The woods bled into the asphalt as nature consumed what belonged to it. Tree roots lifted the black of the road as they sprouted beneath the ground. Some parts even had wide cracks running along its once smooth surface, busting the tar wide open. Muscles spasmed in my legs as I raced across the uneven surface.

I could have run through town, all the way up Main Street, flying past the shops as they closed for the day. I would have passed the small cluster of homes that lined each side of the road. At the far end of town on the last street of Brookfield, I would have reached my home in twenty minutes.

But I preferred the solitude of old Wickery road, even if it made the run longer. It led to the lake and I could easily dash through the woods to get home. Besides the quiet of this forgotten road, it had the most beautiful scenery. Dense woods as far as the eye could see, the sounds of nature trickling into the late afternoon like a soft melody.

Trees on either side of the road spread their branches to both sides, creating a beautiful canopy of greenery that provided much relief from the blistering sun. The final days of summer were slowly trickling down and soon we would welcome fall. For now, the summer heat pressed into my skin, and sweat caused my clothes to stick to my body.

My running shoes smacked against the road, the sound bouncing through the quiet woods. The breeze whipped through my hair, the air slapped at my face in a welcomed cold rush. I kept to the middle of the road to avoid tripping over the large tree roots that were swelling close to the edge of the asphalt.

I eyed my watch around my wrist where my heartbeat pumped frantically next to the time. My times were getting better, far better than anyone else on the track team but still nowhere near Olympic gold. It was close to six o clock in the evening and the sun started dropping in the sky, the light blue and orange signaling the end of the day.

Leland, the obnoxious eight-year-old demon spawn, would be spending the night at Thomas' house and mom would be leaving for her night shift at the hospital. Still, I didn't want to run through the woods at night, and with the setting sun as my guide, I knew I didn't have much time left. I picked up my pace and when I reached the bend in the road, I cut left into the woods.

Small bushes and shrubbery grew all around and I sidestepped past them, weaving around the obstacles had my muscles screaming in protest. My breaths were shallow and already I felt the fatigue start to set in. But this was the last stretch and I needed to end on a high note.

The woods grew denser and the sound of stirring reached my ears as I barreled through the stillness, no doubt rousing a few sleeping creatures. I kept my pace even and thought about pushing at the last stretch until a loud smashing sound brought me to a shuddering halt.

I stopped in a small clearing where the sky peeked through the treetops and strained my ears for any noise. There was none, not even the slight stirring I noticed before. A shiver ran down my spine and I began to amble forward, keeping my steps light. Brookfield was a quiet place, huddled between mountain ranges and dense woods but nothing ever happened here. It was like the whole world had forgotten about this place but at that moment, I didn't feel so alone. I trudged forward with my heart banging in my chest, from the running or the sudden inexplicable fear, I wasn't sure.

I heard a tree branch snap followed by the low hissing of what I thought was a wild animal. My fear spiked and my body froze.

My heart stopped before pushing forward in a frantic beat, a chill set in my tired bones but I couldn't stop the tremor of fear that slid down my spine. To my surprise, everything had gone deathly still. Not even a breeze stirred the air. My breathing hitched and my heart plummeted even further but I didn't move my feet. All rational thought told me that this was crazy, I was alone in the woods.

Another snap creaked behind me, this one closer than before and I felt my eyes grow wide and fear prickle along my skin. The small hairs at the nape of my neck stood on end. The air around the clearing dropped with the smell of rotting flesh slicing through the trees.

Snap. Closer.

I swirled around trying to find the source of the noise while my heart scrambled inside my chest. I tried to force my legs to move but the run and this feeling of not being alone had drained the energy from me.

I wasn't alone out here.

The snaps twisted into smashes like someone was running through the trees. I didn't mull over what to do as instinct took over and compelled my legs into an urgent scramble. Small bushes clawed my skin, leaving crimson ribbons across the flesh. The muscles in my legs strained, the impending cramp was about to shoot through my leg but I gritted my teeth and kept pushing.

