DaydreaminPanda: Thank you! Oh, and sorry for the grammar mistakes. English is not my mother language, but at least I have improved in it. You should have seen how I wrote when I first started writing stories… not a pleasant memory. Anyway! Enough about me! I hope that you will like this chapter!

Guest: I am glad you like this story so far. I also can't pretty much help writing too much information. When I try to lessen it, I feel like I am writing too little and that scares me! If you think that this chapter has too much information… Oops! I am not offended or depressed, though! Just give me your honest opinion and I can be improved. All writing aside, have fun reading this new chapter!

Wow. I haven't written this story since June. I feel bad to have kept you all waiting.

However, I have complained about this one thing for a while in my stories, and I am sorry, but I am going to do it again… School is a hell on earth! I love reading, I love my teachers, I love my school and friends, I really do, but too much is too much! Can you guys even believe that I only started writing this chapter today? I have been boiling with inspiration for more than a week and a half! (Sorry about this short rant. The day has been exhausting when you have done almost nothing but written a new chapter. Plus, I am pretty much alone in my house, so I can't complain to anyone else. The weather here is cloudy and rainy, too...) And because of my educating books weighting like a pile of bricks, my backpack is broken. The zipper opens on its own, the fabric is worn out and I fear that there might soon even be a hole on the bottom where the notes and books come falling out while I am in the middle of a city.

Sorry about this complain here, again. It is night-time where I am, and my eyes are barely open, right now. Still, I am very proud to have finished this chapter. It is almost literally made out of my blood (seriously, my fingers could fall off from tapping), sweat and tears. So, enjoy.

I will give you guys a spoiler, though. In this chapter, there comes a character who isn't exactly a talkative social butterfly, so expect there to be almost no words exchanged at some parts.

Chapter 4: Running and failing

(February 6th, 1999.)

Red lights keep on flashing in the middle of the road, as both officers and hospital staff fuss around the scene. There is blood, not splattered wildly around, but pooled around the bodies. At first, every professional at the road though it was their minds playing tricks. But as soon as the lights of the cars and flashlights were used… their faces paled.

The sight is more than a bit gruesome, to say the least. Three men's lifeless corpses are laying on the side of the road. The first thing the polices take a note of is that they are all in different places and thoughts of escape attempts is the first option. Though, as far as their bodies are concerned, it is their state that is both disturbing and strange.

The first one has had his head twisted into a sick angle. The second one has blood coming out of his head and the third male died pretty much the same way the first did. And also, all three have looks that they probably wore before their deaths, they are warped into grimaces. Whatever they saw or whatever they had felt in the end, was definitely not pleasant.

"Go and check the cars."

As soon as everything of the bodies has been examined in the bright light and the bodies are covered, the sun starts to rise up on the horizon. The mist of the forest rises, but the blood stains on the concrete road have not faded. This isn't a nightmare nor a dream.

An officer walks over to the yellow tape that has been placed over the murder scene. He doesn't walk past it, though, but stays where he is with a frown marring his already wrinkled features. Over the years that he has been doing this job, never before has he encountered a scene such as this.

His eyes turn to look at the two vehicles left on the side of the road. One of them is bright red and the other one is grey. Bright and plain. New and old. Intact and broken. The latter is obviously directed at the grey one. The sides have dents on them – not large ones, though. More like someone had used enough force to slam either their feet or a dull object against the metal. Two of the windows have been shattered and one door is hanging wide open. The clogs in the policeman's brain start to rack.

How horrible.

The person who had called to the emergency center had talked about being attacked by hooligans. Also, he has been informed that the caller had been a female, judging by the sound of the voice. Unfortunately, the caller hadn't given her name, but it is clear to see that there is no female body in this crime scene.

His frown deepens. This doesn't make any sense to him.

"We got a lead," a coworker walks up to him, white puffs of smoke leaving from his mouth as he speaks heavily. He should sound happy, they both should be pleased. But neither are.

"… What is it?" The policeman decides to finally ask. This case is making his stomach turn around, it did the minute he saw all the blood. There will be no beef for him at least for two weeks.

