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Description
Chapter one

                               Run.

               That was the only thing running through my mind as I blindly dashed through the darkened woods, the full moon above barely shining through the thick treetops.  Tears fell freely down my face, yet I didn't bother to wipe them away.  All I could do was get away from there.  From this place… God, why did I always have to come back to this place?

               With no light or idea where I was going, I tripped over something hard and fell flat on my face.  The cool damp earth rushed up and met me, loose rocks and sharp twigs scraping my face.  I could already feel the blood begin to ooze out of my fresh wounds as I crawled hastily and hid behind a fallen tree, my breaths coming in harsh gasps. My body ached all over, from my face to my rear.  Oh God, what they had done… the images came to mind as I tried with all my might to push them away, to bury them in my memories.  I closed my eyes, trying to calm myself down or else I would be found.  Daring to check my surroundings, I opened my eyes and looked around slowly in the near pitch-black forest. I was barely able to make out a faint glow in the distance.  My heart sped up in joy, thinking I had reached the outskirts of a town or something, maybe even the university.

               Just as I was coming up from my little hiding spot, a rustling in the bushes behind me stopped me in my tracks.  I didn't want to turn around to face it, because honestly there was something deep down in me screaming and begging to just run again.  Run and don't look back.  I was having a war within myself on which advice to take.  Fight or flight.  In the end, I decided to stay and face whatever it was behind me.

                  With fear turning my blood into ice, I slowly turned around while trying not to make any noise.  My heart slammed in my chest and my breath caught in my throat as I faced the still moving bushes.  Once my eyes focused on them, they became still.  Everything from the wind to my thundering heart became deathly silent.   It was almost as if time had frozen in this small part of the woods.

                  I don't know how long I stood behind the fallen tree staring at nothing, but the bushes were suddenly calm.  I waited for a couple more minutes, afraid to move or breathe.  When nothing happened, I let out the breath I was holding and a small shaky laugh.  Maybe I had just imagined it, or it could have just been the wind. Hell, maybe I was even losing my damn mind.  I tried to rationalize and keep collected, yet my calm faded away quickly when I saw two eyes glaring brightly back at me from the bushes.

                Those were eyes of a predator sizing its prey, eyes of a killer.

                Those were eyes of a monster.

                Before I knew what was happening, my body turned around completely and started to take off into the darkened night.  Whoever was behind me quickly took pursuit.  Somewhere inside my thoughts I knew what would happen if they ever caught me.  They were the reason I was out here in the middle of the night, lost and disoriented.  They had brought me out here with the clear intent to leave me alone where no one would ever be able to find me again.  They wanted me dead, and I wasn't about to ask them why either.

               The faint glow that I had seen earlier came into view more clearly now, and part of me screamed with joy to see that it was the university.  My lungs burning and legs pumping, I pushed farther, wanting to get away from whoever was behind me and into the light.  For some reason, there was a childish thought that ran through my head that if I got into the light, whoever was behind me would simply vanish.  Like some kind of Boogeyman.  Just a few more yards and I would be safe!

               When the first rays of that artificial light from the streetlamps touched my battered skin, I almost wept with how good it felt.  Granted, you can't really feel anything from such a light, but at the time it was like stepping into the sun for the first time in years.  I ran a little ways more before coming to a stop and turning around to face the monster.  There, just outside the dull glow of the overhead lamp, stood whoever was chasing me.  They glared at me from the shadows, and I laughed.  I stood there covered in mud, blood, and God knows what else and laughed at this persons face as if I didn't have a care in the world.

               Maybe I really was losing my mind.

                Just as I was about to turn and leave, my laughter died as I saw something I didn't want to see.  Something that I couldn't believe at first but quickly did.  I was told growing up by my brother that if you shine the light on the Boogeyman, he'll disappear.  That was what I was brought up with, and what I used until I realized there was no monster under my bed or in my closet.

               No, my monster was in front of me and slowly walking into the light.  Walking towards me with a sick and twisted grin on his face.  That face that I had come to know over the semester.  Oh God, how could I have been so blind?  How could I not see it was him?

              "It's you," I breathed, my words hanging in the air between us.  He stopped and continued to stare at me with that same grin on his face.  No other words were said.  We just stood there in the dead of night, staring each other down. How could he do something like that?  What in the hell was wrong with him?  Just thinking of it again made me want to vomit on the spot. I swallowed dryly and spoke again.

