Scarred

Given

Kaitlin is walking deeper into the woods, her sister's headband in one hand a flashlight in another. The smell of rain still clinging to the air as she tried to go deeper in the woods. She does not know where she is heading. She simply knows she has to continue walking through the woods.

"Kaitlin," a voice whispered. It was faint and weak, but desperate. "Kaitlin where are you?!" the desperation of her voice grew stronger. Kaitlin wants to scream that she is here but for some reason she can't talk. "I know my daughter is just here somewhere," the poor woman's voice is quivering, "Kaitlin!" She yelled again.

Kaitlin saw the glimmering lights and then the whole search and rescue team came into view. Five people with heavy duty spotlights were covering around the area and about three to four glimmering lights can be seen from a distance, the woman yelling out Kaitlin's name is in the middle of the team nearby. It was Kaitlin's mom. The distressed look in her face and the deep dark circles around her eyes  are proof of her sleepless night looking for her daughter.

"Kirsten, it's been three days. You have to prepare for the worse. Three days in the woods, a five-year-old can't survive that long." The chief officer's voice clearly marks the sympathy in his voice. He is saying not to keep Kirsten's hopes up, but to Kirsten, he just told her her daughter is already dead.

Kirsten did not cry for the three days that her daughter was missing. It is not that she doesn't want to, it is that she can't. She wants to cry and be relieved with this burden she has been carrying for days now, but there is simply no tears falling down her cheeks. She started to think of what she would tell her husband that is away on a business trip. How can she tell her husband that he was just away for one week, and now her daughter is dead. She started shaking on the thought of it. The thought of how people would see her talk about her. She is someone who everyone likes and to her she is one of the most important people in her society. What would they think if she actually lose her daughter?

Kaitlin saw her mom curl into a ball and started crying hysterically. She can only imagine what would happen. She is thinking curled up in the middle of the forest with a missing child.

Suddenly there were gunshots. Loud ear shattering gunshots. Kaitlin started to scream. Everyone turned on her. They are not anyone from that rescue team anymore. They are just faceless people with glowing dark red eyes. They started walking towards her. Kaitlin's eyes grew her breathing quickened. She has to back away from these creatures. She started backing up slowly, the creatures still pursuing her. She started running but no matter how fast she tried she is still moving at a very slow pace. She looked back and she saw one of the creature's hand grab her.

Kaitlin woke up sweaty and light headed. She turned off the alarm that pulled her out of the nightmare she can even barely remember now, but the eerie feeling sets in her like a heavy blanket of chilly atmosphere. It was a dream, she thought. She stared down on her lap. After a few minutes she realized she has no memory of how she got to her room. She went back to lying down and stared at the ceiling for a few more minutes before deciding to finally get up. She checked her clock.

8:03

She grabbed her coat and decided to take a walk outside.

The cold fall air stung her cheeks as she walked around her uncle's house. There is a lake beside her uncles house, it is glimmering in the sun. She saw a young man trying to teach his dog how to fetch.

"NO Yves! COME BACK! NO! DON'T GO INTO THE WATER!"

There is a huge splash and a few seconds after a wet dog emerged from the water.

"Seriously Yves? You're not going back inside the house after this." The dog looked at him with his joyous eyes enjoying the cool water dripping all over his body.

"Your Collie looks like he's in trouble huh." Kaitlin said. the young man turned around to see who's talking. He smirked at her.

"Yeah, Yves is a bit of a trouble maker. He simply enjoys life," he said to her with a sheepish smile, "I'm Cole, I live in the house next door." Kaitlin looked around her, puzzled because there is no house nearby her uncle's. "By next door, I meant the one closest here. About half a mile west."

"I'm Kaitlin."

"Helcomp?"

"Yes"

"I knew it. So how crazy do you go?"

"What do you mean how crazy do I go?"

"Come on, I knew where you were before you moved here in your uncle's house."

"That does not entitle you to question me that way."

"How about this?" He raised his hand that has a strangely shaped button about the size of a quarter.

"I don't know what I am supposed to get from this conversation." Kaitlin started to back away from Cole. He grabbed her arm before she can get any further.

"Are you sure you don't recognize this?" He held up the button near her face. A flash of recognition flashed her eyes but she tried to hide it from him. She turned on the other side and closed her eyes.

"Please let me go."

"Kaitlin, I can't help you unless you let me."

"I don't need anyone's help." She tried to whisk away Cole's hands but his grip held her in place.

"Come on Kaitlin! I know what is going on you have to let me help you."

"Kaitlin!" They heard from a distance.

"I can scream right now and you will be in trouble. Let. Me. Go."

"I can simply let you go and you will be in worse trouble than you already are," they looked at each other's eyes, Kaitlin still unsure either to trust him or not, "Here, I will explain to you everything that I know tonight. Have this button as a reminder. 9pm by that tree near the lake. Please come." Cole whistled and Yves came to his side. They both ran to the west side of the lake.

"Kaitlin," Jax said "What are you doing here?"

"Just taking a walk Uncle Jax."

"Next time take someone with you or let us know."

For some reason this irritated Kaitlin so much.

"Why? Can't I be alone for once?!" Her voice came out high and angry. She stormed back into the house clutching the button Cole gave her.