((A/N Ok so I'm not really sure about where this idea is going to go and if it will be any good but we'll see what happens!))

Tallahassee, Florida, June 2005

Caelynne

I followed my brother outside, laughing as our parents made an ushering motion with their hands.

“Go on and go play outside. Your father and I would like some privacy,” my mother told me with a smile on her face. I screwed up my face, plugging my ears with my hands.

“Eww mom, god that’s gross!” I declared, wishing she hadn’t put that mental image into my head.

She only laughed at my antics, shooing me along. “You go on, your brother’s probably waiting for you. I know you won’t want to be here much longer,” she teased as I fled into the forest of the back property. We lived in a big city, but we were on the outskirts and owned quite a big piece of land.

“Caely, hurry up!” I heard my brother yell from the forest up ahead. I grinned as I ran towards his way, my body pacing itself, glad that I was finally starting to get back in shape. Hooray for track and cross-country. I found Damien waiting for me with a smile on his youthful face. I jogged up to where he was standing and ruffled his hair.

“So what’s the game today Dames?” I asked, as was ritual. At least twice a week my brother and I would come out here to the forest to play a game, as a special bonding you could say.

“Today’s game is hide-n-go seek,” he replied happily before running off into the trees. I rolled my eyes playfully before starting to count.

“One, two, three, four…” I continued on, finally ending at fifty. “Fifty! Ready or not here I come!” I declared, jogging off into the forest to see where he was hiding. The hard thing about playing this game in the forest was the multiple trees and bushes to hide behind. That’s why we never used a base; it could take at least 20 minutes to play just one round.

I made my way through the underbrush, weaving through the trees as my sharp eyes scanned the area for anything that resembled Damien. I just kept looking, getting a little frustrated, as I couldn’t find him. Just as I knew I was getting towards the stream I heard a blood-curdling shriek. My head whipped around and towards the house and Damien jumped down from a nearby tree.

“What was that?” he demanded as I started to sprint towards the house. The only thought on my mind was mom and dad as I felt the thorns scrape my bare legs. I could hear Damien trying to keep up with me from behind, but I was only concentrated on the house. I finally made my way to the clearing and stopped at the horrifying sight before me. My house… it was on fire. Oh god, in the window; it was mom!

“Mom!” Damien screamed as he rushed towards the house. I saw something out of the corner of my eye and I grabbed for Damien. He struggled to get free as I held on to him, drawing him into the forest.

“Caely! Let me go!” He screamed in my ear as tears ran down his face.

“Look,” I forced out through closed teeth as my heart slowly started to shatter and break. Circling the house was this… thing. It walked on bow-legged legs that were scaly and blue. It’s broad torso puffed out at a weird angle, and it’s long neck held a triangular head with coal black eyes. What was it? I heard my mother scream again, trying to say something to us, as tears streamed down her face. I could just barely make out the words.

“Run.” I dragged my brother farther into the forest as the tears on my face turned from a stream to a torrent. Each step further away was a hard blow to my heart. I was killing my parents.

But if you don’t leave now, then you and Damien die as well, her mind reasoned as she dragged him along. She seemed to have lost all feeling as they started to hurry through the forest to get away, never to come back.