Have you ever had that feeling you were being watched? How even though it's daytime you're still scared of the dark back rooms of your home? Well a game was played this day, and there was a price to pay for this game being done. Let me take you into the story of my horrid past, and my near death experience!

My name  Ashley Conner, and I was never really scared of much as a kid, except the average fear of spiders and kidnappers. I moved in a new home, and it would've been pretty lonely if I didn't have my dog Milo with me. I'm very socially awkward, so that limited me having friends in high school  or a decent relationship. Out of all my encounters, I was able to make one friend, her name was Valeshka Varinmore. I know, way too fancy of a name to hang with me, right? Valeshka was a transfer student from Russia that stuck to me for guidance and directions, even though I didn't really wanted to be around anyone really. I helped her with school, and she helped me open up a little; She told me talking to my dog Milo can help me open up me and build more speech skills. She told me how she would try and practice English by speaking to her cat for hours, that really made me like her, just cause that was a very weird method. We've been friends for over 5 years now, and she keeps trying to make me meet someone, but I told her I didn't have the courage and should probably wait. I'm 20 I have plenty of time to settle down and find "The One'', but till then it's just me  and Milo. 
The house was really old, and made of wood, plus it was built very deep in the woods which worried me a lot, but there's a dirt road that leads from my house straight to the town, so I wasn't that worried any more. The day we arrived, and Milo kept barking as I drove along the trail to the house, his barks turned more into desperate wines as soon as the house was in sight. I thought he just wanted to pee, or was very car sick; I parked in front the house, and put his collar on. When I opened the door, he bolted out nearly dislocating my arm. "Stop it Milo, calm down!'' I yelled. He finally stopped pulling long enough for me to get out the damn car, but something was wrong. He stood there, frozen, looking at the front door of our new home. "Well, lets get settled in." I said, patting Milo to reassure him I was there. I walked up to the door, and got out my key, but surprisingly the door was already unlocked. " Stay here Milo," said "I'm going to go put the boxes inside." He sat there, yet he still looked a little jumpy, I was sure he was going to be fine; Maybe he was just scare cause it was a new place, I totally understood. As I carried the boxes inside I tripped at the door and fell, a sharp object felt like it went in my leg. I looked down to see a nail has went directly into my shin. 

" Fuck!" I screamed. Milo kept barking at the door but strangely he wouldn't come in; It was very weird because every time I bumped my foot in the old apartment, he would right there to see about me, It was like he was too terrified  to move anywhere! I pulled the nail out my leg, and limped around the house looking for a bathroom. Milo finally came in, but he looked so scared of the place to where he was trembling; He stuck very close to me, which made it very hard to walk seeing that every few steps I'd stumble over him! I Finally found the bathroom, But it was so weird, it was built like a closet with only a toilet, a sink, and a medicine cabinet. I got some bandages  from out the medicine cabinet and looked down at my injury, it was gone. Milo stood whimpering in the doorway, and I was left thinking "What the hell was all that about, and why is there no cut". " I felt so real," I said. "You saw me fall, right boy?" All he did was give me a deep sigh. "Fine," I said stroking his fur. "We'll sleep in the car tonight, but tomorrow, you have to be fair with me okay, let go!" We raced to the car, Milo slid in the dirt from running so fast. We both jumped in the car, and I grabbed a blanket out the box in the backseat and we slept. 

