The cold air hits my face, the same words repeat in my head. “Not now, not today,” I wish it wasn’t me.

I was terrified, shaking, and leaving a bloody trail as the blood pours from my hand. I was attacked by something non-human. Something monstrous. Something deadly.

I stopped in front of a large church; it was the size of my old home which is about the size of two elephants stacked on top of each other. The church had red lanterns glowing from around the paths. The lanterns smelled awful.

I was about to touch the red glowing light of one of the lanterns until I heard a snicker behind me.

“Can’t believe your still alive, kid,” Xister chuckled, “I’d thought you be dead by now with all that blood on your hands.”

“Well,” I said, clutching my bag around my back with my free hand. “I’m still here, and I’m not going back after what I just saw and got attacked by out there.”

Xister slowly opens the gate to her church and looks me in the eyes. The fog is extreme, and it’s difficult to breathe in weather like this.

“So...you say you’re not going back huh,” Xister reaches a hand on my shoulder. “There’s not just that big ol’ beast Fen out there, Agetha’s out there too you know.”

“Who’s...Agetha” I looked around, feeling a bit uneasy.

“They are...well sometimes nice, but rather brutal,” Xister smirks, “You aren’t scared, are ya?”

“No- well not by a lot...since you’re here and everything...” I say taking a deep breath. “Why aren’t you helping any of us...?”

“There’s more of you? Pathetic,” Xister crosses her arms, “I have a really good feeling that you’re the last one.”

“Do you think that’s entertainment?!” I yelled. “For us to be dead?! I lost my friends out there!!”

“Friends- those monsters out there are my friends, not yours,” Xister chuckles. “Being a trespasser isn’t like people who come around these parts, luckily you are alive and you should be thankful, brat.”

It started to become even darker.

“You better get out of here and find somewhere safe,” Xister grins, closing the gate and pushing me out of the church. “See you later, or never.”

I immediately started to panic as I heard a faraway roar, running away from the church in a hurry. I kept on running until I saw a cabin with its door open, I ran inside and shut the door.

I started breathing heavily and calmed down slightly as I took a second to look at the place around me.

“Hm,” some strange man scoffed behind the counter. “Another one of those stupid kids, Vivian.”

“Stupid huh? You always say that it’s unbelievable, Miller!” Vivian chuckles slightly before her expression darkened as she looked at me. “They aren’t stupid if they managed to get here alive.”

“Whatever,” Miller locked eyes on me. “Don’t even try talking to me, this is a store, get what you want and leave.”

“AND!” Vivian raises a finger before crossing her arms. “This is a safe cabin so you can stay as long as you want but once you leave were not letting you back in till next night.”

“Oh, wow uh...” I nervously sat down on the floor of the cabin. “Did you hear a roar a little while ago or was that just me...?”

“It’s Fen,” Vivian sighed. “She’s always walking around hungry looking for her prey at night, while Agetha’s running around with two bloodied saws and a glint of mischief in their eyes.”

“Bloodied...saws?” I gulped, shivering as the air grew colder after what Vivian said. “So, uh...that means...?”

“Death.” Vivian cleared her throat and leaned back against the pillar behind Miller. “If you make it out alive without running into Agetha’s ad’s I might just let you stay a little longer.”

“Ad’s- wait I’m so confused,” I raise an eyebrow.

“It’s all part of the experience, once you see it, you’ll never want to see it again!” Vivian smiled and put her hands on her hips.

Loud stomping echoes throughout the forest, making me jump a little.

“See it’s all about the experience,” Vivian said, crossing her arms a little. “Oh, and here comes Fen now.”

Fen slowly walks past the cabin window, with loud big footsteps.

“So- that’s Fen…?” I ask, clutching my bag even tighter, afraid.

“Yeah! It’s Fen alright…” Vivian grins, amused. “You know, she’s kind of looking for a snack, hopefully you aren’t her next target.”

I was about to say something but then Vivian interrupted.

“What’s your name?” Vivian asked.

“Oh, I’m Paranoid…” I replied.

I lied.

“Paranoid? That doesn’t sound human at all,” Vivian scratches her head before shrugging. “Nothing’s human here anyways.”

