Something in the woods

Lyra's family had hit rock bottom. Her father, John, had lost his job due to company restructuring, and her mother, Sarah, was struggling to make ends meet with her part-time job. The bank had foreclosed on their home, and they were forced to move into a small cottage on the edge of the woods.

The cottage was old and worn, with creaky floors and leaky faucets. But it was all they could afford, and Lyra's parents were grateful to have a roof over their heads.

Lyra, who was 7 years old, felt like her whole world had been turned upside down. She missed her old home, her friends, and the life they used to have. But she was determined to make the best of their new situation.

As she explored the woods surrounding their cottage, Lyra began to feel a sense of wonder and magic. The trees seemed to whisper to her in the wind, and the sunlight filtering through the leaves made her feel like she was in a fairy tale.

Lyra loved the tall trees that seemed to stretch up to the sky. She loved playing in the woods, exploring the winding paths and secret clearings that only she knew about.

But there was something strange about the woods. Whenever Lyra played there, she would hear the soft swaying of leaves, even when there was no wind. At first, she thought it was just the trees talking to each other, but as time went on, she began to feel like someone, or something was watching her.

One day, Lyra was playing in her favorite clearing when she saw a figure out of the corner of her eye. She spun around, but there was no one there she ran back to the cottage in fear.

"Mom, Mom, I saw someone in the woods!" Lyra exclaimed, running into the kitchen where her mother was baking cookies.

Her mother, Sarah, looked up from the counter, a concerned expression on her face. "What do you mean, sweetie? Who did you see?"

Lyra hesitated, unsure of how to explain what she had seen. "I don't know," she said finally. "But I could have sworn I saw someone standing there."

Her father, John, walked into the kitchen, a toolbox in his hand. "What's going on?" he asked, noticing the concerned look on Sarah's face.

"Lyra thinks she saw someone in the woods," Sarah explained.

John's expression turned serious, he remembered the warnings from the village folks about the house in the woods. He dropped his tool box in the nearest kitchen cabinet"let's go," he said while grabbing his gun.

Lyra and her father left the cottage and went into the woods, but as they walked into the woods, Lyra couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.