Slamming on the breaks as the wheels of the car screeched across the pavement in protest. That monstrosity lurched itself before us, giving me no room to continue down the road. Just mere inches away from it, that thing and I had a stare down, determining which one of us would make the first move. Noticing how long it truly was, Its unnaturally long stick figure of a body, couldn’t entirely fit on the road. My eyes glided across its body, which stretched out somewhere into the woods, I couldn’t see how far and deep down I didn’t want to know.

Making its first move, its head slowly twisted, popping like the sound of snapping twigs. It’s eyes squinting at me while maintaining that sickly grin. My stomach twisted, ready to spew out the contents from within. The snapping finally subsided when its head had completely turned upside down. It was one thing to see a theater mask, but another to see it come to life. The way it looked sent chills down my spine… and if I survive this night, l’m sure l’d have never ending nightmares.

It taunted me for a bit, staring me down before creeping closer, crawling towards us like a spider. My mouth went dry and my hands shook uncontrollably. I gripped the steering wheel tighter to stop my hands from spasming even more. I didn’t want to see what it would do next, letting my survival instincts take over, I tugged onto the wheel and pressed onto the gas pedal, hard, flinging us towards the woods.

She screamed and I Screamed, our shouts melding together in terror filled harmony as I drove like a made man, trying to navigate us blindly through the forest, while swerving to evade any on coming trees. Maybe I could get out of here through the woods… or so I thought, when a tree popped out of nowhere and everything fell silent…

…I gasped loudly, my mind a jumbled mess as I tried to regain my bearings. Unsure of how long I’d been here for, I pushed myself away from the airbags. Fumbling to find the latch, I tugged on it, moaning as I let my self fall out of the car and onto the grass. Deciding not to bring her with me, I got up and ran.

Dashing through the trees, I didn’t care if the branches whipped at my skin, Escape was the only thing on my mind. I gotta get out of here! I gotta get out of here! I gotta… I tripped and fell onto the hard ground, looking down to see that it was pavement. I couldn’t help but feel a wave of relief come over me. Flinging myself up onto my feet I ran down the road, hoping to see a car. My happiness was short lived when a familiar bridge came into view.

“No!” I shouted and for the first time in my life I was a child again. Tears slipped down my cheeks as I limped to the other side of the road, heading back into the woods. Maybe this way might lead me ba… my mind froze and my knees gave way, causing me to collapse onto the ground in sheer terror. I stared at the sight of my car that was rammed up against a tree, trying to make sense of it all.

“No!” A voice shrieked, realizing it was coming from me. “No!” I repeated over and over, hoping I’d wake up from this hell… yes this was hell!

Sitting there on the forest floor, I clutched myself tightly, whatever sanity I had slipped through my fingers like sand. I wasn’t sure how long I sat there, but I finally got up and stumbled my way towards my car, I wasn’t sure what I was hoping for, but driving away felt like my only option. I reached towards the door handle and froze, my eyes widening. A body… my body was hunched over the wheel, blood poring from his skull and broken nose.

“Wh~what? W~Wait..” | stumbled over my words, confused. I turned my head towards the backseat, noticing that my future wife was gone.

Panicked, I turned to leave, trying to find her, when he… I mean me, when my unconscious self grabbed me, clinging to my arm with a vice like grip. I turned towards him, watching as blood pooled down his face. He didn’t say anything but the corners of his mouth curled up into a wide grin, blood seeping out and cascading over his chin like a river. That sinister smile was the exact same as that creatures. I tugged until I managed to yank myself free, only to tumble backwards onto my butt.

A girls laughter filled the forest around me, unable to take anymore torments, I begged for her to stop and to make it all go away. Clutching my head and pleading for mercy was the only thing I could do, it was all too much. “It seems the tides have turned.” She hummed from behind me.

I froze and then realized this woman… this tiny woman had turned me into something so pitiful, that it made my blood boil. Well… I was going to show her! I flew my head around, only to be met with a pale face with three upside down smiling black lines. It doused the flames of my rage, sending me back into a pit of hopelessness. Without warning It flung itself at me, gripping me with its insanely large hands. I yelped in pain as it held me in its clutches, its fingers like daggers, piercing my flesh.

It snapped its head back to normal and leaned in close “Becareful who you kidnap…” It said in a low, raspy voice, as if it were using it’s vocal cords for the first time. “…Even they have their own demons.”