Untitled
Untitled
The girl stumbled through the dark forest, disoriented and dizzy. Pure fear coursed through her, but she couldn’t seem to remember why. She was running, feet tangling in the thick underbrush.
Suddenly she heard footsteps behind her, moving at an impossible speed. The rush of adrenaline and panic told her that that was what she was running from.
The footsteps behind her quickened, and she struggled to do the same, but she tripped over the branches. She had to get away; she had to get out of the forest. He would catch up to her; there was no way she could outrun him.
Suddenly she saw a light up ahead, a clearing. She hoped it was the town, or somewhere safe, somewhere he couldn’t follow. She pushed herself to go faster; the clearing was so close. A low snarl erupted from be hind her. He had realized her plan. He quickened his pace, sending sheer terror coursing through her body. She couldn’t escape him. Her legs burned, and her chest ached, yet he sped up.
Unexpectedly, he was right behind her. She could feel his hot breath on her back, his cold eyes burning into her flesh. She screamed, a shrill sound filled with terror. She glanced behind her and instantly regretted it. He was smiling, a crazed look in his dark eyes. He knew she was faltering, and he had a plan.
She tripped on a low branch, catapulting into the clearing. She landed hard, smacking her head on the ground. She crawled forward and fell at the feet of a familiar figure.
“Elle?” the man said in a warm voice. She looked up to see the baker, John Hale. She smiled with relief as he pulled her to her feet.
“He’s here. Please, you have to hide me,” she said, her own voice rough, alien. She glanced back at the forest, seeing his angry face.
“Who?” John asked, his brow furrowed.
“Jason,” she whispered. Confusion and alarm crossed John’s face.
“Elle, Jason died two months ago…” he said slowly. She shook her head furiously, still glancing back at the tree line.
“No. He’s here. He’s in the woods. Please, John.” He nodded, seeming to come to a decision.
“Okay. Come with me.” He lead her deeper into the town, past the ominous reflective shop windows. Her eyes widened as she saw Jason’s face in the clothing store. Suddenly, she and John were climbing the stairs to his house, above the bakery. He brought out a set of keys and led her into a small, windowless room.
She inspected every corner before sighing and sitting on the bed. He wasn’t here. She was safe… for now.
“You’ll be safe here,” John promised. She smiled, her heart finally slowing. He shot her a dubious look as he shut the door, the lock clicking into place. She was bathed in darkness, but this time it seemed peaceful. There were no entrances, no ways for him to get in. John’s voice sounded from the other room, the brief silences telling her that he was on the telephone.
“Hello, yes, this is John Hale… I have Elle Swanson here… She thinks Jason McMiller is alive… I know he’s dead; she thinks he’s after her… Yeah, she’s in the other room… Thanks, Dr. Hughes.” He was talking to the local psychiatric hospital.
So he thought she was crazy? She couldn’t be imagining him. She couldn’t be imagining that run through the forest, her bloody legs.
She froze as the floorboards creaked in her room. A dark laugh sounded from one corner. He was here.
Suddenly his cold hands were around her neck, and she couldn’t breathe. She struggled against his strong grip, but to no avail. He was much stronger, and they both knew it. He was laughing as she gasped for air.
There was no way she was imagining this. The hands cutting off her air supply refused to not exist. Her clouded mind struggled to make coherent thoughts, to explain him away. His fingers tightened, and she choked back a sob as spots formed in front of her eyes.
He was real, and she was dying. Her mind spun as she imagined the room would, if she could see. She closed her eyes, accepting her fate as the world went black...
Suddenly she heard footsteps behind her, moving at an impossible speed. The rush of adrenaline and panic told her that that was what she was running from.
The footsteps behind her quickened, and she struggled to do the same, but she tripped over the branches. She had to get away; she had to get out of the forest. He would catch up to her; there was no way she could outrun him.
Suddenly she saw a light up ahead, a clearing. She hoped it was the town, or somewhere safe, somewhere he couldn’t follow. She pushed herself to go faster; the clearing was so close. A low snarl erupted from be hind her. He had realized her plan. He quickened his pace, sending sheer terror coursing through her body. She couldn’t escape him. Her legs burned, and her chest ached, yet he sped up.
Unexpectedly, he was right behind her. She could feel his hot breath on her back, his cold eyes burning into her flesh. She screamed, a shrill sound filled with terror. She glanced behind her and instantly regretted it. He was smiling, a crazed look in his dark eyes. He knew she was faltering, and he had a plan.
She tripped on a low branch, catapulting into the clearing. She landed hard, smacking her head on the ground. She crawled forward and fell at the feet of a familiar figure.
“Elle?” the man said in a warm voice. She looked up to see the baker, John Hale. She smiled with relief as he pulled her to her feet.
“He’s here. Please, you have to hide me,” she said, her own voice rough, alien. She glanced back at the forest, seeing his angry face.
“Who?” John asked, his brow furrowed.
“Jason,” she whispered. Confusion and alarm crossed John’s face.
“Elle, Jason died two months ago…” he said slowly. She shook her head furiously, still glancing back at the tree line.
“No. He’s here. He’s in the woods. Please, John.” He nodded, seeming to come to a decision.
“Okay. Come with me.” He lead her deeper into the town, past the ominous reflective shop windows. Her eyes widened as she saw Jason’s face in the clothing store. Suddenly, she and John were climbing the stairs to his house, above the bakery. He brought out a set of keys and led her into a small, windowless room.
She inspected every corner before sighing and sitting on the bed. He wasn’t here. She was safe… for now.
“You’ll be safe here,” John promised. She smiled, her heart finally slowing. He shot her a dubious look as he shut the door, the lock clicking into place. She was bathed in darkness, but this time it seemed peaceful. There were no entrances, no ways for him to get in. John’s voice sounded from the other room, the brief silences telling her that he was on the telephone.
“Hello, yes, this is John Hale… I have Elle Swanson here… She thinks Jason McMiller is alive… I know he’s dead; she thinks he’s after her… Yeah, she’s in the other room… Thanks, Dr. Hughes.” He was talking to the local psychiatric hospital.
So he thought she was crazy? She couldn’t be imagining him. She couldn’t be imagining that run through the forest, her bloody legs.
She froze as the floorboards creaked in her room. A dark laugh sounded from one corner. He was here.
Suddenly his cold hands were around her neck, and she couldn’t breathe. She struggled against his strong grip, but to no avail. He was much stronger, and they both knew it. He was laughing as she gasped for air.
There was no way she was imagining this. The hands cutting off her air supply refused to not exist. Her clouded mind struggled to make coherent thoughts, to explain him away. His fingers tightened, and she choked back a sob as spots formed in front of her eyes.
He was real, and she was dying. Her mind spun as she imagined the room would, if she could see. She closed her eyes, accepting her fate as the world went black...