Into the Forest

Into the Forest Part 3/?

Chapt. 5

"she didn't know why she was running; she was just scared. she didn't know where she was or where she was going, she just kept running. 

"she saw a women's restroom sign ahead of her and ran for it. she crashed through the door and ran and hid in one of the pink stalls. she crouched on top of the toilet so whatever was chasing her wouldn't see her feet.

"the bathroom was oddly empty, and eerily quiet. not counting the sound of her heavy breathing from her sprint. she looked around, trying to breathe quietly.

"the entire place was pink, the tiles, the stalls, the sinks-- from what she could see through the cracks in the stall-- and even the seat she was crouched upon. she knew pink was a feminine color, but this was too much.

"the door slammed open. and two pair of footsteps walked in. she held her breath. they paced slowly back and forth until the both stopped in front of the stall she was hiding in. her lungs burned, but she refused to let them know she was here.

"they were men by the looks of their shoes. but why were they chasing her? what had she done?

'come out, come out, wherever you are,'

'we know you're in there dearie,'

"they were men, and they sounded drunk.

'come on out, sweetie, we won't hurt ya,'

"with... accents?

"one of the men suddenly grabbed the top of the stall door and shook it violently.

"the pair laugh as if they could sense her fear. it echoed throughout the space. as it went on, the men's voices got more and more haggard until they turned into what sounded like a million nails scratching on a chalkboard.

"then it stopped, and they disintegrated to ash."

Chapt. 6

She woke, breathing heavily. Slowly sitting up, she realized she was back in her room. Avery sighed with relief.

There was a sudden flash of blinding light from her window, immediently follow by an ear-splitting roar. As the ringing in her ears subsided, the sound of rain could be heard pattering on the roof.

It was storming.

She relaxed a little, only to tighten up again when she saw something move in the hallway past her room. When she looked at the hallway directly there was nothing. The night light in the bathroom next to her room was always casting shadows. Avery pulled her blankets over her head.

Stupid imagination.

Avery knew pulling her blankets over her head only made it worse, so she pulled her blankets off and sat up again.

She remembered what that little girl had told her earlier that week.

'Promise me you won't die in your sleep, okay?'

Avery had laughed it off then. Little kids said stuff like that all the time.

But she wasn't laughing now.

She caught something moving in the hallway again, but she didn't just see it; this time, it was accompanied by footsteps. When she looked directly, she saw a tall figure standing there staring straight at her. 

Avery rolled over to face away from the door. It surely just had to be her imagination. 

She listened to the footsteps, waiting for them to come up behind her, but they didn't. They were moving away from her and down the stairs?

Avery crept out of bed and followed it down. As she crept down the stairs, she heard a loud screech outside. She paused, then turned the corner.

The door was open, but that wasn't what made her scream. It was the slaughter she was in front of it.

And she knew who had done it.

Avery was overcome with grief, anger, and confusion. She absentmindedly stepped over the remains and out the back door into the rain.

She walked all the way to the line of bushes that lined their property and fell to her knees, sobbing. Her tears mixed with rain pouring down around her. She tilted her head back and screamed a screech of sorrow, stood up, and staggered into the forest.