Fear in the Woods

Leaves crunched under her boots as she walked carefully through the woods. Every so often she would look over her shoulder, sure someone was following her, but each time she looked she saw nothing. The icy chill she'd been feeling off and on hit her once again, this time knocking her off kilter, causing her to trip. Darkness fell over her.

She looked around and sensed even the trees, crooked and knarled, were watching her. The sound of leaves shuffling behind her sent her heart racing, beating madly against her chest. A shadow fell behind a tree and sent her running, not looking back, running for her life, back to her cabin where she would be safe.

Her breathing erratic, a stiffness in her chest followed by pain from the cold air she was breathing in, Rachel saw her small cabin, smoke still flowing from the chimney. She ran faster, but the shadow she had seen was closer than she had thought. Just as she was getting closer to her front porch, something knocked her in the back of the head and she felt herself fall to the ground. She tried to crawl to the stairs, but something grabbed her hands and tied them behind her back, the pain in her head pounded with each move she made, making it difficult for her to fight back.

A pinch on her arm and her muscles went limp. As she turned over all she could see was a dark figure standing over her as her heavy eyelids began closing. "Who are you?" She slurred the words. "Why?"