The girl ran as fast as her short legs would allow, the journey hard for one so young. Roots threatened to trip her, making her stagger off and on through the darkness of the woods, while low hanging branches whipped against her face and tangled in her dark brown hair.
Tears streamed down the girl's face, her lungs aching for air that didn't seem to come quick enough, but she knew she couldn't stop. The monster was behind her, and she knew any hesitation would end in her demise.
Sounds came from ahead, loud beeping, a blasting of horns, and a low growl that sounded as though a large animal were about to rip it's way into her path and destroy her as well. Lights flashed in the darkness ahead, blinding her for a split second, a split second too long. Agony bloomed to life inside her as her foot caught on a root, lurching her forward, and a soft, breathless squeal ripped from her tiny body as she toppled down a sharp, rocky incline. Rocks scrapped her arms and legs, gravel burying itself into her soft flesh. Never before had she felt this much pain, not in her 6 years of life. Short bursts of memory flashed behind her eyelids, daddy picking her up after her falling down, a small amount of blood oozing from a small scrape on her knee, daddy's big brown eyes soft as he talked soothingly, one hand wiping her tears away while the other brushed the dirt off her boo boo, and mommy's kisses after she put a bandage on it. Something told the girl that this was much worse than that, mommy and daddy couldn't help her now. Her boo boos would keep bleeding. The monster saw to that when he ate up mommy and daddy.
When the child finally landed at the bottom of the incline, she lifted her head to see bright lights, a horn sounding and a loud screech. She flinched away from the chaos, her heart still pounding in terror, her breathing coming in raged pants.
The creature in front of her unfolded, and she realized it was a car. A woman and man stepped out from behind the blinding lights, coming closer to her. Relief unlike anything she ever felt washed through the girl, knowing she had a chance. She clung to the woman, only realizing then that she was shuddering violently, her teeth chattering, though the night air was almost warm in the mountains of West Virginia.
"Oh my God, Chris, what do we do?" The woman asked, worry thick in her voice as she addressed the man.
"Is she Ok, Anna? The poor thing looks terrified! Where did she come from?" The man's voice sounded from behind the child, sounding equally worried.
"What happened , honey? Where are your mommy and daddy?" The woman asked, her voice soft and her hand brushing down the girls tangled mane.
Struggling with her chattering teeth, the girl looked up from where she fell, frantic with terror. She could just barely make out the gleam of eyes, watching her, but when a large truck went by, the gleam was gone. She pointed into the woods, far from where the monster had been, and muttered the one word she could; "m...m-mons- monster..."