A Gift

CHAPTER 1

The wind whistles as my eyes search for help. The dark forest is calling me. The grass crunches under my boots as I walk slowly into the darkness.

"Gracie!" A voice calls out.

I twirl around and I see my mother. I run straight into her arms.

"It happened again. I couldn't help it. " I cried as I nestled into her arms for comfort.

"Gracie, you have to have control. " My mother commanded.

"Mom, the forest, it is calling me." I whisper softly

My father rushes out of the house with kitchen knife ready to attack.

"Grace! You're okay." My father shouts.

"Yeah..." I whisper.

"Come on." My father says as he puts a blanket around me.

I take one last look into the darkness and hear the trees calling my name. My foot hits the little ledge that you have to step up on before getting in the two French doors. My head whips around. I walk up the stairs to my bedroom and my mother follows. "Gracie... Don't leave this house." My mother calls. I nod my head and continue up the steps. I open my door and Moonshine, my cat, meows.

"Hey Moonie." I say.

She meows and moves a little bit farther from me. I get snug in my sheets and then I feel a chill as somebody or something was there, watching me. I shut my eyes real tight and cover myself in blankets.

"GraceAnn." Someone whispers.

I open my eyes and look around the pitch black room.

"Hello?" I whisper into the air.

Soon, I hear tapping on my window and I immediately hide under blankets again. I, then hear scratching on my door and look for Moonshine.

"Moonshine? Is that you?" I whisper again.

Moonshine meows at the call of her name and I open my door for her to escape the darkness of my room.

"Go Moonie." I whisper to her and she dashes out of the room like a lightning bolt.

I know Moonshine will break something downstairs if she goes that fast, so I slowly trek down the stairs trying not to wake anybody.

"Moonshine? Where are you, you raggedy, old thing?" I whisper hoping she doesn't break anything before I find her.

As I'm looking around, I'm attracted by whistles of the trees and feel the urge to go out and feel the wind.

"Gracie, you can't!" I tell myself.

I snap back to searching for Moonshine and still feel the darkness of the outdoors saying my name over and over.

"GraceAnn." The person or thing whispers again.

I look out at the window and see this black figure that send chills down my spine and my mind associates this figure with fear. But for some reason though I feel fear, I want to go near it and want to trust it. But this doesn't stop my fear from sinking in and scream at the top of my lungs, waking everyone in the house. My parents rush down the stairs and come to my side. I point at the window, traumatized.

"Gracie, what, is it? Who is it? What was there?" My parents frantically ask me.

"His name is..." I said.

These words, where were they coming from? They spilled out of me. I had no choice. I was possessed. I don't know what happened.

"What was his name, sweetie?" My mother asked looking for answers.