I awoke the next morning to see that there was very thick fog around the car that morning light could barely pierce . " Humph, it must be early in the morning." I grumbled stretching my arms. "This is the perfect opportunity to get all those boxes in while Milo is asleep." I thought. Carefully opening the door to the car, I grabbed one box and gently slid through the door. I began walking towards the direction of the house, but then I realized the fog is so thick, I don't actually know what direction I was walking! " God dammit!" I muttered. I was straining my eyes trying to see through the fog, but that wasn't the worst part, the imprinted dirt trail to the house was gone! I was wandering for at least 30 minutes before I began to panic. "Fuck, I'm probably deeper in the woods that I'm suppose to be!" I Yelled slamming the box down. Then I felt a certain chill, like I wasn't alone, like something was watching me. I looked behind me to see a tree that wasn't there before. The tree had some white piece of paper on it. I retrieved the note and it read:        

" This is a game for the brave, a classic game of hide and seek for three days! You survived day one, and you're on day two, lets see what today has to offer you. Don't look back, don't make a sound, cause soon the huntsman will be around! He doesn't like children in his woods, so staying  within trees won't be very good. Avoid this man at all cost, look for the light and you'll never get lost. I wish you good luck and to see you soon, but you better start now cause here comes your doom!

"What the hell does this mean!" I whispered shakily. I turned around to see a large man in the distance. He walked a couple paces in my direction and stopped. " Hey!" I yelled. "Hey buddy I'm lost, can you help me!?" The man's body silhouette began to grow darker, and piercing red eyes formed on him. " Oh no, OH FUCK NO!!" I said sprinting in the opposite direction of him. I heard heavy footsteps trotting behind me, he was chasing me! I was basically running blind; Running with my arm leveled in front of my head in case I hit a tree. " Help, SOMEONE HELP ME!!!" I screamed desperately. Then a small whisper came to me " You have to stay quiet." it said. I looked down to my right to see a little girl in a tattered dress running with me. " If you stay quiet and don't look back he can never tag you, okay?" 
" Are you fucking crazy!!!"
"you have to trust me, stop running but don't look back"
"NO! I'm not  he's going to kill me!"
" Please ma'am, if you don't the game will go on forever. You won't get hurt I promise!"
"God dammit," I mumbled. " Fine." I stopped running  but she continued to. " Wait, why you get to keep running!?!" I screamed at her. " Cause' I'm not a part of the game anymore, I was tagged!" She yelled back at me as she disappeared into the fog. I stood there shaking and sweating "Oh god please, please save me lord." I thought to myself as I heard the footsteps get closer and heavier. The same whisper came to me again "Close your eyes, and hold your breath, and when you open your eyes you'll be in a way safer hiding spot" I did just as the girl's voice told. I held my breath as the very aura of this man was upon me; Tears ran down my face, and I was praying more fiercely in my head. I couldn't hold my breath anymore, I needed air, so I gasped and opened my eyes, and when I did, I was in my car...... 

"Was that all a dream?" I said "It couldn't have been." I looked to the side of me and Milo was no longer in the passenger side of the car. The seat was torn up with all kinds of scratch marks in the seating. " NO, Milo!" I yelled looking around the inside of the car. When I finally turned back around, through the windshield I saw the fog had lifted, and the door to the house was wide open. "Those bastards took Milo, I'll kill them!" I grumbled in anger. I went in my purse and got out my handgun and a pocket knife. Looking at that sort of made me glad being paranoid paid off. Knife in hand I advanced towards the house. I walked into the living room; It was dank , dusty, and didn't look like it had life in it for over 35 years. "Milo! Milo! Where are you boy?" Out of nowhere a little boy strides at me, I quickly pulled out my knife and pointed it at him. He stopped in his tracks and said " Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, but mama's trying to sleep!" " Mama?" I said "Someone lives here?" " Well of course someone  lives here, the house looks like this cause mama hasn't been feeling like herself lately." "Oh, no apology needed" I said with a nervous giggle. " If you're here to play the game, then go to my sister's room upstairs 3rd door to your left." "Okay, thanks" I said as I started up the stairs. " And for God's sake DON'T wake up mama!" He included. I arrived to the little girl's room, and there she was, the same girl from the woods was sitting on the bed with Milo! "I'm sorry I took him," she said " He wasn't safe in that car while you was gone."  " It's fine" I said as I sat beside her. " My name is Beth Willow, what's yours!" she said with such joy it made me smile. " My name is Ashley Conner, nice to meet you Beth, thank you for helping me in the woods." I said smiling back at her. " Yeah no problem, after I got tagged, it's not that fun to play anymore" Beth said looking at the floor. "But that's not the case!" She included. " Your days are almost up, they gave you a head start, but you got to get out of here while they are still looking for you!" " Well I'm taking you too," I said "Get some clothes together we are leaving." Tears of happiness ran down her face as she nodded and rushed to her dresser. When we were all set Milo followed behind as I opened the door, to my surprise the boy was standing there, only his eyes were red like he has been crying. "I heard everything." He said " You cheated Beth, when you are tagged you're not suppose to help the players!" He yelled " I told mama!" Beth began to grit he teeth and cry "WHY DID YOU DO THAT!" She screamed! A big hand grabbed my shirt and began dragging  me to the stairs. " Mama stop I'm sorry I woke you up, don't hurt Ashley!" Beth cried desperately. I looked up to see a big woman with a worn down flower dress and curly hair. She threw me hard down the stair tho where I thought I was going to lose consciousness. 

