The Forest. Part One.

I was taking a stroll one night when I found I could not sleep. It was a calm, quiet night, with a cool breeze. The only reason I could not sleep was because of my sleeping disorders and I didn't wish to take the medicine anymore. Whenever I took it, the dreams.. the..the nightmares.. they felt too real for comfort. The pills made it so, I could not wake up until the effects wore off no matter how hard I tried. I went through the same routine ever night for the past 5 years but, I cannot live in the nightmares forever. While I was walking I made the decision to take a short cut through the wood to literally get back into my yard (if you think this is a story about little red riding hood, I hope you get eaten alive by a barrel). I would have to jump over the fence but, I didn't really care. Walking slowly, I turned into the path that led into the forest. When I was half way through the woods, I pulled my phone out of my back pocket to check the time and to turn the flashlight on. The clock said 12 a.m. I looked at the battery percent left. "Shit. Don't you dare die on me yet." I whispered yelled at the stupid piece of technology.

Walking faster now with the flashlight on my phone on. I heard something snap a branch behind me and I eminently stop[ed walking. Thinking it was a dream, I started to hold my breath and I turned around. "Of course, "I thought. "Nothing." Then I heard something... it sounded like a quiet laugh.. or someone starting to cry. I pointed the flashlight toward the direction and being the idiot of a person I am, I started to walk to it. The noise got louder at I approached. Strange as enough as this situation is, I wasn't nervous or scared at all."I guess the nightmares paid off." Is what I was thinking as I saw the figure. It or...he was sitting on the ground with his head between his knees. I walked behind him and just put a hand on his right shoulder. The noise he was making stopped and he lifted his head. He stood up and turned toward me.

He had this smile carved into his face and pitch black messy hair. I was not frightened at his appearance one bit. If anything I was surprised. He had these... piercing dark blue eyes that one could get lost in for hours and not know it. "Am I beautiful?" He asked in a remotely deep, husky voice. At first, I just stood there, not knowing what to do and his grin grew wider by the second, causing me to smile too. "Yes. You actually are." I whispered. He immediately stopped smiling and slowly pulled a large knife with dried blood on it out of his white hoodie. He held it up to my throat causing me only to smile more and asked, "Am I still beautiful?" "No matter what you do, you will always remain beautiful." Was all I said. He started to lower the knife with a surprised look on his face. "How are you not scared?" He asked puzzled "I have nightmares ever single night. I've grown used to it." I replied. He simply said, " Huh.." and put the knife away. I cringed and said out of impulse, "At least clean it off so you don't ruin your hoodie." His mouth literally dropped when I said that but, he recovered fast. "I suppose you're right...Would you mind helping me clean it?" He asked. "Sure." He took the knife back out of his pocket and handed it to be blade pointed out. Not thinking, I grabbed the sharp end taking it out of his hand. I took my black jacket off and sat on the ground to clean the blade. I think he was watching me the entire time. I set the knife on my lap for a minute while I put my jacket back on. I stood up and handed the knife to him, with my wounded hand. He quickly shoved the blade into his pocket and grabbed my wounded hand. He walked closer and licked the still dripping blood off of it.

It tickled, when he licked it. I started to laugh and quietly said, "Stop it! It tickles!" He stopped, dropped my hand and stood there. "What's your name..?" He asked quietly. "Clara. What's yours?" His gaze dropped to the ground and said," Jeff Woods." I knew that name from the news..from all of the killings. "I don't care what you've done.." I responded ( I can't stop smiling at him.) He looked up at me and asked me where I lived and if I needed help. I told him and he said he would help me get there. I asked him where he lived, he just laughed at the question and said, "You really don't want to know the answer to that." My phone started to beep and I knew that it was going to die very soon. I stopped walking, my breathing quickening. One thing that the nightmares never helped, was my fear of the dark. "Clare, calm down. It's not going to die forever, it's just going to go to sleep." "I forgot to tell you, I'm afraid of the dark.." Of all the things he could have done, he laughed. "Of all the things that have happened tonight, you're scared of darkness?!?!" My face lowered to the ground and a tear slipped out of my eye (stupid tear ducts!) Jeff must have noticed because the laughing suddenly stopped and he walked toward me. "Look at me." He demanded. I just kept my head to the ground because I didn't want him to see me like this. Jeff put his hand under my chin and forced me to look at him. "Everything will be alright. We can just wait until morning." Won't the cops find you.." was all I could say even though, my parents would kick my ass if I wasn't home when they woke. "If they do come, I'll lead them away from you and make them go to sleep." "I'm not going anywhere yet Clare." I smiled and nodded my head slowly.

He led me into the woods further and asked me to close my eyes. I willingly did so and he picked me up and started to run. He smelled like dry blood but I didn't care. I laid my head down on his shoulder/chest area and put my arms around his neck. I wanted to open my eyes to see him again but, I didn't want to anger him so I kept them shut. "Almost there." He said to me quietly. He stopped running but he didn't put me down. "No matter what you hear, do not open your eyes." I didn't say anything I just snuggled into his arms more causing him to laugh a little. I heard him open and slam shut a door and some people yelling. "Touch her and I will kill you." Jeff said. He started to walk again this time, up some stairs. There was another door that opened and closed. Jeff set me down softly on a bed of some sort. 'You can open your eyes." I was in his bedroom. He crossed the room to lock his door. The bed I was sitting on was pushed to the wall, there was a dark colored dresser, a nightstand with a light and a little desk which was cluttered with paper. "I'm sorry I had to bring you here." He said. "It's fine," I said. " Better than home." Jeff looked at me strangely. "Please don't ask." was all I could say. He shrugged and walked over to me and sat next to me. "Are you tired?" I thought I was going to scream my head off when he asked me that and I started to shake me head no fast. "Don't make me sleep!" "Clare, I'm not going to kill you. It's fine to sleep." He said confused. "If I sleep I have nightmares which I get murdered in ever single night!" "I feel all the pain that happens during the dream." I said and started to silently cry. "I promise I'll stay with you all night and if you start dreaming, I'll wake you up." Jeff said while scooting closer to me to give me a hug. I shook my head okay and kicked my shoes off and so did he. I laid back on the bed, my face to the wall. Jeff laid down next to me and put an arm around my waist and pulled me closer to his body. "Good night Clare." "Good night Jeff." with that, I fell asleep almost instantly.