I glance around me, taking in the details of the cabin. I don’t understand anyone here, I don’t belong here. I don’t deserve to be in a place like this.

“Out of thought?” Vivian fixed her tie, looking at me.

I shook my head with nonsense and turned towards her again. “No, I’m alright, just thinking.”

Miller rolls his eyes getting impatient with every word the conversation is bringing up.

“Fine. How about this. You and this weirdo girl go out there and deal with that FEN because I don’t want to deal with any of your stuck-up talk,” Miller growled eyeing me and pointing at Vivian.

“Oh, now the angry man is talking again!” Vivian slapped her knee laughing.

Miller glared at Vivian.

“Ah- okay…” Vivian looked away from Miller and started nervously fixing her tie again and then turned towards me. “Alright. Paranoid, you and I will go and somehow talk Fen out of “going around and eating people” for fun.”

I nodded, agreeing with Vivian’s terms since I didn’t want to go out there alone.

“And make sure to bring me back a dead body! AHAAAHAHAHAAA!” Miller shouts at me and Vivian as we make our way out of the cabin and into the dark forest.

“Shut up old man,” Vivian called back which made Miller go back into a mood.

I laughed a little, Vivian wasn’t that bad and I was slowly starting to be around her more, she’d tell jokes along the way and how much she hated Miller than she hated Agetha.

“So why do you hate Agetha? I mean yeah, you told me Agetha isn’t a good person and carries around saws but…who is this Agetha you’re talking about?” I asked with confusion, turning to look at Vivian with her sincere face.

“Agetha isn’t friendly, that’s why I hate them,” Vivian sighs, as we continue to trot along the path she looked behind herself cautiously then back at me. “Agetha isn’t a normal human being anymore.”

“Huh? What do you mean...?” I was going to finish but then I heard a creak like a door opening...

Vivian’s eyes shot open, and she looked around, Miller seemed bored with himself as if he didn’t catch the sound me and Vivian were hearing.

After a couple of seconds of silence, she scratches the back of her head, the wind making her hair tangled.

“I think we we’re both hearing things,” Vivian laughs nervously then pulls out a Walkie-talkie that looks like a radio, then her face darkens instantly. “...”

“Wha-“ I was going to finish another one of my sentences, but Vivian immediately grabbed me by the arm and ran the opposite direction with me in hand.

I never have time.

:(

As we were running Vivian still had my arm captivated in her hand, and in her other hand she was holding her Walkie-talkie.

When I looked at her Walkie-talkie I noticed the screen was glitching a bit.

I adjusted my eyes back to the surrounding scene. We were running back to the cabin, I saw it up ahead.

After we reached there, Vivian threw me on the floor in the cabin. It was a gentle throw for the very least.

Vivian fixes her tie, and scratches the back of her head again.

“Well, I’m not going back out there,” Vivian sighs.

“What was out there?” I ask. “Why was the screen to your Walkie-talkie glitching?”

Vivian rubs her forehead and turns to look at me. “Wasn’t Fen for sure.”

“What do you mean it wasn’t Fen?” I stared at her for a couple of seconds before turning to see Miller’s bored expression.

I look behind Miller.

I point at the strange figure behind Miller I for some reason hate, but I’m not going to question it.

“Hm?” Miller looks behind him, looks at the strange figure and immediately kicks it.

“OW-!” The figure leaped to it’s feet.

It looks like a demon. A cat demon.

“HAHAAHAA!!” Miller laughs a lot, and the cat demon rubs its leg.

“Ugh, how many times have I told you to stop bullying Skary around me?” Vivian asked tapping her foot impatiently.

“Whaaaat? It’s fun,” Miller grins and then his face switches back to anger. “But still seeing his face makes me want to punch him into the depths of HELL.”

Miller glares at Skary which makes the poor demon cat flinch.

“I-I-I’M SORRY!” Skary jumped over the counter and hid behind Vivian.

Miller’s eyes glow with rage. “YOU-“

Vivian raises her finger at Miller, which proceeds for him to stop. Skary is shaking like a poor beaten up dog.

“Let the dump-trash talk…Miller.” Vivian glares at him.

Miller rolls his eyes. “Fine. We’ll let this cat talk.”

