This is a preview/prologue of a new story I'm working on. Please review and let me know if I should continue!

I was walking through the woods by myself. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem; I always walk through the forest around my house whenever I needed to think. But never at night. My parents forbade me from ever going into the forest at night, and yet here I was. My dad was going to kill me when he found out.

As I walked along a narrow dirt path, I suddenly realized that I had no idea where I was or where I was going. The moonlight illuminated everything with soft, blue light, revealing more of the worn path in front of me. It was clear of grass and leaves, like someone had recently raked everything off. Curious, I kept walking, wondering where it led.

After a while, I noticed how eerily quiet it was in the woods. No birds, no bugs, not even a breeze rustling through the trees. But for some reason, I couldn't help but get the feeling like someone was watching me.

I stopped, listening for anything that could confirm my suspicions.

"Hello?" I called out, "Is someone there?"

After a minute of silence, I let go of the breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. I was being just paranoid. There was nothing stalking me in the woods.

Suddenly, I heard a small crack, like someone stepped on a stick. The sound sent me running down the path without hesitation, and it was then that I heard footsteps following closely behind me.

The footsteps, slow and rhythmic, never got louder or quieter as I kept running on the path, trying to shake off whatever was chasing me. Somehow, I knew that getting off the path would let me escape, but I was forced to stay on by an unknown force.

All of a sudden, the footsteps disappeared, leaving me alone in the forest in the middle of a small clearing. The moon had vanished, making the forest much darker than before. I stopped to catch my breath, placing my hands on my knees, taking slow, measured breaths.

I straightened up and looked around, trying to see through the thick blackness of the night to find my way back. When I tried to take a step forward, I realized that I couldn't move. I was frozen to my spot. A low chuckle cut through the deafening silence like a knife.

"Did you miss me?"

I looked up with a jerk, my eyes searching through the darkness. Panic began to take over my body as I desperately tried to run from whatever it was.

"I have missed you...very much."

I felt a cold presence behind me, sending shivers up my spine.

"You do not know me. I would not expect you to."

I tried to run, tried to scream, tried to do something, anything.

"But I know all about you."

Sweat began to form on my body as I tried to discern the owner of the voice in the darkness. It seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

"You have not quite felt like yourself."

'Come on!' I shouted at myself, 'I have to run! I have to get away!'

"You have been having strange dreams lately."

i stopped fighting for a moment. How did this thing know about my dreams?

"Who are you?" I finally called out, my voice cracking, "What do you want from me?"

An abrupt, loud screech sent me to my knees, covering my ears from the awful noise. It seemed to last forever, and as I knelt on the ground, I prayed that I would wake up, because this had to be a dream, right? It's only a dream. I should wake up soon. I need to wake up. I need to run. I need to get out.

The screech suddenly stopped, leaving a slight ringing in my ears. I waited a moment before standing up, looking around me slowly.

"But now you are here."

The voice got louder as heavy footsteps came closer and closer. I felt tears spill out of my eyes, but I didn't care. I flinched away, closing my eyes tightly.

"And I will make you feel right at home."

A deep, booming laugh resounded through the forest menacingly, turning my insides into jelly. With a startled thought, I realized that I knew that voice somehow, although I couldn't remember who it was. All I knew was that I didn't want to feel 'at home' with whatever this thing was.

I tried to move again, tried to get away, I had to run, I had to run, I had to run. I could feel the creature's breath on my face as it came closer. Against my will, my eyes opened, revealing a dark figure with glowing, blood-red eyes.

"N-No." I managed to whisper as the figure came closer, "No, please. Please, don't hurt me."

Its eyes, unblinking, seemed to stare right into my mind. I was terrified and disgusted, but I couldn't look away.

The creature suddenly revealed its sharp teeth, turning the darkness a little brighter. "We are going to have so much FUN!" the creature screeched as it smiled, leaping towards me as I screamed.