“You have ninety seconds to hide.” The voice echos over the field as I look around. The state I find myself in is unbearable. I’m covered head to toe in the mud and leaves that the ground so graciously clothed me in. This place smells worst than anything anyone could’ve imagined.

But looks unlike anything anyone could have conjured up in their mind.

“If you are found, you die. Good luck.”

I DIE if I’m found oh no that’s not happening.

The number of seconds I have left are slowly dwindling. I run and run and run through the woods.

Tick-Tick-Tick

I hear the second fly by in my head.

I find a tree that has decayed from the inside out but only on the back side. I climb grabbing at some small branches. When I finally reach the hollow of the tree I realize how high up I am.

I sit there.

Waiting.

I find some more leaves other than the ones that were already attached to my clothes and hide my face.

I wait for what I think is a good long while but I know it’s only been a few seconds.

Then I hear it

Snap-Creak-Crack-Pop

If this thing is so terrifying that they say if it finds you, you’ll die why is it so loud?

It dawns on me.

My sister walked into our kitchen one morning and was crinkling and crunching bags and then when we asked her to leave she told us about her prom date.

This thing wants to be noticed.

To scare.

To frighten.

To control.

I freeze as it comes into view it doesn’t see me as it walks by.

I expected a creature with mud all over it and twigs and mess on it.

A person… Wait no… a boy.

He’s about my age. Long slightly curly red hair.

He looks almost harmless… then I see the sword.

Long stainless steel splattered with blood.

I sit up a little to see him over the knot in the tree ,as I do my foot slides ever so slightly and a single autumn leaf falls to his feet. He stiffens as the leaf falls.

I lean back.

“I hear you.” He says

How? I’m not making a sound.

“I hear you heart hammering.”

He says as he walks around the clearing.

What is he talking about? You can’t hear someone’s heart beating that far away.

“A human can’t but a wisp can.”

He’s answering the questions in my head.

I lean forward to see over the knot again.

He stands at the trunk of the tree.

“Told you I heard your heart beating.” He sighs “Told bad it won’t be for long.”