1] A Perfect Storm

The sun descended leaving behind blue sky painted with orange along with messed up shades of yellow. Forest trees lining the road shaded almost entire pathway making it more dark, which matched just like how my life turned out now.

I lost one of my few jobs out of blue. Mrs. Hough thought that me being 30 min late two times in a row, is a big enough reason to fire me. She didn't even ask me the reason! That old woman!

She knew that a job was important to me to support myself. Still, she did it. I was running errands for my friend, Gwen who was ill. Mrs. Hough straight away fired me before giving me my half month salary. Now it was all I have to spend the rest of this month till I get payment from the gym.

I clenched my bag pack to my side continuing my way to my reck of an old ratty rented apartment. The way was buzzing with people's energy as they continue to talk, walk or whatever.

"Hey! Can you tell me where's Old temple?", I heard someone say from behind me. I turned around only to get a punch in my guts from a man as he snatched my bag and ran to the opposite direction of my way home.

It took me a second to recover from that punch and bolt towards that thief.

He was fast I give him that but not that fast. People were getting in my way and I was barely dodging them. Many were yelling at me for pushing them or something. That thief a few meters ahead of me was doing the same.

It was like he knows when I was near as he ran faster maintaining a few meter distance.

Enough to not get caught but remain in my site.

Ugh!

"Hey! give me back my bag, you pig face", I yelled continuing to run for several more minutes. My chest was burning bespeaking me to stop and catch my breath. My legs despite being of a gym trainer were so much in pain that I could barely continue. My need of that damn money was compelling me catch him.

'Hung in there.'

I turned around still running as I heard a loud snap from behind me only to greet by nothing. I turned toward the robber but he was nowhere to be seen. As if he vanished. I came to a halt.

At that moment, I realized that I'm in a forest and on top of that it would be night soon. And that too alone. I checked my phone for the network to check my location but did not avail.

'Forget money I have to find my way back or else I'll be dinner of some wild animal.'

'God! how I got myself into this?! I have to get out off here anyhow'.

I searched for almost half an hour despite being exhausted but it availed me nothing.

The moonlight escaping from the canopy of tall trees showed me the way. Sounds of rustling of leaves and chirping of birds kept me on edge and the nightfall crept me up. After searching for what felt like hours, I came across a clearing. In the middle of the clearing stood a beautiful ancient sixty-something feet triplex. Though it was a bit scary never judge a book by its cover, right?

Dead leaves and twigs crunched against my footsteps as I made my toward the house so as to get help. The more I came closer, the more I got a better look at it.

The whole mansion bathed in the moonlight. The architecture work was jaw-drop-down worthy. My eyes caught a gleaming ornamental finial on the steeply pitched gable roof. Wow!

When my eyes traveled from the stick work at the porch to the sawn decor and decorative shingles and from Balcony of the top floor to tower elevation I saw a shadow moving in the room from the tower top window.

I shuddered.

Someone's in there, that's good. I could get help. Upon reaching the door, I knocked it and waited for any response but I got none. When I raised my fist instead of my knuckles to knock once again, the door opened with a creak.

"Hello? I know I'm disturbing in an ungodly hour but can you help me? Please. I lost my way....." My words echoed off the walls of the mansion.

There was no one there. The mansion was even bigger from inside with an air of luxury surrounding. There was a stairway leading to the upper floor. I resisted the urge to go Dora-the-explorer here in a stranger's mansion.

"Hey! Is anyone in here? Hello?" The only response I got was a bone-chilling silence.

'I shouldn't be here without the owner's knowledge.' I thought.

I turned around to leave only to stop by a voice," Going already, Ariella?"

All the air left my body. My heart was beating so fast that I was afraid it would jump out off my ribs anytime.

Petrified, I turned around only to greet by a dash of shadow. It flashed so fast, I thought I imagined it.

"W-Who are y-you? How do you know m-my name?". I was so scared that couldn't move a single muscle.

"Come here, Ariella. It's about time....."

The voice echoed off the walls of the mansion. I whipped around towards the stairs the source of the voice. It was like my body had its own mind which decided to go up the stairs. As if I took the backseat and someone's controlling me. I couldn't do anything. I was so confused but more than that scared.

Upon reaching the first floor through a large red-colored wooden door, I came across a hallway that owned impossibly many doors. I couldn't decide what to do. Step back in the forest or face whatever the hell was behind the door. Other than the voice calling me, the house was too quiet to be natural. And it was terrifying.

I turned around to the door which leads down the stairs when suddenly the light started flickering on and off. I screamed or more like shrieked and dashed towards the red door, but it slammed shut on my face. That's when the realization sinks into me.

'I'm stuck in a stranger's mansion is in the middle of a forest. And on top of that, there's a creepy voice calling me. I am so very much in trouble.'

With the lights still flickering, the ringing voice turned silvery. I felt him before I saw the fluctuating light casting a shadow of a hulk-like a huge man behind me on the door.

My heart jumped up to my throat. But I wouldn't give up. If it's fate I'm gonna die today I would fight hard till my last breath. I swing in my position and whacked a blow in his direction but it went through air. There was no one.

'It's a dream and would wake up at any moment. There are no explanations of what is happening around.'

I pinched my arm but it did nothing to help. I gathered my courage and tried another door. It didn't open. I tried another and another and another. With each door, I was losing my mind and hope to go back home. I missed my home.

'Please, God'

I tried another and it creaked. Finally! When I stepped out the door, terror washed over me. This was some kind of sick joke. Or I was paying for sins of my past life.

How in God's name I was standing outside the mansion in the forest?! Shouldn't I be in some sort of room or something? Then how did I get outside from the first floor?

My mind was spinning. Maybe I hit my head somewhere and I was not thinking rationally. Maybe.

I closed my eyes and sighed. 'Calm down, Ariella. You'll be fine. Everything's gonna be alright.' I tried to calm myself. I opened my eyes to see I was still in the forest. I turned around and gasped. The mansion was gone. I closed my eyes again.

I was shaking like a leaf when felt a faint tap on my shoulder. I turned around and shrieked in fright at the sight of the hulky man. No, not a man rather a dark shadow under the moonlight. Shadow—because I could see right through him. I backed away stumbling over my steps and spun to see he was not alone.

They all whispered in a wheezy tone, "Ariella..."

I screamed on top of the lungs and ran towards the dark forest. I was frightened to the bone but I couldn't stop.

Couldn't die today. I forced myself to run faster. I couldn't hear them but I could feel the bone-chilling presence behind me. They were not far.

Soon I came to a dead end. It was a cliff. I could hear the water hitting the rocks and could smell salt. Doddington was a small old town in the middle of the country that surrounded my forest nowhere near any water body. The sight hit me like a punch. I was not in my town. Or anywhere near.

They were here but they did not make a move to grab me or hurt me yet. I quivered, "Please.. how I wronged you or anyone I don't know. please don't kill me."

" You didn't wrong anyone, child. " I flinched and backed away when he reached out to grab me.

"You need not be scared." But I took a step back and another and another until my foot hit a rock and I stumbled back. The shadow tired to grab my hand but his hand went through mine and I fell from the cliff and my scream died by the flush of water.