               "W-why?"  I whispered into the wind, not thinking he would hear it or if he would care if he did.  My question was left unanswered as he suddenly came rushing up to me, his sick grin turning into a malicious smirk full of so much hate and death.  I was in shock from his unexpected burst of energy and speed, and as I tried to turn away the cool hand around my throat was enough of a sign for me to know that my time was up.  I was going to die tonight by the hands of someone I thought I could trust, someone I never expected to end my life.  He threw me to the ground and straddled me, his iron grip on my neck becoming tighter with each passing second.   My already burning lungs began to scream for air, and in a vain attempt I struggled underneath him.  What was the use though when we both knew good and well he was almost a foot taller than me and had the muscle structure to put a Greek God to shame.

              Darkness began to slowly descend on me, my vision growing hazy.  I could feel myself give up to him already, but I still focused what little I had left to reach up to his face and drag my fingers down his left cheek.  Warm blood ran down my hand and his yell filled the night.  I could feel something under my nails, maybe chunks of skin and I smiled ever so faintly in my small victory.  Death was coming for me now, all that was left to do was to kick back and wait for him now.  My eyes were so heavy, and I wanted nothing more than to close my eyes and sleep for just a few minutes.

                My breathing became shallow, my body growing colder as I slowly fought against my closing eyes.  Maybe just a couple of minutes wouldn't hurt.

                The weight on my chest and around my throat were suddenly gone, and cold fresh air poured into my lungs.  My eyes watered as I coughed and gasped, trying to drink it all in.  Hands were holding my down gently and I could faintly hear a variety of sounds around me, all distorted like they were underwater or down a very long tunnel.  With great effort, I turned my head to the side to see what the loudest of the noises was.

                Though my vision was still blurred and fading into darkness, I could see several other people hold him down forcibly on the cold pavement just feet from me.  His cold hard gaze locked with mine and he slowly let the predatory grin return before someone came between us, blocking our vision.  That grin was enough to let me know he wasn't finished, not by a long shot.  That was the look of a madman who would get his revenge no matter the length of time.

                   As the world around me faded to black, I look back to this day and try to convince myself that I had heard something else come from him as the men dragged his struggling form away from me, yet I knew it in the bottom of my heart what I heard was true.

                  "Don't worry, I'll see you soon enough Jackson.  Soon enough…"

Description
Chapter one

                               Run.

               That was the only thing running through my mind as I blindly dashed through the darkened woods, the full moon above barely shining through the thick treetops.  Tears fell freely down my face, yet I didn't bother to wipe them away.  All I could do was get away from there.  From this place… God, why did I always have to come back to this place?

               With no light or idea where I was going, I tripped over something hard and fell flat on my face.  The cool damp earth rushed up and met me, loose rocks and sharp twigs scraping my face.  I could already feel the blood begin to ooze out of my fresh wounds as I crawled hastily and hid behind a fallen tree, my breaths coming in harsh gasps. My body ached all over, from my face to my rear.  Oh God, what they had done… the images came to mind as I tried with all my might to push them away, to bury them in my memories.  I closed my eyes, trying to calm myself down or else I would be found.  Daring to check my surroundings, I opened my eyes and looked around slowly in the near pitch-black forest. I was barely able to make out a faint glow in the distance.  My heart sped up in joy, thinking I had reached the outskirts of a town or something, maybe even the university.

               Just as I was coming up from my little hiding spot, a rustling in the bushes behind me stopped me in my tracks.  I didn't want to turn around to face it, because honestly there was something deep down in me screaming and begging to just run again.  Run and don't look back.  I was having a war within myself on which advice to take.  Fight or flight.  In the end, I decided to stay and face whatever it was behind me.

                  With fear turning my blood into ice, I slowly turned around while trying not to make any noise.  My heart slammed in my chest and my breath caught in my throat as I faced the still moving bushes.  Once my eyes focused on them, they became still.  Everything from the wind to my thundering heart became deathly silent.   It was almost as if time had frozen in this small part of the woods.

                  I don't know how long I stood behind the fallen tree staring at nothing, but the bushes were suddenly calm.  I waited for a couple more minutes, afraid to move or breathe.  When nothing happened, I let out the breath I was holding and a small shaky laugh.  Maybe I had just imagined it, or it could have just been the wind. Hell, maybe I was even losing my damn mind.  I tried to rationalize and keep collected, yet my calm faded away quickly when I saw two eyes glaring brightly back at me from the bushes.

                Those were eyes of a predator sizing its prey, eyes of a killer.

                Those were eyes of a monster.