The other policeman gestures towards the wrecked car, his expression a tad softer. "There were pieces of long hair inside that car. We suspect they belong to the one who called the emergency center. We will be sending the samples to the lab."

"Has anything else been found?"

"The car seems to have broken down while driving down this road. The engine is old and barely functional so it could be that the one who called for help had to stop here because it broke down."

Despite that their conversation subject is about an old car, both minds keep on wandering back to the corpses they saw. The way those men were killed… was truly inhuman.

(Eleven and a half hour ago, February 5th, 1999)

It comes out of nowhere, unexpectedly.

I am driving calmly on a peaceful road through a forest. I am not sure whether it is a large or small one. All I see are trees after trees and that is completely fine with me. It is better than glancing at every nearby car that comes my way and getting paranoid thoughts. Still, this is the last place where I would ever want my car to kick the bucket. It seems isolated.

The engine lets out an ugly sound and my face twists into a panicked expression. "No, no, no, no! Don't you dare!"

With quick movements, I manage to turn the vehicle to the side of the road. And just in time before the whole thing just shuts down and a loud pop comes out from somewhere within its mechanism. The car is now completely stopped, and I am sitting on the front seat with my hands clenched around the steering wheel. My face pales and cold sweat trails down the length of my back.

Praying that this is a nightmare, I walk over to the front of the car and open it. Grey, bitter smoke hits my face immediately, heat following it to the outside air which is much cooler. I back away, coughing and eyes stinging.

Shaking my head, I wave the smoke away from my face and try peering into the depths of metals. "No, no, no, nope! Don't you dare to be broken!"

My pleas to an unliving construction are in vain. What I see confirms the fact that this piece of junk won't be moving anywhere anymore. It should have been obvious, though. This thing was cheap, it was bound to break sooner or later, but I would have never guessed that it would stop at this location. Where any kind of residence is more than three miles away.

The facts are making my face pale further. Stay calm. It is hard to keep my composure. Deep breaths. I can always highjack a car… No, I have never done that. Can I trust strangers to take me all the way, though? There is no way. Maybe half-way is better? No, scratch that! In frustration and panic, I run my hand through the mess of my brown locks. I was anticipating for this to happen, but now that it has come down to it I can't seem to recall what I planned to do. R-right. First, know where I am. That is easy. Then, check the nearest gas station – it is only around two miles if I head back. The color of the orange sky and the faint light of the sun is somewhat glaring, as I look over to the horizon. There is no way that I can walk back before it is pitch black and hard to see. Plus, there aren't any lights through the forest to guide me. Not to mention there can be wild animals around, as well.

Unsurely and slightly worried, I wrap my arms around myself. There is really no reason for me to stay positive in this situation. There haven't been any cars around since a while back I drove down this road. It is getting dark and probably only a few will cross this road during that time. This route isn't exactly one of the hot spots to drive through while on a vacation. That is why I chose it, but…

The muscles on my face are twitching and both nervousness and coldness are making me tremble. I am such an idiot!

Suddenly, a car appears on the road, coming from the same direction as I had. Without pausing, I start to wave my arms to catch the driver's attention.

"Hey!" I holler, praying that too will get me some attention. A car with clear smoke coming out of it should be the first sign of distress, though.

However, instead of driving past me and stopping a few feet away, the car completely ignores me. It literally flees across the concrete ground as fast as it can. It is like the driver couldn't care less that there is a person in obvious need of help.

"W-wait! Hey!" I yell out again, reaching helplessly towards the escaping vehicle. "Damnit! Stop!"

T-this can't be happening!?

"What kind of person," I grit out between my teeth in a silent hiss, eye twitching, "would leave someone standing on the road like a damn duck! I hope your car will be blown to pieces!" My screams pierce the air but do not make the furthering car stop.

