The Tall Man

Avery was itching for school to be over, yet she still didnt want to leave the aid of her friends in that hard seventh grade life.

Oh well, it would be off to eighth grade

next year.

But the thrill of summer was right around the corner.

It was only around three days until summer session would start, and she was trying to be on her best behavior.

Like tonight; she was in her room, cleaning.

It was hot weather for Oregon, and she didnt like it one bit.

Fans where on high as she stacked things unsteadily on shelves.

Bored, and unwilling to clean any more, she cranked up the Techno in her headphones before making her way to the window.

Her house sat at almost an intersection in the neighborhood. If you looked directly out of the from window, there would be a road that led up and immediately jerked to the left.

Beside that lay a road going either left or right.

Before the road turned abruptly above, it would cut off to a dead end; a fence.

It was an ugly fence, but what lay behind was fantastic.

A wide, sepia colored field stretched across the land and was cut off by a forest.

Beyond the forest only lay more forest, or at least Avery had been told.

She had always wished to venture in, but never really had the gut to do so.

Ripping her gaze from the window, she flopped onto her bed. She changed her music, grabbed out a sketch pad, and moved a bit to the beat.

It had almost synchronized with her fan, and soon her pencil too.

She loved the random drops and fan buzz, along with the led scraping her paper; it all flowed.

She froze.

Suddenly and abruptly, the lights had shut off as well as the fan.

Only just as soon as they had Disappeared, had they turned on again.

Avery sat up slowly and walked to the door, poking her head into the hallway.

"Uh...what happened?"

Her eyes searched for a parent, or her brother.

"Oh, I think the power went out." He father called from the bedroom.

She shook her head a tad and slid back into her room, laying back onto her bed to do what she loved best.

The next morning, the weather took a turn.

Avery woke up shivering, and struggling for blankets.

"Aw, man..."

Teeth chattering, she slipped out of bed and staggered to the window.

It was foggy, but not completely dark.

Sudden change of events calls for a change in wardrobe - what? No. Of course not.

Chuckling to herself, she slid on some jeans and a tee.

From here, it was a venture through house.

Enter at risk, you may not come out alive...

That's what she had told herself for mornings. They where dreadful, mother always had something to nag at her about.

Then there was her father being a grump and her younger brother tugging at her for who knows what.

She was free of one person, though.

Quietly, she headed into the hallway doubtfully, hoping not to run into anybody...