" Get that fucking dog out of here Bethany, you know I hate dogs!" The woman yelled. "He ain't hurtin' no body" Beth cried holding on to Milo '' Nathaniel, get that damn dog out of my house" The woman yelled again. " Yes ma'am" said Nathaniel as he pushed his sister off Milo and dragged him by the collar down the steps. The big woman started to come down the stairs slowly, only in her right hand was a shotgun. "So, you thought you can just come in my house with your stank, barking dog and steal my daughter?!" She said cocking the gun. " I'll blow you fucking head off!" She yelled pointing the gun at me. "NO!" Beth screamed as she tackled her mother on the stairs. They tumbled all the way the the bottom floor, I managed to get out the way just in  time. The door flung open and it was the woodsman. The big lady's neck was rotated all the way backwards and blood spewed from her eyes and ears! "NATASHA!!" The huntsman yelled. I quickly grabbed Beth and ran out the door. Milo is barking like crazy outside,  I look around to see the little boy had an ax lodged in the back of his skull "Nathan No!" Beth cried kicking for me to let go. '' I'm sorry Beth, but we have to go" I pleaded pulling her to the car. " C'mon, c'mon, we got to go" I pestered. Beth and Milo jumped in the car; I ran to get to the driver's side when all of a sudden an ax is thrown at me.It missed and went in the windshield. " YOU BITCH," The huntsman growled " YOU DID THIS, YOU DID THAT TO MY BEAUTIFUL BRIDE!" He included as he began to run towards me. I quickly got in the car,and fumbled with my keys trying to find the one for the ignition! The huntsman grabbed his ax out of the windshield and started swinging and breaking it more; Beth and I screamed as I fumbled more for the keys. Milo barked and barked at the man hacking at the glass, as I finally found the key, thew the car in reverse, and drove off.

I made it back to my home town, and I  stayed in an old hotel till I can got my apartment back. Beth explained the whole story of "The game" being played at that house, of how there where actually twelve children that stayed there. When you are tagged you are basically killed, but if you survived the attack then you are now it. When I found that out I was terrified, but by the time I realized it was Beth that was it and not the huntsman, I was already stabbed 3 times. twice in the abdomen and once in the back. Don't worry, she called an ambulance for me, and now I'm all better. In fact she was by my side through the whole process of surgery; weird I didn't know they let children In the surgery room.  Now that I'm out the hospital, I'm pissed. The one time I let people in and trust them they KILL ME! So I want vengeance, for all who lied and betrayed me. And guess what........... I'm it. and I want to be it forever...
This is a game for the brave, and I'm coming for you. At this very moment while you were distracted with my little story, I've nested somewhere nicely in the darkness waiting for you to pass in front of the wrong shadow. You're done reading now... go fix you something to eat, or maybe go to bed, or better yet, cut the lights back off........

.. See you soon..