Streetlights shone brightly as a tiny sliver of moon failed to illuminate the night. Reflections glittered along the pavement, a reminder of the rain. A girl stepped around the puddles on the ground. Her long blonde hair swished gently in its ponytail as she walked to the beat of a pop song playing in her earbuds.
The girl was Lucy Harker. She was a 16-year-old resident of the sleepy little town of New Salem. She was only out this late because she'd been helping to set up for the first day of school celebration at New Salem High. The preparations had run late, but she'd felt safe enough to walk home. Nothing terrible had happened in New Salem for years and she doubted that streak would break tonight.
A light flickered above her as a gentle drizzle of rain began. She picked up her pace, now out of tune with the music, and took out her earbuds. There was a shortcut she could take home through the woods. She didn't often take it at night, but it would provide more cover from the rain.
As she stepped off the pavement into the woods she immediately felt on edge. She had her head on a swivel, checking around her. The dark branches felt like they were closing in around her. A twig snapped behind her, and she whirled around to see a tall figure.
The figure was humanoid and cloaked in shadow. They had jet black hair that hung in front of a face with a corpse-like. Red eyes that glowed like embers stared out from behind the curtain of hair. They bared sharp white teeth as Lucy looked back at them. She spun back around, and began to run.
Lucy didn't think twice about the direction she was running, she just ran. Getting away from whoever — whatever — was following her was her first priority. She dodged gnarled roots as she raced through the woods, heart pounding in her chest.
Finally, breathless, she tore out of the woods. Thunder rumbled in the distance and the rain pelted down. A building surrounded by a wrought-iron fence loomed at the top of a hill. She struggled to keep her footing on the slick grass as she ran up the incline. The rain and her heartbeat drowned out the footsteps of her pursuer, but she was certain that they were still there.
She reached the top of the hill to find that the gate was chained tightly shut and secured with a heavy padlock. She rattled the gate in desperate hope that would dislodge the chain. As she did, an arm grabbed her from behind, spinning her around. She was face to face with her pursuer. There was a wicked grin on their face that showcased sharp canines. They lunged towards her, snapping their teeth. Lucy screamed.
Moments later, Lucy's sightless eyes gazed up at the curling letters set into the top of the gate. Impassive, the words "Monster High" stared down at the bloodstained grass.