The first peice of paper was a patient evaluation from Rolling Hills Asylum. Emma held the file as they read it over, the tip of what had to be a mountain of information. She didn't seem to notice her hands were shaking.

"Case number 786.." Jeff muttered, his eyes moving across the lines with info written in. He froze when he caught sight of the name.

Name: Jeffrey Alan Woods.

"It's...it's just a name..," Emma said, her voice cracking more than she wanted.

Date of Birth: June 2nd, 1983.

Age: 13 years old.

"Em, why would a thirteen year old be emissioned to mental hospital?" Jeff asked as he looked at his twin. She looked as lost and emotionally distraught as he did.

"I don't know.."

Name of Father: Jonathon Anthony Woods.

Name of Mother: Margeret Catherine Woods.

Siblings: Liu Benjamin Woods.

Their blood chilled from the fact that they were familiar with all the names written. Only because they had seen news reports about the murders of people with the same names.

Status of Father: Deceased.

Status of Mother: Deceased.

Emma had set down the paper before they even finished reading everything. They didn't need to. She shot her arms around her twin's neck and buried her face into his shoulder just as the shaking began. Jeff just held her tightly, averting his eyes from the file as his sister sobbed against him.

So this was who their father was.

He wasn't a chef in a big five star resturaunt.

He wasn't a chemist in a lab.

He wasn't a lawyer in New York.

He was a monster.

Jeff didn't register the fact that his own tears were falling down his cheeks nor did he care that they were. After years of wondering and guessing, the truth finally came to light.

It wasn't what either of them wanted.

"W-Why did this h-have to happen?" Emma stuttered against his shoulder. All he could do was gently rub her back in an effort to comfort her.

"I don't know.."

"Maybe that's why we were never adopted." He heard her say against the damp clothing of his hospital shirt. It took everything in him not to grab his sister by the shoulders and just shake her.

"Em, don't say that. That's not true."

"It makes sense, Jeff!" Emma shot up and glared at him, the whites of her eyes having a pink tint from her tears. "Why else would no one want us? They probably saw us becoming murderers ourselves. Why else would everyone try and separate us?"

HIs throat tightened as it came crashing down. It..it made sense.

Their school held them in different classes every year, rarely ever letting them have one period together. Hell, when he asked to transfer to her lunch period the counselor all but threw him out of her office. They were always trying to be separated. Everyone was always keeping them apart.

What was worse than one child of a murderer?

Twins.

"Em..," He said after a few minutes of silence. "I can't tell you why any of this is coming up now, or why it came up in the first place. But," he took her hand in his own and raised his eyes, emerald meeting sapphire. "I can promise you that whatever happens because of this, we'll get through it like we always have. Together."

"Together," She repeated as she squeezed his hand.

They didn't bother going through the rest of the papers, tucking the manilla folder under the mattress and forgetting about it. They would rather not find out anymore about their father.

Nurses in white dresses dropped in every day, asking them the same questions.

How are you feeling?

Any dissiness?

Nausea?

They always answered the same.

It was after the nurses started giving them pills did things became awry. The first day Jeff was so sick, he didn't move out of bed. The next Emma had a splitting migraine. One day they decided not to take the pills but swallowed the water all the same like they had.

That was when the dreams started. Jeff said he dreamt he was falling. Emma said she felt like she was being ripped apart.

"The hell is happening to us?" She whimpered, her knees to her chest and arms wrapped around her knees. She lost weight, her eyes becoming sunken in and her skin pale from no sunlight. Jeff was sure he didn't look any better.

"I don't know..," He said as he pulled her close again.

The nurses came and again they didn't take the pills, just swallowed the water.

This time, something strange happened.

They fell asleep together.

They dreamed together.

They were walking through a forest, the trees tall and looming high above them.

"Where are we?" Jeff asked, trying to see anything else besides the forest.

"I don't know. But it's..familiar," Emma replied.

"Yeah it is."

They walked along, the leaves crunching under their weren't sure what they were looking for, but there had to something that could tell them why they were there. Then there was the whispering, the wind picking up leaves and throwing them into the air. The leaves fluttered and flew in one direction, the whispering going with them.

Come little children, come to the Tall Man.

They had no idea who the tall man was, nor had they ever heard of him. But someting besides the wind was telling them to go find him. If they did would he be able to answer their questions?

There was only one way to find out.

With only the wind as their guide they traveled along the beaten path. They didn't know where they were going or what they going to find. If they found anything. Then again, they were clearly having a conjoined dream together. This is was odd even for them.

He's waiting for you, children.

They listen to the whispery voice and hurried along, not wanting to keep the Tall Man waiting for long, That would be rude. The trees suddenly opened up to reveal a large round clearing. The path had long since disappeared and now it seemed the dirt had long ago been turned over and smoothed out into a specific design.

