Most of the leaves had dropped from the trees, forming a thick carpet that the girl kicked her way through as she trudged home through the forest. Behind her, the intermittent rustle of the last few remaining leaves falling sounded like soft footsteps. "Don't look round. Don't look round." she muttered over and over, in an effort to convince herself that there was indeed nobody there. A part of her mind was telling her that if she didn't look, if she didn't see anything, then there was nothing to be afraid of.
However the other corner of her brain was beginning to panic, telling her that whether she could see it or not, there was something there and it was dangerous. That message was getting through to her body, and the adrenaline was beginning to race through her veins; shortening her breath, raising her heart-rate and causing her to walk perceptibly quicker. She began to hurry, her steps lengthening, and the warning voice got louder and louder. By now, the fear was taking over and she started to run; stumbling over rocks and tree roots. Yet still she could hear those soft footsteps, not rushing, but even so keeping up with her mad dash for safety.
"Don't look round. Don't look round. Don'tlookround." It was like a mantra of increasing helplessness which made about as much sense as a baby playing hide and seek or peek-a-boo who believes that if he can't see, than he can't be seen.
But there, there was home. There was safety. Heart pounding, lungs ready to burst, one last boost of speed. The key was ready in her hand. Would she fumble the lock and fail at the last hurdle? No. And then she was inside, with the door slammed shut behind her.
Fearfully, she pulled back the corner of the curtain to peep through the window and saw.... nothing. She began to laugh at herself, the terror turning to relief even quicker than it had begun. Letting out a huge breath that it felt like she'd been holding the whole time, the girl bent to pick up her bags from where they'd been dropped in her haste to get the door closed.
"Hello," said a quiet voice behind her. Caught off guard in her newly relaxed state, she forgot her mantra and whirled round. Then she saw just what her brain had been telling her not look at, and now it was time to be afraid. The screams that began inside her head came bursting out at an ear-shattering level as the quiet voice started to laugh.
The laughter continued long after the screams had stopped.
