Backwoods

Chapter 1

The sun hung low in the sky as the light slowly faded from the day. You sat on the steps to your new home wiping the sweat from your upper lip. You took a deep breath as you thought over the day, proud of the work you had accomplished in such a short time.

You had only just arrived that morning and you alone had managed to carry in all the boxes and unpack enough to make your bed and have something real to eat. Not another microwaved meal that always left you feeling a little sick.

You shuddered recalling your breakfast from that morning doing your best to repress that memory. Pushing yourself to your feet you stepped back into your house locking the front door behind you the creak of the screen door swinging behind you was something you couldn't tell if you loved or hated yet.

Making your way into the kitchen you turned on the small radio on the counter your only entertainment till the moving truck arrived in a few days with your tv and furniture.

You smiled as you picked up a rock station, thankfully something other than the very prevalent country. Though you were in Texas it was to be expected albeit stereotypical.

You began to tear open the boxes around labeled various things like Kitchen stuff, Silverware, etc.

Placing your pots and pans away in their freshly cleaned shelving you thought about the small town you now resided in. It was a breath of fresh air to you not having to look out your window and see houses on houses. Be able to go outside without having someone watching you or trying to talk to you.

You were never a social butterfly so this isolated farm life was a dream to you. A distant roar made you pause glancing around before looking to the radio. Fiddling with the dial about the roar seemed to disappear though you swore for a second there it wasn't the radio at all.

Returning to your unpacking you paid it no mind until a loud howl of pain had you leap in fear. The plate in your hand shattered on the floor forgotten as you scrambled to your bag pulling out your hand gun. You only had a few bullets but it was better than nothing, you decided as you flicked on your back porches light the yard flooding in the yellow glow.

You could see your barn door was wide open the goats that had come with the property fled from the shelter all but sprinting to the woods.

Another scream and you couldn't stand by your instincts kicking in as you went to save whomever was in your barn. You were confident enough in your abilities to defend yourself should it come to that and if not, you could at least run to your car.

You clutched your gun in both hands as you stepped into the barn only realizing how dark it was after you had stepped inside.

You were so silent you thought you had stopped breathing for a moment. Your hearing strained to pick up on any kind of movement as you hugged the sides of the barn. You froze suddenly hearing someone moving as a dark figure stomped out from a stall a metal rob in hand as it walked up to something on the floor.

Reeling back the figure began to beat down on the, now obvious, person curled up on the floor. They moaned and yelped in agony as they were beat the metal making a sickening sound as it clearly had to break bones.

Stepping forward you grit your teeth as you wielded your weapon.

"Stop or Ill shoot!" You yelled sounding much less powerful than you has wished. The person stopped turning to face you.

They suddenly ran at you leaving you no choice but to fire dropping the person with two loud blasts from the gun.

Adrenaline coursed through your body as you approached the crumpled body of the attacker. You kicked the rod away before making sure they weren't getting back up.

Once positive you were safe you turned your attention on the large man on the floor of your barn entirely unconscious.

You don't know how you managed the strength to lift the behemoth of a man but you did. With his arm wrapped around your shoulder you half carried half dragged him to the house dumping him on the hall floor as you locked the door and ran for the phone.

You hardly had time to catch your breath as your brain ran on auto pilot. Your medical training slowly came back to you as you tucked the phone between your ear and shoulder. Frantically pulling out every first aid kit you owned before turning to the man currently bleeding out in your hall way.

Everything from this point on was a blur to you. You don't even remember calling the police or if they ever showed up. You were so high from your adrenaline rush and paranoia of a second attacker you could hardly breath.

To stop the flow of your anxiety you threw yourself into watching over the man. You had managed to get him on the couch, stripping him down to just his under shirt and slacks as you patched him up.

You hesitated to care for his face though, as it was... Covered in a grotesque mask. 

You couldn't tell if It was fake or real or what. Though you were unsettled none the less.

Soon enough, you found yourself siting at your kitchen table at the wee hours of the morning cradling a cup of coffee. This was not how you wanted your first night at this place to go. It was supposed to be a new start for you. Specifically, a good one. Though instead you were now caught up in some mess you had no knowledge about. 

With a heavy sigh, you let your head rest against the table staring into the living room at where the man was asleep snoring now. His chest rose and fell steadily which was a good sign. He would even mumble occasionally, it was completely nonsense though it was something at least. 

The soft lull of the radio paired with the mans snores slowly over took your tired mind. You felt your head lay down into your arms as the white noise lulled you to sleep, the coffee growing cold before you.