More frustrated further than before and not being able to bear standing, I go back inside the car, lock it from the inside and open the window slightly to get rid of the smell of smoke, praying that the whole car won't explode while I am in it. Though, I would rather vanish in flames than freeze and die of hypothermia. Maybe it would also be better for me to die here. Then, I wouldn't be bothered by the fact that I am stuck in the middle of a forest inside this car, that some stranger saw me and showed that they couldn't care less. If I were to die here, I could let go of these crushing emotions building inside of me. It is strange. One minute I forget all about what I have done, but even being in this car is a reminder of what I have done. A criminal, a coward who ran away from her home, left her family without certainty of returning… All these words keep on making my chest feel heavy.

Still, there is no way I can continue my escape for a while at least.

Tired, but not yet completely defeated, I crawl to the back seat and lay down with my diary. It is not because I am going to write on it, though. My head is hurting again, and I don't want to waste the painkillers just yet. So, I focus my remaining energy on doodling, dragging my pen across the pages with no practical idea in mind.

However, I find that my hand barely moves across the paper. My mind is blank.

I should really sleep. And so, I place the diary next to me and close my eyes, ignoring the slight ache inside my head and the tightening of my muscles whenever too frightening thoughts enter it. Maybe sleep would help me get rid of the heavy thoughts. I haven't gotten much of it anyway.

Somewhere, inside the memory of my hearing, I can still recall that knocking against the hotel's door.

I do not know what I am running away from, but dread keeps on pooling inside my stomach. The clothes I am wearing are heavy as well and they keep on dragging me down. It does not help that my road is full of white snow that keeps on sinking my legs into its depth, nearly tripping me at every step. The white substance feels like it is reaching nearly to my knees and I silently curse it. The whole winter weather seems to want for me to fall.

Winter? I thought it was summer, in the middle of my confusion, I nearly trip, again. From my point of view, the trees are humongous and hover over my measly form like giants. My fear intensifies without a real reason. So, I just keep on running.

Without even looking back, I know that the threat keeps on approaching. Its gaze bores into my back like two sharp ends of arrows. It feels like they are piercing the flesh on my back and I shiver despite not feeling any coldness through the fabrics around me. They are now tangling around me like ready to be taken away by a strong breeze. I cling to them tightly.

A large tree is standing right in front of me and I can only see it after nearly running into it. My hands slam against its firm trunk and I quickly round it…

Only for my feet sink into the ground and my balance being lost from gravity.

You must escape.

My back meets with the ground and I roll down a steep hill. Sticks and stones dig into me underneath the pile of snow I flatten on my way. I can't stop falling deeper into a pit.

Run, before the monster catches you.

The rolling stops and my body lays frozen on the ground. I am not sure if a storm of some sort has started, or that I am covered completely in snow, but my limbs are suddenly cold. Needle-like sensation bites my face and numbs any sensation of warmth I have left.

Still, despite this all, I feel welcomed into the cold embrace. Everything is white and peaceful. I can't hear a thing and it is like sleeping inside my room, in my soft bed and ready to fall asleep. This feels so peaceful after the running I have been doing.

Don't let it catch you!

The fear returns tenfold and I scramble up to my feet. Maybe it is because I have fallen, but it is still cold. Most of my garments must have fallen during the fall.

Whatever had been chasing me above has followed me down to this new forest. Its shadow crawls against the white snow and surrounds me. The creature is not close enough to touch me, but it surely will soon. The snow feels as if it is reaching my hips, now.

A hand grabs the back of my neck, halting my movements and slamming me down into the ground. My voice and airways are blocked by the mass of snow and I can't get up. The hand is large and continues pressing me further down – the snow cocoons me. I continue struggling, though. My chaser's touch is barely there, but the grip is firm, and it is like I have the strength of a newborn child. I guess, that this is the end for me…

However, before the cold snow can consume me fully, I am flipped around.

My eyes open and through a haze I see a pair of glowing red eye staring down at me harshly. My mouth grows dry and my heart skips a beat. The throbbing in my chest feels too real for this to be a figment of my imagination.

Whoever is hovering above me opens their mouth wide and my eyes widen further. Sharp, large white teeth flash in the darkness of the forest.

A shrill scream belonging to a woman shatters my eardrums with words: "Run!"

