My bare feet slid against the walnut, hardwood floors of my kitchen. It was eerily quiet and the sounds of my kitchenware against the stovetop echoed through the barren halls of my newly purchased Victorian-style home. I never thought I’d be one to drop everything and move to a house in the woods, but something about the outdoors drew me here. The thick forests surrounding my home were sirens and their sweet melody of pine and morning dew took advantage of my wanderlust.

The only belongings I had in this house that were unpacked were, of course, my coffee maker, my kitchenware, and a sleeping bag I found at the top of one of my boxes. I had bought a few groceries on my way into the neighborhood to last until I was able to start growing some of my own produce.

The eggs I had been scrambling continued to crack and pop as they simmered on one of my pans. I had already chopped a potato and a half to fry into some hash browns to pair with my eggs. I soon transferred my breakfast to a clean dish and ate in silence on top of the black marble island. I sat crisscrossed and observed the grey fog that seemed to wrap all around my home. The sun had barely begun to reveal itself, but the fog began to lighten and you could see sparkles of light produced from the sun as they floated through the trees and made their way through the forest. I sat there in awe, appreciating the beauty you couldn’t experience in the old concrete jungle I used to call home.

A vehement crow filled the air and it interrupted my peace. It felt like an unknown hand had begun to squeeze my heart in its grip and release continuously. My heart paced as I set my dish down. My curiosity practically took me by the hand and dragged me outside of my home to investigate. I tied the fuzzy belt from my bathrobe tightly around my waist, which gave me a wave of bravery. Although, I had this huge lump in the back of my throat and when I was finally able to gulp, it felt as if it was the only thing you could hear for miles. The fog was still thick, yet almost translucent at the same time. I absentmindedly turned the flashlight from my phone on and followed the whimpers of whatever had screeched from before. A small figure presented itself before me at my feet and I bent down to get a clear image of what it was. A chicken, it was bludgeoned and its leg twitched and it caused an uneasy feeling at the bottom of my stomach. I desperately searched through the fog for the cause of the chicken’s death until I saw a tall figure approaching me. The blob of darkness that came towards me seemed to be approaching faster and I tried to escape. I fell to the ground, but desperately continued to grasp for my escape. As I crawled across the lawn a hand grabbed my ankle and pulled me farther away from the sights of my home.

Everything good and everything bad that had ever happened in my lifecame to me like a movie stuck in fast forward. I opened my eyes and could hardly see because of the blurriness caused by the river of tears that formed. I kicked and screamed until I received a small glimpse of escape. I crawled back in fear, wiping the tears from my face, only to see a painted face, a circus outfit, and humongous shoes. A blunt force hit the side of my head and then all I saw was black.