Starts tail flicks left and right, and he raises his voice a bit but nothing comes out. He’s smaller than I. He seems shy…?

“So,” Vivian takes a deep breath. “Did you find anything about Fen and them, Skary?”

“No-no…they wouldn’t let me speak,” Skary mimics something cutting his throat.

“Ah…those bastards.” Vivian thinks, before looking over at me.

“You hear anything about the deadly girl out in the forest, or no.”

“What?” I replied, my hands were shaking at my sides.

“No one knows her name…not that I know of, so…that’s why I’m asking you,” Vivian clears her throat. “But that’s what you don’t know...”

“I don’t know much,” I reply.

I stare at the ground…thinking…what am I getting myself into?

“They’re no help at all let’s just kick them out,” Miller glares at me. I take a step back.

“No! That is not the kindness you give to someone who’s confused on how they got here,” Vivian laughed.

I look around the cabin once more, sensing the eerie silence, and noticing again the cheese painting with a little girl carved on it. The girl had a skirt and had blondish orange hair.

I awaken from zoning out as soon as I heard Vivian shout, “I HEAR YOU XISTER DON’T MAKE IT SEEM LIKE IT’S SOME STUPID TRESPASSER!” She then glared at the doorway.

Xister makes an entrance, playing that one song: “Bad Romance”

Vivians’ eye twitches.

Xister sneaks a smirk at Vivian and proceeds to sing. “Quiero tu amor y quiero tu venganza. Tú y yo podríamos escribir un romance malo...” Xister gleefully pats Skary, makes it seem like she’s walking all over Vivian’s skin, and Miller does not care.

“I still hate that I am still single because of you,” Vivian breaths heavily and angrily.

“Oh...I’m sorry for your loss sister, guess your going to need a replacement!” Xister takes a drag with her cigarette.

“REPLACEMENT?! I NEVER EVEN BEEN IN A RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE OF YOU I SAID!” Vivian yells at Xister, which makes Skary hide behind me.

I look down at Skary. He looks back at me; I flinch a little.

Miller looks at me. “You better look at him from a different perspective,” He demanded. “He’s not so scary as you think. He’s a wuss.”

“Oh,” I glance at Vivian for some help.

Vivian steals my glance and clears her throat. “I have a brilliant idea!” She steps onto the counter and grabs a piece of paper from below the bandages on the floor. “Maybe we could map out the entire forest...? Like how many people do it when they want to find their way around here!”

“Why haven’t you made a map yet?” I awkwardly asked, feeling a bit tense from Miller’s earlier discussions.

“Well...I usually followed my sister...around...” Vivian glares at Xister, who’s grinning at her too much, and follows her glance at me. “So, I know my way around here but not as much.”

I respond slyly. “But you grew up here haven’t you-“

Vivian interrupted with another annoying cough. “I have, now if you’ll excuse me “Paranoid” I would love to make this “map” and stop hearing your blunt excuses...” She flicks her hair slightly and starts writing on the blank sheet of paper.

“What’s her problem,” I whisper and Xister leans right next to me, chuckling.

“She’s not madded at cha’ she’s just madded at me kiddo,” Xister pats my head. “You’ll get used to her someday and somehow, just letting you know she’s not so all that.”

Xister pulls out a pack of cigarettes from her left pocket of her pants, opens the packet and lends me one. “Do ya want a banger?”

“No thank you, I’m not old enough for that stuff,” I refused, staring up at Xister in the eye’s confidently.

“Eh- whatever suits you kid,” Xister puts a cigarette in her mouth, and puts away the pack of “bangers” back in her left pocket.

Xister was a very interesting person. She just felt calm in every situation, so I could understand why Vivian hated her so much, because she never cared. Xister was leaning on the wall, blowing a puff of smoke, like her life was...meaningless.

Miller slams his fist onto the counter, bringing everyone’s attention to him.

“Can you blow it outside? It’s blocking my view,” Miller growled, squinting his eyes at Xister’s cigarette.

“Blocking YOUR view? Please! You’re just so dramatic! I believe you never smoked a cig in your entire life!” Xister merely put the dry cigarette back in the pack and put it in her left pocket again.