My eyes open slowly, as I shiver. During my short sleep, the coat I had used as a blanket had slipped down to the floor and I am laying across the backseats without much protection from the chilly air. I don't need to see through the darkness in the car to understand that much. The window is still open and a loud breeze howls as it enters and wraps around me. I shiver again and quickly touch the floor to find my coat. I find it quickly, put it on and close the window. The damage has already been done, though. Without the car on, it won't offer me much protection through the night.

But it explains very well why the coldness in the dream had felt so real… Huh? What was I dreaming about again?

The thoughts are cut off by a sharp pain in my skull. The headache is back.

Annoyed, I reach out into my pocket and take out one pill before swallowing it dryly. I hate to have no water for this and the fact that my throat is chapped and dry does nothing to lighten my mood. At least the smell of smoke seems to be gone and I can breathe in this metal box, now.

I lay back down, but let out a grunt, when the back of my head collides with a hard surface – it is my diary. Ow. Why did I sleep next to it again? The contact with it seems to worsen my headache and I carelessly toss it into my bag. I think my aim is good enough in the dark. Next, I drag out my phone and check the time. Eleven-thirty? It isn't even midnight, yet.

Disgruntled, I toss the phone away, too. I am cold, in pain and those two are making me feel cranky. Not to mention it is pitch black outside and I can barely see the trees and the road. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I curl back down into a sleeping position. I wish to rest, again.

However, before I can close my eyelids, there is another sharp pain in my skull. The pain travels like lightning across the nerve system of my entire head and slices knives throughout the flesh.

It is worse than the ones I have had before and snaps my mouth wide open. A gasp leaves from the depths of my throat and I squeeze my eyes tightly together. My entire body has grown stiff like a rock. W-what the…

The thoughts trail off and then another sheer force of knives attack the inside of my brain. "Ah!"

The hairs on my body stand up from another violent shudder rocking my body. And it seems to be enough to create another wave of pain. A small whimper parts from my lips and I clutch my head weakly. I fear that any kind of small pressure would cause the skull to split in half. It hurts! The pain feels like it is spreading. W-where are the painkillers? The sharpness drips down across my neck, following the spine and moving forward in agonizingly slow pace. Stop!

Suddenly, after a pathetic whimper, the headache dulls. The throbbing remains, and I slump against the seats limply. My facial muscles that were clenching just a second ago, become slack and a huge sigh of relief passes through my half-open mouth. Whatever monster had tormented me inside my head, it has gone away.

…What was that?

Knock! Knock!

I jump from the dull sound and freeze from seeing a form of a person standing on the other side of the door and knocking their knuckles against the glass. Still, a bit shook and worried by a thought of a brain cancer, I just stare dumbly at them, until they wave, and I can see rows of teeth from a smile they are giving me.

"Are you alright?" The car's walls let in the sound of a foreign voice. It belongs to a male."

I frown for a second, but then sit up and roll down the window slightly. "Yes?" Thinking for a second, my hand nearly opens the whole door. But I put my guard up and don't even lower the glass half-way. There is enough space for my voice to be heard. "Is there something you wanted… sir?"

He blinks a few times. "No – I mean, we saw your car stopped here and wanted to check if the driver was around. Are you by yourself, ma'am?"

I blink back once and then turn my head slightly. It takes a few seconds for me to adjust to the dark, but then I see another car parked and stopped a few distances away from mine. It has lights on and I see another two figures standing by it. One of them is leaning against a door and another is standing with his hands crossed and looking at my vehicle's way.

My mouth turns dry and my heart skips a beat. I look back to the man and take a note of how a slight scent of tobacco trails in through the window's opening. "No," I lie with a straight face, but my palms are starting to get sweaty. I pray that I am just being paranoid. "My h-husband was picked up by a friend a little while ago and they went to a gas station... It has been a while since they left so they should be back soon enough."

"Really?" The man asks. "The nearest is quite some distance away – and they left you here alone? How about the three of us stay here to make sure you are alright?"

I nearly want to ask 'why' but bite my tongue. "That isn't n-necessary… But thank you! I-I will be fine."

