Chapter 1
It was dark. Elaine saw silvery webs stretched out in front of her. And
then she heard it. There was a shriek ringing in her ears, the same shriek
she had heard every other night. Elaine cupped her hands over her ears. It
felt like it was piercing through her brain. Her head was searing with pain
and she thought it would burst. The only thing she could think of was to
run. She ran through the webs as fast as she could. She could feel the
person, or whatever it was catching up to her. She stopped abruptly for the
webs turned into trees and there was a forest awaiting her. There was a
loud crash behind her, as though someone had just dropped twenty dinner
plates. She couldn't force herself to look back so she ran towards the
forest. Now the screaming had turned into very loud breathing. The thing
was so close by, she could feel wind trickling the back of her neck. She
ran into the forest.
Elaine tripped over a root and fell hard on the damp earth. Her whole body was aching in pain and she saw a dark red fluid flowing from the cut in her elbow. Holding it, she tried to get up; but the pain was holding her down. It's all over, she thought, whatever it is; it will get me any minute now. She dared not to look back. Her eyes started to get blurry and she closed them and felt a hot tear trickle down her cheek. And then she felt a harsh chilly wind hit her and she went flying three feet ahead. She hit the ground hard and her body was aching so much, she wanted to just give up. She looked up and saw a doll sitting on the ground in front of her. She found it unusual, why would a doll be in the middle of a forest? And as any human being would, after being taken over by curiosity, Elaine reached out and grabbed it. It was a doll made of cheap fabric and it had knots of red yarn for hair. A heart-shaped locket hung from its neck. And here, she felt that she knew the doll, and yet she didn't. And right then, a hand from behind her reached out and grabbed her shoulder. She let out a scream.
And this was when a girl named Elaine, woke up sweating from fear, in her bed on her sixteenth birthday.
Elaine tripped over a root and fell hard on the damp earth. Her whole body was aching in pain and she saw a dark red fluid flowing from the cut in her elbow. Holding it, she tried to get up; but the pain was holding her down. It's all over, she thought, whatever it is; it will get me any minute now. She dared not to look back. Her eyes started to get blurry and she closed them and felt a hot tear trickle down her cheek. And then she felt a harsh chilly wind hit her and she went flying three feet ahead. She hit the ground hard and her body was aching so much, she wanted to just give up. She looked up and saw a doll sitting on the ground in front of her. She found it unusual, why would a doll be in the middle of a forest? And as any human being would, after being taken over by curiosity, Elaine reached out and grabbed it. It was a doll made of cheap fabric and it had knots of red yarn for hair. A heart-shaped locket hung from its neck. And here, she felt that she knew the doll, and yet she didn't. And right then, a hand from behind her reached out and grabbed her shoulder. She let out a scream.
And this was when a girl named Elaine, woke up sweating from fear, in her bed on her sixteenth birthday.