Nana always told me to stay away from that forest behind the house. As she always said best, “Tomas, you keep back from those trees. Ain’t not a thing good ever happen near those woods.” She was right, now that I think about it. Lots ‘n lots of missin folks round ‘em. Even them trekkers ‘n hiker folk never came back, and they know what they doin!

But who was I to listen to good sense? I wouldn’t be Tomas if I didn’t have to be so hard headed. It woulda been quick too. I was playing round in the back yard, kickin a ball up against the fence. But I went and screwed that right up. Kicked it clear of the fence, straight into ‘em woods.

I figured, run into ‘em, grab me my ball back, and run back home before Nana even noticed I was gone. A perfect plan, if I say so myself. So that’s what I did. I’ll admit, those woods are real creepy like, especially with how dark they is, even in the day.

Still, I soldiered on. I ran straight into ‘em. They looked real normal like otherwise though. Just dark. I searched good ‘n hard for my ball. Won’t nowhere to be seen. I searched for ‘bout five minutes before I called it quits and turned back.

But it was gone. I hadn’t even gone that far into the woods, but I turned round and saw… more woods. “That can’t be..” I muttered to myself. I figured, I’d walked a little further than I thought, so I started walking back where I thought I came from.

Y’know, it’s real hard keep oriented in such a dark place. Felt like I passed the same little spot ‘bout a hundred times. What’s worse, I don’t think I’ve heard a sound since I’ve been in this place. Not a chirp of a bird, or the buzz of a bee.

I sat down, to get my bearings. Good lord, I wish I didn’t look up. This tall, gangly thing. God ain’t make a thing on this earth that tall. And it had these glowin’, beady little eyes that just burrowed straight into your mind.

I scrambled to my feet so fast, you woulda thought I was a athlete. I ran ‘n ran, never stopped, didn’t even slow down. Did that for bout ten minutes. I figured I lost it then. Couldn’t have caught me the way I ran. But once I caught my breath up against that tree, I got the most sinister feeling.

Lord knows I shouldn’t have looked back. But I did. And it was standing there, hidin’ in them damn shadows. Those eyes still a starin’. Almost like it was mockin’ me. I ran again, I didn’t think I could. And I hid.

That brings us to now. I shoulda just listened. I wouldn’t be here, listenin’ to that thing moving round outside of my little spot. I’m scared, and I wanna be strong. But I got a feeling I’ll never make it outta here. And somethin’ tells me those eyes staring at me are agreein that too.