I heard her scream.

I had barely put a foot into the woods when I heard it. I nearly died as I searched for the source to the noise. Deeper, into the woods. Running as fast as I could I soon tripped and found myself face first in the dirt. Ahead of me looming a building, dark and eerie in the moonlit glow.

Had this always been here?

The steps were crooked and falling apart, but still I went up them to the door. Hand on the knob I turned it slowly and made my way into the creaking house. On the floor were old rugs that smelled of decay, the walls were clinging with webs, old pictures hidden behind mounds of dust and rusty stairs that led up to the second floor. My heart seemed to jump out of my chest as I took the first step and it creaked loudly, but all that I could hear were the screams coming from above, now weak and dull.

How could I have been so stupid? Why didn't I just run and go get some help? But then again, what could anyone else do?

The door to the room where the noise was emitted was partially opened. A small stream of red light stretching from it onto the dirty floor. I slowly made my way towards it, hand outstretched as if to grasp the wooden handle, but stopped middway as a voice echoed from behind me.

"Hello little owl, why are you so far from your nest?"

To me he was a vision of beauty, dark and mysterious he was in his black coat that fell to the floor, barely revealing a hint of burgandy shirt underneath. Slim and tall he did not appear to be a danger to my prescence here at all, but he was more dangerous than I knew.

"My sister..." I responded in a half trance, his eyes were so dark, they seemed to trap me in their illusion. The cries from behind had now ceased, but my mind did not seem to notice or care. I was too entranced, and even as the hand slipped around my throat I did not notice, except for the slight shiver that ran through my body. I was too entranced within his eyes.