"Hey, Mark? What is taking so long?" One of the two men has come next to my car. His posture and movement are slack if that is how you can describe it nicely. Honestly, in my eyes, I see a drunk and he even starts leaning against my car like he owns it. "Hey, lady!"

I almost flinch, when he yells directly against the open window. A breeze from it hits my face and my nose twitches from the odor of bitter alcohol. Goosebumps rise on my entire body and now I am sure that I want to keep the car closed. It is currently my only sanctuary.

The man continues, just as loudly: "Why are you sitting there all lonesome, huh? You can come out, you know?"

"N-no, thank you. It is quite cold outside," I reply nervously, but realize later that it might have not been the wisest thing to say.

The man's mouth is mostly visible, and its corners turn up. His breath creates white steam on the glass, as he speaks his next words: "Then, we can come in there and warm you up."

The entire car jerks, when he tries to open the door rather violently. I jerk with it and back away from the two of them. Tension rises, and my hands clutch the fabric of the seats in sheer panic as my heartbeat rises over the roof. I had heard and seen news of these types of situations, but I would have never imagined landing myself into a one. I am alarmed and truly frightened. There are three of these men and I alone can't do much. I also have nothing to defend myself with – there really is a flaw in my plans. I should have at least brought a pepper spray. Also… even if I were to call the police now, I doubt that they would make here in time. This is in the middle of nowhere, after all.

The man on the window is pulled back roughly. "Hey! Quit it! I am sorry, ma'am! He has been drinking too much tonight."

Despite the fact that the drunk one is now further away from me, in my eyes these men are still a threat. I remain in the middle of the backseats and watch them through the glass carefully, resisting an urge to reach forward and close the whole thing.

"Don't strangle me! Let me go!" The one being held back by his companion grunts out when he is pulled further back.

"Shut up, you idiot! You are scaring her," the one being more sensible hisses out.

My heartbeat keeps on ringing in my ears, as I watch the two of them. An option of bursting out of this car and running into the deepest part of the forest seems like a sensible move now, for some bizarre reason. In fact, half of me wants to do that, but the large, scared part keeps me on the spot like a frozen mouse. I am not sure, whether these people mean harm or not. I wish that this one man is the only drunk in the whole group.

What should I do? If my non-existent 'husband' doesn't come soon, then I might as well be caught lying right now. It isn't a good lie, to begin with, now that I think about it. No normal person would leave another in the middle of a dark forest and into a car that has no heather.

The air is flowing in through the window, but I feel like not enough is getting into my lungs. My head is starting to throb again. No, not now. Not again. Please, just not now of all times.

"This is stupid," a new voice speaks loudly. The third guy approaches the car now. "Let's just hurry up and grab her."

The atmosphere had been tensing enough before, but now it escalates, and my heart nearly stops beating inside my ribcage. An agonizing headache continues to intensify with it and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. For a moment, I pray that the words true meaning had been twisted because of the metal surrounding the car.

Two pairs of eyes that had been glaring at each other in an argument solidify and trail through the glass and to me. Cold ice fills the bottom of my stomach as I stare with wide eyes at them. Cold sweat drips down my back as they loosen their holds on each other and take my firmer stand. The other man that was covered in the stench of tobacco doesn't seem to be the sensible one, anymore. He is just as terrifying as the drunk one. And now that the third one has joined them, I feel like he is no different – just a scary man who is either drunk or plainly cruel.

The car jerk's again and my head whirls around to see the third man trying to open the door. His face is smeared by the dark. "Open up."

"We should just break the whole door."

"No, let's damage the whole car. If somebody finds it, they will think it was left here on purpose. The damn thing looks half-dead, already."

I don't want to listen, but I keep on hearing their voices nonetheless. The car jerks again, this time from something being slammed against it and it comes from the side where the two other men are. The one reeking of alcohol has started kicking the door – my face pales from each time it feels as if the car will fall from the force.

No, please stop this. My mouth is clamped shut, but I do reach out for my bag hastily while the men start to damage the metal vehicle. They yell, taunt me, tell me to come out quietly and let them take me… As if those things would make me more willing to step out of my sanctuary. The muscles in my gut keep on clenching from each blow and provocative call.