I didn't dare glance over my shoulder, the snapping of branches and thundering feet told me that whatever was there had taken chase. Adrenaline kept my legs moving long after their strength wavered while my eyes searched the dense treeline for the road.

If I can just make it to the road, I will be fine.

The words rang like a gong in my head but the trees felt like they were closing in on me and trapping me with whoever was behind me. The sound behind me grew louder, the snapping branches piercing my ears. Whatever it was, was getting closer. I heard hissing and growling close behind me but fear kept my eyes forward and my legs moving. That overwhelming stench grew more pronounced as my pursuer gained ground.

Up ahead, I saw the trees clear, a good ten-second sprint and I would reach the tar.

Yes!

Elation beat at my heart, relief swam in my veins, I was going to make it!

My eyes went wide as I was crashed to the ground, the force of the impact had my teeth clamoring. So close I could still see the empty road in front of me as my heart nearly exploded in my chest.

My face connected with the dirt, filling my mouth, and making me gag. A cold sweat broke out over my body as I realized something had me pinned to the ground. The hissing sounded like someone was busy gargling broken glass and the stench of rot burned in my nose.

I immediately tried clawing away from the thing on top of me but was violently pulled back. My nails left long lines in the ground as I raked them across the forest floor. I tried to pull away but my hands kept slipping in the dirt. All the while, I couldn't lift my face, I couldn't scream that it would do me any good.

The weight on top of me pressed me into the ground, muffling any sound I made. I felt hands with sharp nails skim along my bare arms just before they ripped into my skin.

White-hot pain danced along my skin and I bucked backward in bid to throw it off me. It pushed the center of my back with the strength I couldn't fathom, crushing my face into the ground. I heard a crack followed by a sharp pain in my face as my mouth flooded with a metallic taste.

My arms and legs flailed uselessly as the weight kept pushing into my back. I felt the skin on my back burn with pain so sharp it stole the breath from my lungs. A ripping sound drifted into the air as my tears ran down my cheeks mixing with the dirt.

Warm liquid flowed over my body and it felt like the skin on my back was on fire. The air around me turned metallic and I knew it was blood. It tinged the air and seeped into the ground beneath me.

As the pain intensified so did my movement. Everything was a blur. I kicked and screamed but whenever I would make some movement the creature would pin me back onto the ground. I moved my head to the side just as a rotting face hissed next to my own. My eyes went wide as the creature snapped its jaws into my shoulder.

Then, I was flipped over on my back and as I connected with the forest floor the scream lodged my throat came out with a bloodcurdling vengeance. I screamed until I thought my throat would bleed but nothing changed. The pain kept coming wave, after wave until my body went slack. My breathing grew shallow and dark sports danced in front of my eyes. My heart slowed, as if tired and spent until it was a soft drum in my ears. My eyes closed and I felt the pain leave. The fear, however, remained.

Then nothing but darkness.

A soft breeze tickled my cheeks and my lids cracked open. Momentarily, the light blinded me. The room spun around me in a blur coming into focus after I blinked my eyes a few times. I was lying on the blush carpet of my bedroom floor. The photos of my friends and I were haphazardly stuck to the walls with tape. My closet door was open, the same way it had been the last time I was here. My books were still strewn across my bed exactly the same as before.

I pushed myself up and a sharp pain shot through my head causing me to flinch. Everything seemed the same, yet different in some minuscule way that scratched at the back of my mind. Confusion swirled in my head as I tried to make sense of what happened. My carpet was full of dirt, my windows wide open and almost every part of my body was covered in dried mud.

There was a nagging feeling in the back of my mind like I was missing something but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. That is until fear seized my body in ice and I couldn't move. A memory was clawing behind my eyes.

Blood, pain... Fear.