                Before I knew what was happening, my body turned around completely and started to take off into the darkened night.  Whoever was behind me quickly took pursuit.  Somewhere inside my thoughts I knew what would happen if they ever caught me.  They were the reason I was out here in the middle of the night, lost and disoriented.  They had brought me out here with the clear intent to leave me alone where no one would ever be able to find me again.  They wanted me dead, and I wasn't about to ask them why either.

               The faint glow that I had seen earlier came into view more clearly now, and part of me screamed with joy to see that it was the university.  My lungs burning and legs pumping, I pushed farther, wanting to get away from whoever was behind me and into the light.  For some reason, there was a childish thought that ran through my head that if I got into the light, whoever was behind me would simply vanish.  Like some kind of Boogeyman.  Just a few more yards and I would be safe!

               When the first rays of that artificial light from the streetlamps touched my battered skin, I almost wept with how good it felt.  Granted, you can't really feel anything from such a light, but at the time it was like stepping into the sun for the first time in years.  I ran a little ways more before coming to a stop and turning around to face the monster.  There, just outside the dull glow of the overhead lamp, stood whoever was chasing me.  They glared at me from the shadows, and I laughed.  I stood there covered in mud, blood, and God knows what else and laughed at this persons face as if I didn't have a care in the world.

               Maybe I really was losing my mind.

                Just as I was about to turn and leave, my laughter died as I saw something I didn't want to see.  Something that I couldn't believe at first but quickly did.  I was told growing up by my brother that if you shine the light on the Boogeyman, he'll disappear.  That was what I was brought up with, and what I used until I realized there was no monster under my bed or in my closet.

               No, my monster was in front of me and slowly walking into the light.  Walking towards me with a sick and twisted grin on his face.  That face that I had come to know over the semester.  Oh God, how could I have been so blind?  How could I not see it was him?

              "It's you," I breathed, my words hanging in the air between us.  He stopped and continued to stare at me with that same grin on his face.  No other words were said.  We just stood there in the dead of night, staring each other down. How could he do something like that?  What in the hell was wrong with him?  Just thinking of it again made me want to vomit on the spot. I swallowed dryly and spoke again.

               "W-why?"  I whispered into the wind, not thinking he would hear it or if he would care if he did.  My question was left unanswered as he suddenly came rushing up to me, his sick grin turning into a malicious smirk full of so much hate and death.  I was in shock from his unexpected burst of energy and speed, and as I tried to turn away the cool hand around my throat was enough of a sign for me to know that my time was up.  I was going to die tonight by the hands of someone I thought I could trust, someone I never expected to end my life.  He threw me to the ground and straddled me, his iron grip on my neck becoming tighter with each passing second.   My already burning lungs began to scream for air, and in a vain attempt I struggled underneath him.  What was the use though when we both knew good and well he was almost a foot taller than me and had the muscle structure to put a Greek God to shame.

              Darkness began to slowly descend on me, my vision growing hazy.  I could feel myself give up to him already, but I still focused what little I had left to reach up to his face and drag my fingers down his left cheek.  Warm blood ran down my hand and his yell filled the night.  I could feel something under my nails, maybe chunks of skin and I smiled ever so faintly in my small victory.  Death was coming for me now, all that was left to do was to kick back and wait for him now.  My eyes were so heavy, and I wanted nothing more than to close my eyes and sleep for just a few minutes.

                My breathing became shallow, my body growing colder as I slowly fought against my closing eyes.  Maybe just a couple of minutes wouldn't hurt.

                The weight on my chest and around my throat were suddenly gone, and cold fresh air poured into my lungs.  My eyes watered as I coughed and gasped, trying to drink it all in.  Hands were holding my down gently and I could faintly hear a variety of sounds around me, all distorted like they were underwater or down a very long tunnel.  With great effort, I turned my head to the side to see what the loudest of the noises was.

                Though my vision was still blurred and fading into darkness, I could see several other people hold him down forcibly on the cold pavement just feet from me.  His cold hard gaze locked with mine and he slowly let the predatory grin return before someone came between us, blocking our vision.  That grin was enough to let me know he wasn't finished, not by a long shot.  That was the look of a madman who would get his revenge no matter the length of time.

                   As the world around me faded to black, I look back to this day and try to convince myself that I had heard something else come from him as the men dragged his struggling form away from me, yet I knew it in the bottom of my heart what I heard was true.

                  "Don't worry, I'll see you soon enough Jackson.  Soon enough…"