a one-legged imbecile! If I was his mother, I would beat him every chance I got too! Come to think of it, I did! I killed your father and you can't do anything about it."

I can't.

He's right.

I can't do anything about it.

Nothing.

Nothing never.

Can't do nothing.

Never ever.

Daddy's dead.

Can't do anything.

I'm going to die.

Can't do nothing.

Gales gonna kill me.

Can't do nothing.

Nothing, nothing.

Gonna die like daddy.

Daddy and I dead because of Gale.

Gale the killer.

Murdered us all.

Dead.

Dead.

Dead because of Gale

My body convulses giving into the realization. The realization of what I have to do.

Gotta do.

Gonna do.

"Gale." I screech as he is about to walk out the door. It sounds like an animal.

Animal.

Loud like an animal. Like the monsters I'm too familiar with.

"Gale!" I holler again.

He turns towards me and I can see a hint of a smile. He knows what's coming. Knows what I will say. "Yes, precious girl?"

"I'll do what you want. What you want. Let me free. Free. Gonna die." My voice comes out in broken fragments, my mind too shattered and jumbled to make comprehensive sentences.

He looks at me sympathetically. "Sorry honey we just filled that position up. We don't need you anymore. Besides, that's quite the horrible stutter you've developed. It would give you away." He pauses, scanning my face for a reaction, then promptly turns and walks out the door.

I scream and thrash against the metal table again. "Gonna die. Let me out. Free. Let me free. Have to go. Gonna die."

A green mist starts to leak out of the walls. I hold my breath.

Try not to breathe it in.

Don't breathe it in.

It seems to be absorbing through my skin as I am growing tired.

Weaker.

Closer to death?

The monsters from before start to welcome me back into sleep.

"Welcome, Willow."

"Come in!"

"We want to play."

They whisper from all directions.

I push them away.

Push.

Go away.

But the green mist blankets me and soon I am forced to play.

And there, this story belongs to someone else on Wattpad, but they deleted all their stories and I got permission from them to use it. I did make a few tweaks here and there, and honestly, this would make a pretty cool story instead of a one-shot. If people want me to make this into a story, let me know.

That's all for now, as always, thank you for reading, criticism is always welcomed,

~Eliza