I am not calm, not calm at all and yelp almost every time the car rocks back and forth. Are these people crazy!? Still, my shaky hands manage to grab my bag and start to unzip it. The cover of my diary brushes my palm, but I reach out even further and find my telephone. It had fallen all the way under one of my shirts.

"She has got a phone!"

"Hurry up and open, bitch!"

Swallowing thickly, I type a number quickly and bring the phone to my ear, pressing my back against the seat. It feels like a whole minute has passed when somebody finally picks up the call.

"The emergency center-"

I don't let the woman finish. "Help! I am being attacked!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Another kick is delivered and causes me to fall to my side. My forehead meets with the harsh surface of the door and for a second I see stars. The man keeps on yelling: "Put the damn thing down you-"

"Hello? Ma'am? Can you hear me?" The woman calls as I try to regain my train of thoughts.

Shakily, I get up and freeze. There is a crack on the glass of one of the windows. "T-there are three men surrounding my car and I am i-in it! They are trying to b-break in! Help!"

"Ma'am, calm down. Three men are trying to break into your car, right?"

"Yes!"

"Do you know them?"

I nearly want to scream hysterically. "Of course, I don't! Hurry up! They have broken a window!"

"What is your name, and address?"

"I am in the middle of a forest road called…" I skip my name and tell all the other information. I feel like throwing up and curling into a crying ball. The fall against the door must have been harsh because my skull hurts like it is being pounded with a fist. Is this how my life is supposed to end? Honestly, being put behind bars, facing charges of helping Edmund to break and escape into houses of people and face the utter shame from my family would be much better than this. These men could do anything to me right now and by the time help would come…

Tears gather into my eyes. There are so many reasons for me to be allowed to cry, now. But… I brought this all upon myself. It was all so that I could get money, it was all because I took a huge risk and didn't tell mother or Michael anything and it is all because I didn't say 'no' to my childhood friend's request.

It gets hard to listen to what the woman on the other end is saying. Something about staying calm and saying that the police are coming. I close my eyes tightly, praying for this to be a mere nightmare. I bring my knees to my chest, listening to my frightened thoughts and wildly beating heart. The phone is being clutched in my hands as I wait for one of the men to deliver the final blow to break a door.

However, instead of hearing the sound of glass shattering, I hear a piercing scream instead and then a sudden silence.

…

…

…

I lift my eyes from my knees shakily, glancing around through the window. The other car's light shines enough from the distance for me to make out the forms of three – no, two men. I do not know where the third is, but I do notice how frozen the two others are now – like startled deer.

"M-mark!"

"W-who the hell are you!?"

A sharp pain crawls all around my head, seething inside my brain like boiling water. I wince but remain stiff and seated. Still, a question echoes inside my aching head: What is going on?

Another scream fills the air, and I flinch violently, ignoring the pain and looking back between the two men. However, this time there seem to be three figures in my line of sight again. The phone drops from my shaky hand.

"Hello? Ma'am? Ma'am! Are you alright? What is happening there?" The woman on the other end keeps on talking, obvious to what kind of gravity my situation holds.

Someone has appeared out of nowhere and he is holding… A man up by his head and off the ground.

The saliva in my mouth dries and my breath hitches. I can't believe what I am seeing and think this is an illusion. I blink, but the image stays the same through the glass. Despite the dark, I can see that this person is huge, his from large and firm and his wide back is towards me. They are still holding one of my attackers without any effort, though, and I almost think it is happening with one hand only. Compared to this person, the feet that are kicking air in desperate movements look like two thin sticks. And soon, they grow limp.

I turn my head robotically to the other side of the car and look at the remaining man from the previous three. He is just as frozen as I am but manages to take a step back.

A sickening crack freezes the air and my head whips around to see the once tangling man dropped down.

Something flips in my stomach and my eyes widen in horror. With two shaky hands, I cover my gaping mouth and fall against the door behind my back. D-did that guy… j-just…? Acid-like sensation starts climbing up my throat as my stomach clenches.

