My heart's pounding hard in my chest, following the music I honestly had no idea what to expect when I will arrive at the source. Maybe I will find some friendly folks who would be willing to help a girl out? Then again it might be coming from something completely opposite. I better watch my step and not make any poor decisions that could jeopardize my health. I eventually came upon a clearing. Pushing past the thick foliage to get a closer look. I ducked behind a bush to gain some cover, I glanced over the top to see what looked like a festival! Bright red ceremonial lanterns hung from the trees, the music was upbeat and vibrant, the smell of delicious food was thick in the air making my stomach growl and reminding me how hungry I was, there were tiny shops lined up on both sides of a clearing, yet no shop owners. The best part was there were people! It appeared a whole crowd gathered to share this memorable event together, some more formally dressed then others. There are so many but they didn't exactly look like people, more like mannequins fixed in place. Weird.

Something's wrong, despite seeing all the people I can't hear any voices. No talking, laughing, not even coughing, nothing! Just the sound of traditional music, besides the gentle melody playing there wasn't any other sound. It's very creepy, I don't understand what's going on, but I have to try something! This is the first sign of civilization that I've seen all day! I decided to make my presence known and take a leap of faith by stepping out of the bushes and into the clearing.

Coming out from behind the bushes I walked up to the closest man near me and reached out to tap his shoulder gently.

"Excuse me, sir?" I was shocked when instead of making physical contact my hand when through his arm like he was made of air! "W…what?!" I stood frozen with fear, my perception of reality is completely blown out of proportion now. He turned around to look me in the eye, but instead it was just the dark shadowy formation of a head made of smoke sitting atop what were supposed to be shoulders covered by a large torn coat. "Oh God!" I screamed in terror, every dark faceless figure in the area turned sharply to look at me. I felt like small prey being eyed down by predators looking for an easy snack. I ran, barreling over rocks and leaves in no specific direction , looking back I saw the ghost like figures following hot on my trail. Floating over the path like it was nothing. I tripped on a root and skinned both my knees on the way down. It was useless, I accepted my fate of being brutally mutilated by a crowd of shadow people. Closing my eyes prepared for the worst to come. Surprisingly, a few moments had passed without any terrible bloodshed, that's weird I swore they were right on top of me! I'm frightened to open my eyes so I peeked through the cracks of my fingers instead. I saw their outlines with their arms extended to grab me, but they weren't moving?

They're….they're paralyzed?! 'Get up' I heard the voice of a man say, thinking it was just the voice in my head again I stared at the strange display of the faceless entities, their jaws wide open showing rows of jagged rotten teeth. I was taken aback when someone very real actually stepped in front of me and offered their hand out. I looked up at the owner of the hand to see a man with blonde hair, and brown eyes looking down at me. "What are you waiting for? Get up!" My mind slipped into a blissful ignorance, I don't know what to say, or what to think anymore. Everything became a blurr.

"NOW! Hurry! Before it wears off!" He pointed at the horrific crowd behind him, yanked my hand up forcing me to stand and led me running through the thick trees bobbing and weaving over and around different obstacles.

The only thing I could hear was the pounding of my own heart and my deep panicked breathing. My legs burned running my arms so tired the only thing keeping me going was the man leading me. I had absolutely no energy left, and I could still feel the crowd's eyes on the back of my head. 'Come on! Wake up!' Life moved in slow motion 'there must be some mistake' I started to slip away into my own little world, a world where I was at home in bed warm, safe and well fed. 'Wipe that smile off your face!' My happy little moment swirled into a hurricane of flashbacks, voices screamed in my head. 'What a pretty name….and it belongs to me now.' 'Are you going to eat me?' 'I promise I'll be back'

"Hey! Can you hear me? Say something!" The blonde man held my exhausted form on a stone path, I have no idea when we stopped running.

'You're the most pathetic little girl I've ever seen'

"Please, make them stop."

'Whatever you do don't look back!'

"Who? Make who stop doing what?" he asked

That's the last thing I remember before I fell into the darkness of my own consciousness, I heard one final voice of an older woman comforting me.

'In that case its easy! Nothing that happens is ever forgotten even if you can't remember it'