The Madness Within ✓

XIII.

Adrenaline rushed through my veins. Without thinking, I ran. I just ran. I didn't know where I was going, and I didn't care, as long as it was as far away from the creature as possible. I only had one goal in mind, and that was to find my way back to the house. But as tears formed and covered my eyes, I was unable to even try to find a way back home. All I could do was run for as long as my legs could function.

When I noticed the creature, I was able to take a better look at it. It was tall, almost taller than some of the smaller trees that surrounded us. Its ribs stuck out and so did every other bone in its body, there was nothing else wrapped around them other than the skin of the creature. But even the stretched, pale skin almost wasn't enough to hold the gigantic bone structure of the creature together.
As the strange being stared at me, I heard nothing but silence. I couldn't hear my own thoughts, I couldn't hear the wind, I couldn't hear my own heartbeat. Only after I started running was I able to hear everything again. Whatever the creature was doing before our encounter, it was definitely after me even then. Maybe that was the reason why my car stopped working. And why I had no signal.

I sprinted through the forest, hoping that it would stop following me and leave me alone. The house has to be somewhere nearby. I tried looking around and searching for the house, but my vision was too blurry. All I could do was try to avoid hitting a tree and hope for the best. I also tried locating the road again so I could follow it back to the house, but it was nowhere near me. Whichever direction I ran, it led me further away from the road, which could also get me lost in the forest. But in this situation I simply hoped to escape this hell, where I'd end up wandering off did not matter at this point.
As I looked around more, I forgot to pay attention to whatever stood in front of me, and when I looked back, it was too late.

I felt a sharp pain on my forehead as I hit my head against a tree and began falling to the ground.
„No!” I yelled out and shut my eyes, waiting for the pain that will await me once I hit the ground. But instead, when I opened my eyes again, I was back on my own two feet. I wasn't standing by a tree anymore, or at least not by the same tree that I hit a while ago. The tree I hit was actually a few kilometers in front of me. My footsteps, however, weren't there, almost as if I haven't reached that tree yet. But I was there a while ago, I even hit my head, so how..?
Did I get moved back..?

I looked around myself to check if the creature was still after me. Maybe it was the creature that pulled me back. I could've sworn I was by that tree already, so it made no sense why I would appear far back again. Maybe I just confused it with another tree, but the footprints under me only led to where I was currently standing, and there wasn't a tree in front of me.
I turned around to inspect the forest more, but immediately regretted my decision. The creature stood behind a tree, its smile as wide as ever, as its sharp fingers slowly creeped out from behind the tree it was near, making their way closer to me. The creature was trying to reach me and catch me. Or worse.

I turned back and resumed my running. It was getting more difficult to breathe the longer I ran, which was also caused by my terrible panicking. The world around me was spinning, it was getting more difficult to tell what was a tree and what wasn't. So I just ran. Even when I bumped into something a few times, I just ran. The forest became a maze. Everything looked the same. It almost seemed like I was running in circles. And maybe I was, I couldn't even tell anymore.
I eventually lost all my strength and dropped to the ground.

„Please, please make it stop,” I cried out, letting snow and the cold, dirty water paralyze my body. Next to me stood a tall stone covered in moss with a strange symbol on it. The symbol was drawn with red paint, probably the same paint that was used to write the threatening message on my house. The symbol looked like a crossed out keyhole with a number '37' written under it.

„This can't be real.." I mumbled to myself and tried standing up. The creature was nowhere to be seen, only its shadow slightly peeked out from one of the trees. I began crawling away from the strange stone monument, using all the strength I had in me to still look for the house. I looked around the forest once more to see if the house was nearby.

And boy was I lucky.

A few kilometers away stood a tall house, also known as the only house in this forest. It's there. I'm almost home.
I stood back up and began running again, hope being the only thing that gave me energy and fueled my body. I am so close. I have to get there as soon as possible. I can't stay in this maze any longer.
I looked back one more time to see if the creature was there, but looked back right away to focus on the house instead. I was closer and closer each second. I'll be safe soon. I'm almost there.

Once I finally ran back to the house, I searched for my keys in my pocket and opened the entrance door, walked inside and locked it after me immediately. After that I dropped everything on the floor and ran to every single room, closing and locking all the windows that I could lock. I also locked the door in the kitchen, then ran to my room where I locked the door as well.
I dropped to the ground and lied down by the door, letting all the tears fall out form my eyes. It's okay. I'm safe. For now.
While I knew that I was safe for now, I was still not safe completely. I was still stuck in this forest. In this house. I can't escape. I am trapped.

If I try to run, it'll try its best to lure me back in the house. It won't allow me to escape. It wants me here. But why? Why me? What did I do?!

I thought I was sent here to become the new owner of this house. And while that did happen, it seems like I was sent here for something else. Something way different than just a house.

I was sent here to find out the truth. But maybe I'm not the right person for this.