Sitting in the back of the cab, Jenny sat with her hand clasped on the semi wound down window. The wind whipped her hand. It harshly chilled her skin and every so often she withdrew it into the warmth of the car, then once it warmed up again re-placed it back upon the window. She sat and watched the plant life and traffic rush by, hearing the array of cars pass. Something kept telling her all the things that could go wrong whilst camping. Yet then she remembered how her friend had been so exited to go. Jenny could never let her down…could she? And anyway it was only one weekend, what would there be to loose?

She sighed and changed her position. She thought about all the things she was missing back home. The busy nightlife of London, crowded streets, not an empty road or an annoying little animal in sight; all the perfect life style she loved. And she’d left that for the smelly, dirty nature filled countryside. The taxi driver was singing along to the radio, struggling to reach the higher notes in night fever. Jenny found herself thinking how her father hadn’t even got her a decent taxi firm. She had wanted the type who sat in silence throughout the whole journey, and left you to your own thoughts. Yet she had been placed in the company of a fat nobody, who listened to music out of the seventies and kept looking at her though the rear view mirror. This freaked jenny out and she tried to avert her sight out of the window.

The drive took five and a half hours. Five… and a half… hours, of wasted life, sitting in a taxi, that would cost her about four hundred pounds for one trip, travelling from London to somewhere she hadn’t even heard of in Scotland. Yeah it was cheap for such a great distance, but she didn’t want cheap. Her father could easily afford a decent price for a limo, but no, she got a stupid taxi firm. Everything was increasing jenny’s anger. Not even the thought of her friend’s happiness would stop her anger from building, though she tried to keep it under her control. The vehicle slowly rolled to a stop in a small hamlet. Jenny forced the door open, got out and stretched. A dust cloud arose from where she stood and she frowned at it in disgust. She got her bags out of the boot and settled them in a cleaner area of the roadside. The driver wound down the window and leaned out watching the young girl. Jenny saw him staring and took five one hundred pound notes out of her pocket. She stuffed the money into his hand and mumbled, “Keep the change” just within his hearing range.

As she handed it over the man suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her close. He stared at her with vacant eyes that shone a pale evil blue; it made him look cold and dead. Jenny tried to struggle and release the man’s grip. Her anger turned to fear. Screaming to try and attract attention. Struggling to try and release the tight grip of the driver. She was so close she could smell his warm, putrid breath. It reeked of cigarette smoke that made her cough and stutter.

“Now you listen good kid,” The driver whispered whilst tightening his grip. He was squeezing so hard. Jenny winced in pain. His voice was silky and smooth, like it was coming from somewhere distant. “You know you’ll never escape this place don’t you! You know that once you step into the centre of Smallwood’s forest, you will never see the light of day again!” His voice increased in strength and velocity as he continued. “Promise me kid, promise me you won’t go into the darkness! Promise me you won’t turn to them! … They’re evil…” With these words he released his grip, forcing jenny to fall onto the dirt shaking, and sped off down the road into the mist, the wheels screeching on the dirt track.