The memories of what I dreamt a while ago inside this very car come back with full force. The same terror that I felt while running through hazy forest inside the dark nightmare. The coldness of the air intensifies the likeness and fear sends familiar shockwaves through my spine.

The large figure turns slightly, and he is tall enough for me not to see his head from the way I am crushed against the furthest door and cushion. However, the tension rises to the point it can choke the air out of anyone.

Run.

If I could have my voice and not try and hide in my car, I would start screaming. Just like the other man watching the whole thing. "AAAAAAAAH! A MONSTER!"

A spark of sharp pain flashes in the back of my skull.

Run, before the monster catches you…

I can't move. My entire body is frozen solid and can't stop trembling. I feel like I am looking at a monster from my nightmare and stop thinking.

Whatever or whoever this new person is, what he has done in a matter of seconds is abnormal. Tangling someone and then… The oxygen stops circulating through my body and my fingers dig into the skin of my face. I am trying so hard not to open my mouth like that could actually keep me any safer. A strangled scream is desperately trying to tear its way out of my mouth.

The person clad in dark – how else could I explain his appearance? – starts moving. I start literally crying with hysteric breaths coming out of my mouth.

"D-don't come here! S-s-stay a-a-away!" The poor soul who had been just a few minutes ago been trying to break down the car and assault me is screaming like he is the victim now.

The large person is now at the front of the car and I react to his location like opposite poles of a magnet. I move back and slide across the backseats as carefully and smoothly as I am able to. I have to move, I have to find a way to get away. Every sense I have left is screaming for me to get a grip of my shaky limbs and make a run for it.

Run!

The man who had acted so high and mighty – before this person came – is screaming hysterically, when I rip the door open. It creaks loudly and the already cracked glass seems to grow in length in every direction. Cold breeze hits me immediately, sending a violent shudder up and down my body.

The rate that my heart is beating with is escalating over the world's ceiling – the sky – and the hairs on the back of my neck tingle. It is like I can feel that there is somebody watching me, and I nearly lose my footing from a fear of being grabbed.

I run down the hill filled with grass, away from the road. I slip and fall down at the end but quickly get back up. It is so dark I can barely avoid letting my feet falling into a small stream between the forest and the road, though. The water soaks my shoes and socks, it is cold.

When I pass the first few trees, I almost want to scream. I have actually managed to get this far without being stopped or caught. However, it is so dark, now. And I can barely move forward without actually smashing into a tree. Roots, fallen small and sharp branches dig through my shoes into my feet. A tree branch swats me into face and I sputter, before dashing forward more urgently while a stinging sensation spreads all over my facial features. Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!

I crash into a final tree – it is in my mind the last one I will crash into tonight – and let my hands grip its trunk for support. I look over my shoulder, but of course, I can see nothing through the dark. The night sky does seem to have few stars, as I tilt my head up, but other than that it is just as disoriented as this forest.

When there is no other sound but the silence and my own rabid breaths, I sink down against the rough wood. It is like all the strength from running is leaving my legs and I realize just how cold it truly is outside of the car. Goosebumps spread all over my trembling body. W-what was that!? Wh-who o-or what… I cover my face with my cold hands. O-oh my god! I saw someone g-getting murdered! My thoughts refuse to settle and calm down, so tears begin to trail down my face. Why… why is this happening? Whatever food I have left inside my stomach, even small bits of crumbled bread, it threatens to rise up. I thought all that I have gone through was bad enough, but now it is like the weight of the world is crashing on me.

I must escape. I can't let it catch me, those words are like mantra repeating inside my aching skull. Still, it is a struggle to get back to my feet. I must continue running. That person will come and kill me. I must get away!

However, just when I am already on my two feet and ready to run again, a cold chill goes down my has to be the cold air, is what I tell myself… But my heart stops when I hear footsteps – they are heavy and near.

The footsteps stop, as soon as my breath hitches quietly under my breath. It is like whatever is standing here has heard that tiny sound.