My body started shaking and I jumped up running to the bathroom. Shutting the door, I looked in the mirror. Horror seeped into my bones as I stared at my reflection. I had streaks running across my cheeks from where my tears had fallen. Dirt clung to my hair, turning the blonde strands brown. My skin was caked in dark mud that stuck harshly to my skin. My clothes were a tattered mess, shredded and crimson stained.

I gripped the sink, trying to fill the gaps in my memory. Bursts of images swirled in my head but I couldn't grasp them. The harder I tried the more I panicked. My breath hitched in my throat, I shuddered and my knees grew weak.

Blood, pain, and most of all, fear was at the forefront. The skin on my back started to burn and I ran to my full-length mirror, pulling the ripped cloth across my back. Instead of gashes and blood, I only saw smooth skin. I had expected some gnarly sight to greet me but was only met with exactly the same thing I always see.

I frowned, everything was the same, my room, my body save for the mud, yet something felt off. Different and not belonging but maybe I just tripped over a root and fell. And what if everything I was seeing was just a concussion-induced hallucination?

That's right, my fear seems totally irrational now.

My breathing and erratic heartbeat began to slow down. Rationally a fall could explain the strange occurrence but how did I get home? I don't remember coming home. I don't even remember ever finishing my run, yet here I am.

With a tentative hand, I felt around my skull for any lumps.

Not even a single bump.

Confused, I walked back to the bathroom. A door banged shut downstairs and I jumped around, heart pounding in my chest.

Why am I so jumpy?

"Syd, I'm home are you up?" my mom's voice called from downstairs.

If mom was already home it meant that it was Saturday morning, and that would mean there was a twelve-hour gap in my memory.

There was a knock at my door, "Sydney, are you up yet?"

Collecting my thoughts, I shuffled further into the bathroom, "Uh, Yeah mom, I'm just going to take a shower."

I needed to get cleaned up, if my mom saw me like this she would have heart failure for sure. Stripping the tattered clothing from my body, I hopped in and turned the water on full blast, resigning myself to the idea that I had taken a fall on my run and just forgot about it. It seemed to be the only plausible explanation for my memory lapse. Aside from that, I couldn't tell my mom. I would get into way too much trouble for something I couldn't even explain.

After I was dressed in clean clothes, I stared at the mess on my carpet. Dried mud stuck to the fabric but it was the red blotches that had me frowning. Still very confused, I made my way downstairs. I walked around the hardwood banister, photos of me and Leeland when we were younger were strung all along the walls.

Our home was a modest two-story colonial. I walked to the small hallway adjoining the kitchen and dining room. Mom had changed the dining space into her own personal craft studio, so instead of a dining table and chairs, we had stacked boxes of art lining the one side of the wall. On the left mom had her workbench with her latest project tossed across its surface.

I slipped into the kitchen where mom was sitting at the island, nursing a strong black coffee. She still had her hospital scrubs on and her hair was pulled together in a messy bun. I'm sure the look didn't start out that way.

Mom looked up from her cup and smiled, "It was a long shift, and even this coffee doesn't seem strong enough."

She tipped the cup in my direction and I laughed, "You gonna start drinking Irish coffee now?" I teased.

Mom's eyes went wide, "I would never," then a devilish smile crept across her lips, "Maybe just a little."

We laughed together but I could see the tiredness in her blue eyes. Mom always worked really hard to provide for us and I knew it wasn't always easy.

She rubbed her hand across her face and sighed, "Well, I'm going to head to bed, I don't have another shift tonight so I'm just going to catch up on some sleep."

"You do that mom."

As mom left I rummaged through the cupboards looking for something to eat. My stomach started growling like a hungry animal and I settled on cereal and plopped down at the counter. I dug into the poor bowl of cereal like it was my last meal.

The silence settled around me and my thoughts drifted back to last night. On one side, I felt like telling mom but she already had so much to worry about. Frustrated at my own mind, I scoffed. I tried taking another bite of cereal only to realize the bowl was empty. Another vicious growl ripped from my stomach and I frowned.

Man, was I hungry!