The twins slowly moved to the center of the X-ed out circle. And just like that, all the wind stopped, and silence fell over thick like a curtain. They waited a moment. Two. Three. And then the shadow fell over them, long and tall and holding an aura of imminent danger. Yet, they found no fear as they slowly turned around to face the man.

The Tall Man.

They looked to his expressionless face eight feet up, remaining quiet out of respect for the being. He was hunched over some to look at them even somewhat properly, somehow his suit remained as crisp and fresh as if just ironed.

He looked at the pair of twins and spoke in a voice that echoed in their minds deeply.

Come, Children. We have much to discuss.

Then he slowly turned and began walking towards the trees that he hid so well within. All Jeff and Emma could do was hold each other's hands and follow the dapper fellow.


A week.

It had to have been a fucking week since they had gone missing.

Annie growled as she ran her fingers through her hair and tugged, slamming her fists against the desk in frustration over her careless actions. Damn, she should have never turned her back on those kids! Now with what happened.

Their phones had been turned off, so contacting them or tracking them was out of the question.

Agent Hoff had sent his deepest regrets for her and the missing children, saying that he would find the bastard who took them.

She did too.

She was too caught up in her distraught that she didn't even bother to check who was calling her desk phone before answering it.

"Chief Brown."

"I hope you're fucking happy."

Annie sat up in her chair at the familiar voice, eyes wide and trained on nothing in particular. Her throat tightened up and her mouth ran dry.

"Jeff..."

"This is All. Your. Fault."

"Woods, so help me if you hurt them I'll-"

"I'm not the one who took them, you ignorant bitch!" The man across the phone snarled. "You have no idea what you've done."

Annie would have replied if he had given her a chance to.

"You lead him right to them. You fucking played them right into his hand!"

She could practically hear him gripping his knife in anger.

"You shouldn't have gotten in the way, Anne. You should've just let me have them."

"Have them?" She asked, anger clear in her voice. "Why? So you could turn them into your next victims? Why the hell would I let you near those kids?"

Instead of a reply she heard silence for a minute, and then his deep, chilling laugh.

"You still haven't peiced it together, have you? Even with all the clues I've been leaving..."

"Clues?"

"Yes, Annie. But it seems you're still too stupid to figure it out. So let me put it bluntly."

Annie gripped the edges of her desk as she swallowed hard, sweat running down her neck in cold rivulets. She prayed to God he wouldn't say what she thought he would.

"But first, a question. How does it feel knowing that Chris is best friends...with my little girl?"

Anne's heart dropped as he whispered the last part, pailing at the words and falling against her seat as her eyes widened in shock. The other officers in the room noticed her shock expression and shot up, immediately going to trace where the call was being held from.

"Y-You're lying.."

"I lie about a lot of things, Annie. But family was never one them."

"No. They're..they're nothing like you."

"True. Junior is more like his mother. Even has her eyes.." He trailed off before his snarl was back."But I didn't call you for reminiscing."

She got back her courage as she spoke again, anything to keep him talking so they could trace him. "Then, why did you?"

"Because I want you to know that you've made my list."

"Your black list?"

"Mmhmm. I was just trying to protect them."

"From what?"

"You don't need to fucking know," Jeff's voice dipped an octave lower in dangerous tones. "Now I can't get to them. I can't stop him."

"Who?"

"SHUT UP AND LET ME TALK!" Annie flinched and whipped the phone away from her ear after the enraged yell. The officers tracing the call heard it to and they hastened their efforts.

"It's your fault. It's ALL your fault. You just don't get it either. It's almost their time, they're almost ready." When she heard silence she deemed it safe to speak.

"Ready for what?"

She could hear him seething in rage. It must be taking all of his willpower not to just blow up on her. Impressive given his state of mind.

"They're almost old enough. He wouldn't be able to..." His voice dropped off again as he took deep breaths to most likely calm himself. Then he spoke again, low and deep and menacing.

"If anything happens to them, I will kill you. I'll make sure it's slow and painful. I will make your daughter watch every. Fucking. Second. Don't even try to hide, because I will find you, Anne."

She was trembling in her chair again, because she knew just how true to his word Jeff was.

"I'm closer than you think. I can see you. I can see how scared you are. And you have reason to be. Because if so much as a rumor that they are dead comes up, I will kill every single fucking hic in this town."

The line dropped dead as he hung up.

Annie slowly put the phone back onto the receiver, hands shaking violently the entire time as she fought back tears.

"Ma'am?" One luitanent asked.

"W-What?"

"We traced the call."

"And?"

"Ma'am, he was standing outside the front doors."