The air is suddenly so much colder, yet, my body doesn't tremble. The muscles have frozen solid and I don't even move my eyes from the downcasted position they are in. I can't still see pretty much anything, and I don't think that the new presence can either… So, why do I feel like he can?

M-maybe I h-haven't been s-spotted yet? that is my silent prayer. My heartbeat sounds like a loud drum and I fear immensely that it can be heard outside my ribcage.

I stop breathing and slowly turn my head, my mind grows fuzzy and unsettled. There is no order for my thoughts… My heart stops for the second time.

In the dark, I can finally see something. A glowing red orb.

The monster from my nightmare.

The strength leaves from my legs and I stumble back, my back meeting with the bark of the tree. The eye doesn't even blink.

A nightmare, a nightmare, a nightmare… This is nothing but a nightmare! Not real! Not real! However, the coldness, the downright horror etched on my mind and face and the memory of hearing those men screaming are all too real.

I blink once, hot and stinging tears escaping from my eyes and trailing down my face.

In a second, the red eye is gone, but a new chill settles into my gut. Something is in front of me. I can distinguish a new color and wrinkles of clothes and my mouth opens wide to scream only for a large hand to block it. "Hngh! Mpf!"

The hand pushes me back and crashes my head with the tree. The hand stays still and another one presses against my chest just under the collarbone. I struggle and raise my hands to pry the hands away – they are both covered by gloves – but they won't budge. Tears stream down my face and I can't stop screaming. I kick, try to bite the hand, trash, but nothing works. In the end, the only thing I can do is look up.

The red-eye meets my brown ones in the dark and all my movements cease. I am terrified. If it weren't for the hands holding me firmly in place against a tree, I would collapse. What do you want from me? is what I want to ask. But even if I was able to do so through the thick hand on my mouth, it would come as a hysterical and stuttering mess.

Finally, after what feels like eternity and thousand years, the hand on my mouth moves away. On instinct, I try to rip off the hand on my chest.

Once the hand is only a half of an inch away from my mouth, I scream with everything I have. "EEEEEEEEEEEEK!"

The action makes both of the hands return with full force.

A cold chill goes down my spine. H-he is going to kill me! More tears come out from my eyes as I close them tightly and my entire body stiffens, ready to be stabbed, strangled or beaten.

However, nothing happens. The arms stay still, and I hear gusts of breathing through the ringing in my ears. My heartbeat doesn't slow down. I will not drop my guard, just because I haven't been hurt, yet. This is definitely the same person who cold-bloodedly murdered that one man right outside of my car!

The silence is suffocating, and I open my eyes shakily. W-why isn't h-he saying anything?

The red-eye is still staring down at me almost blankly. Through what I assume are curtains of hair I see another one. It is just as red and bright that my stomach drops. Knowing he has two eyes instead of one does not brighten this situation. This is nearly the same as in the nightmare I had in the car. I am cold, someone is holding me down… and those eyes.

I shiver, blink and keep letting the tears come out.

All of sudden, the hand on my mouth starts leaving again. But this time I bite down harshly on my tongue and keep my mouth in a straight line. I can now distinguish the hand – the glove on it is white, or maybe some other light color – I don't know – and watch as it is raised up to the stranger's face. One finger is raised.

Is… he is telling me to be quiet? I want to the exact opposite and bite even more harshly down on my tongue. A sound threatens to escape from the back of my throat.

Still, I am scared and tremble under the intensity of the gaze. So, reluctantly and stiffly, I give a small, barely noticeable nod. The hand on my chest withdraws slowly, but I do not move. Reality is worse than a nightmare. I could really die tonight, and it paralyzes me to the bone. If this person found me in these dark woods so quickly and effortlessly, then what hope do I now have?

A yelp comes out of my mouth, when I suddenly raised by my sides – the touch makes my stomach flip and face twitch into a horrified expression – and placed on a shoulder. The world spins.

I should have run faster.

I feel stupid for asking this, but do you have any idea who Nancy has just encountered? From now on, I have to practice my skills in writing a mute character… I am not sure whether to be excited from the challenge or horrified.

Anyways, the same old story: Please, do give this story comments.