Anne rose with a rush as a suffocating sensation wakes her from her sleep. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she was drenched in sweat. Dazed and confused she tries looking around to let her eyes adjust and focus, but the darkness made it difficult.

‘Tom?’ she groaned through gritted teeth.

There was no reply.

Tom was on his back, staring into the sky above. His breathing was fast and irregular. It was only after the ringing in her ears subsided a few moments later that she could hear the sounds around her.

Loud rabid barks were echoing from all around them. The branches above them shook violently as large shadowy shapes rushed through them.

Hide. Hide. Hide. She repeated in her mind, trying to get her limbs to move. She wiggled and rolled her body. The leaves she was sleeping on gave way and her body dig in deeper and deeper. Within seconds she covered herself with the leaves.

Tom, move! You must hide. Do something!

Tom stayed frozen with shock.

Two of the dark shapes overhead came falling from the hanging branches. They hit the ground next to them with a crash of twigs and dust. The entities were fighting, yet the fight was short-lived as one of them barked and cried in pain, darting off into the distance to join their passing hoard. The remaining figure stood still. It lifted its head, sniffed the air, and snapped in the direction of where Tom and Anne were. Its movements were unnatural. With arms and legs bending at weird angles and limbs much longer than its body, it imitated the movements of a giant spider. The creature’s body was suspended two feet off the ground as it dangled from between its limbs, and in mere moments it was standing over Tom. Teeth bared and bloodthirsty.

Its body resembled that of a large baboon, but with three eyes on each side of its face, glaring down at Tom. Large fangs were protruding from his opened jaws and a smaller mouth appeared to sprout from its neck, with a dark black tongue dangling from it as it breathed. The baboon let out dangerous growls from both its mouths as it lowered its face right down to Tom’s.

Toms breathing stopped, and his eyes darkened into a pitch-black mass. The baboon creature draws back and opens its jaws wide, readying to strike.

Tom! No! No...

A torrent of dread rips through every corner of Anne’s soul and spills over her thoughts. The assault of fear is so fast that she is overwhelmed in an instant. Her fingers dig into the sand as her small body twist and spasm. Blood gushing from her nose and down her face.

Her senses leave her.

Quiet darkness envelops her mind.

***

Daddy!

Dad! Look, dad.

I drew a picture for you. dad. The doctor said we must draw a picture of our family. Look, it’s us! That there is you daddy. And there is mommy. Mommy is in the ground, and she is holding her favorite flower that we always take to her. This is me and there is Tom and over there...

Anne slowly opens her eyes.

‘Tom?’

Tom nods as he washes her face with his shirt. His eyes were baggy, and his face was emotionless. It was early morning and the sun was still low. There were marks in the sand leading from where they had slept.

‘You dragged me all the way here?’ she said looking up at him.

‘What happened? I thought I lost you.’

Tom just shrugged, wiping more blood from her face.

‘Thank you’ she whispered, still confused.

What happened? I can still taste the blood in my mouth.

Tom got up and helped Anne get on her feet. They stood there for a moment, both getting their thoughts together after all that happened.

‘We can think about what happened here later. We need to get out of here.’

Tom nods and points in a direction.

‘Smoke!’ said Anne as she looks where he is pointing.

Off in the distance, a thin pillar of smoke can be seen drifting sideways as it is taken by the wind.

‘Tom you genius. That way. We have to go check it out.’

Tom shoulder Anne as they start walking. Her legs are too numb to walk more than a few steps without him. Anne looks around at their sleeping spot as they pass it. The sand surrounding their makeshift beds is red with blood and dry to a crisp. Tom ignored the scene and pressed on while Anne looked over her shoulder, trying to make sense of what she is seeing.

That can’t be my blood. That is too much, even for both of us. Tom seems fine. His clothes aren’t even dirty.

They make their way closer and closer to where the smoke is coming from. As they reached the top of a small hill, they could see over a big valley. A small farm was sitting on the bank of another small stream, surrounded by a few small fields. A big red and brown barn had a big bonfire in front of it, sending out big clouds of smoke.

What happened last night? What happened to Tom… his eyes? And me… I can’t remember. I only remember the screaming.

‘Thank you, Tom, but I think my legs are ok now. I can walk’ Anne was about to ruffle his hair when he moved a curl out of her face instead, tucking it behind her ear.

‘Stop looking so worried. I’m ok’ she giggles and grabs his hand before he could take it away. ‘C’mon, let’s go see if we can find someone down there’

The sun was already high when they neared the farm. Anne wipes sweat from her forehead. They climbed through a creaky wooden fence and slowly neared the side of the barn. They find a few bushes clustered against a second fence a few feet from the fire, and hid, looking for anyone or anything.

‘We can do this. The people here should be nice, right?’

