The Unknown

Prologue

I could see darkness all around me. I could see the vague silhouettes of the barren trees, towering above the fallen leaves scattered across the ground. And of course I could see them. Their eyes glowing in the distance. Hundreds of them all fixated on me. They're always watching when you let your guard down. Never leave your back exposed to open space. Especially dark space. That's where there'll be. They can't hurt you unless they lure you into the woods alone after dark, leaving you defenseless. That's exactly what they did to me.

My dog had ran away the day before, so I followed a faint whimper coming from the woods. It lead me here. No life insight. The whimpering stopped, and that's when I could see the hundreds of pairs of glowing eyes. I was in their territory now.

They only ever let their eyes be seen from a distance. The only time they even show just their eyes is when they're going to kill you. The only thing I have against them is my old flashlight I brought with me. They can't hurt you in the light. I quickly flipped the switch and aimed it at the watchers. Now they can't move. They're frozen in place. If the light goes out then I'm dead. Even if the batteries don't die overnight, who knows how many there are behind me just waiting. The beam of light cannot shine all around me.

They want to get you scared. Your fear only makes them stronger. I just stand there with my heart racing unable to protect myself. Trying to be as calm as possible. But how can I stay calm when every single hair on the back of my neck is standing up straight? There are many phobias in this world. Some people are scared of spiders. Others are afraid of tight spaces. But I can assure you; the greatest fear is the unknown.