She said, breathing faster.

They waited and waited, but nothing happened.

Anne grabbed Tom by the arm. Without a word, they made their way to the barn door. Anne peered inside.

‘It’s empty.’

Arf-arf, arf!

Anne and Tom jumped and they both dove inside the barn. The sounds were coming from outside.

Arf! … Arf. The sound came closer. Then from around the corner, a plump orange-brown dog came wobbling. A little girl in tow. She was small and had red ribbons in her hair with a somewhat dirty pink dress. The dog reached the middle of the clearing when the girl caught up, throwing her arms around it. The dog barely feeling the weight on him decided to concede his capture, end promptly plopped down onto its belly and fell on its side. Giggles erupt from the little girl as she clutches the dog’s fur.

‘Brwoof woof woof.’ The little girl added her soft barking. The dog replied with a big ‘Wrroooof!’, then dropped his head on the grass.

‘Pumpkin no, no you n-not tired now. We just started playing.’ The girl cried as she tried to shake the big dog into action. The big dog barely moving. It was clear it was half asleep already.

‘Pumpkin you are fat!’ the girl giggles as she pokes his belly from the side.

‘Wiggle wiggle wiggle’ she mumbled; the dog’s tummy wobbling.

‘Hiiihihihihi hahaha’ She laughed and rolled over onto her back, kicking her bare feet and flailing her arms up into the air.

Tom and Anne were staring unblinking from inside the barn, peeking out behind the big door. They lean in too much and the door budged. A loud creak boomed through the barn.

Pumpkin jumped at the noise and barked. The little girl also jumped up and was standing behind the dog, staring wide-eyed into the dark barn. Pumpkin paused and sniffed the air.

‘Yaff!’ the dog yelped. As if on instinct both Pumpkin and the girl swung around and darted straight for the house. Her pink dress fluttering as she ran, she held one hand in the air, waving it wildly. Before she reached the house, the door burst open and a big burly man stepped out, a large gun held across his chest. The girl only stopped to point at the barn, then disappeared inside.

‘He is coming for us!’ Anne squealed. They ran deeper into the barn, looking for a place to hide.

‘I can’t see! It’s too dark.’ Panicking, they run around a big tractor in the middle of the barn.

‘Here!’ Anne called to Tom. She found a big wooden crate. The crate was only quarter full, filled with some smelly pellets. They jump in and close the lid. Their heartbeats almost audible inside the dark quiet crate. It was only moments later when the sound of big boots was heard passing them. They stayed as quiet as they can.

A door at the back of the barn slammed shut.

Is he gone? Did he leave?

They stayed still. Minutes go by in silence.

He must be gone. Ouch, my legs are cramping.

She slowly lifts the lid so she can look through. It was too dark to see much.

‘I think we are…’ The lid swung open with a shatter. A big silhouette was standing over them. The barrel of a gun inches from Tom’s face. They both shut their eyes, shaking… waiting.

‘Well hello there’ a deep gritty voice broke in the silence.

‘Where d’ you come from? Come now don’t be shy’

They opened their eyes. The darkness was gone. A few lights hanging from the roof were turned on, lighting up the place.

It was a broad-shouldered man with a big wild beard. His pale blue eyes poking out under his bushy eyebrows. He rests his gun over his shoulder then held out his hand. Neither Tom nor Anne moved a muscle.

The man gestured with his head, and the little girl came running in, ducking behind her dad’s leg. She was too short to see into the crate.

Anne finally rose. She was staring intently on the man’s outstretched hand. Mustering her courage, she grabs onto his hand, barely grasping two of his large fingers.

‘You ready?’ the man asked. Before Anne could think he lifted her out of the crate and onto her feet. Shaken she looked at Tom. Tom seemed content with the situation, holding out both his arms for his turn.

‘Why, aren’t you an eager one?’ The man grumbled with a grin and lifted Tom out the same. The man quickly tries to break the unease.

‘This here is Tiffany’ the man gestured at the small person clutching his leg.

‘Say hello Tiff.’

Shy, the girl presses her face against his jeans.

‘Hewwloww’ she muffled with her face still covered.

‘Now now Tiff, greet them properly.’

She slowly revealed her face, blushing. ‘Hi. Mm-my name is Tiffany. What’s your name?’

Anne wanted to answer, but no sound came when she tried to speak.

‘Harr harr harr’ the man chuckled. ‘Let’s go inside you two. You look hungry if I ever saw.’ To that, they had no defense. They were starving.

They made their way to the farmhouse. Tiffany skipping after her father, and Tom an Anne holding hands and following at a distance.

It’s going to be ok. Ok? Ok. I’m scared. I can’t let Tom know. I’m so scared. What if it’s dangerous? What if… they get hurt?