Words mean nothing. Actions mean all. I learned that. When I was younger I did things without thinking of the consequences. I hurt people not even batting an eye. But when put in a harmful situation, you think about what the person doing this to you could be thinking. But I'm getting ahead of myself. A little backstory might help.

I was a seventeen year old. That's what I was when everything was normal. I had lived in the same town for 17 years, and was planning to leave as soon as possible. The people here never leave, and no one ever comes. It’s that kind of town where everyone knows everyone, or so I thought. No one had come here in 7 years, and the last person left as soon as they got here. Then no one else came. Until today. It’s the last monday before school starts and I’m in my senior year. School starts next monday. Yet a lot can change in just a week. On this monday, everything started to change. The old couple in the house next to us died in their sleep, so their house was passed down to their son. A very creepy man, no younger than 60. Every day he would wake up at 6:00 in the morning and walk into the woods behind his house. He wouldn’t come back for 6 hours. He came in through his back door, and walked out the front with a sandwich. He sat on the white fence chair on his porch and ate. Then once he was finished he went back inside, and left to the forest again, not coming back until 9:00 pm. 

And that's just the start of things that happened. The house across the street had a young

Family. They had one son who was only about a year old. On this same monday, they moved out, which never happens in our town. Yes kids leave for college, but no families move out. What's even weirder is as soon as they moved out, a new family moved in. I’m almost positive the house hadn’t even made it to the market yet. I saw this family only once. A couple, who looked to be in their high 30s, and a boy, who looked about my age. He was tall but lean with some muscle, with fiery red hair and green eyes. I sat in my window, watching them as they got out of the moving truck. The couple first. Then the boy. I sat there staring, seeing what they were doing, when all of a sudden the boy turns and looks directly at me, sort of glaring. My eyes met his bright green eyes, and for a split second it felt like we knew each other. But then he looked away, grabbed a box and walked inside. I then realized I was still staring. I looked down at my lap, wondering what just happened. The next few days I sat in my window reading a book, waiting to see him again, but it didn’t happen. He just vanished, never left the house.  I saw movement behind the front curtain, but never a person on the other side. I waited almost a week, never catching a glimpse. 

It was Friday when I decided to give up and investigate my other new neighbour. I noticed his pattern every day. I started to wonder where he went every day. I decided that tonight I would find out. Once he left in the afternoon I would follow him. I plotted in my window. It was about 11:50 am when I caught movement on the other side of the street. The couple were walking outside to their truck. The woman looked like she had been crying, the man holding her up to get to the car. He helped her in the passenger side and walked around the front to the driver side and got in. I heard the engine rev and they drove away. The boy wasn’t with them. I don’t know where he is, but as I looked out my back window, I saw the man next door come home from the woods. My plan leaped into action. I grabbed my bag that I packed with some snacks and grabbed my black jacket, racing through my door. I galloped down the stair skidding around the corner into our living room where my parents sat.

“I’m going on a walk”, I shouted as I ran through.

My mother was speaking but I could hear her through the door slamming behind me.

 I ran out to my high fenced back yard. I walked to the fence to the left and looked through a opening. I could see the back door swing open as the man strolled out. He walked to the fence gate at the other side of the yard and stopped. He turned and looked around like he knew someone was watching him. He shrugged slightly and turned back around, opening the gate with a creek. I crept to my fence gate and opened it slowly. The sun was starting to set. Once I got out I hid behind a tree, peering around to see where the man went. I saw him walking down a path. Creeping behind trees, I followed carefully. We walked for what seemed to be forever. I could no longer see my house behind us. He finally stopped and stood by a large tree. There was a low branch and I moved farther forward so I could see. At the moment I stepped forward and heard a clunk beneath me. I looked up to see him pull the branch and that’s the last thing I remember.

I wake up, a dim light is all I can see. I can not tell if its flickering of if it’s just me waking up. I open my eyes fully. I feel a sharp pain in my wrists and ankles. I look down to the duct tape covering them against a metal chair. I look around. There is a door in the far corner of the room, covered in shadows. Above me a light flickering. A light that seemed like it was only being held of by a string. There was a small tray behind me to my right. I could not see it very well but I had a feeling it was bad. My mouth was taped shut so I could not call out. My phone and pocket knife were missing from my pocket. I had nothing I could do. The door made a sound. Like a click of a lock. Then three more sounds just like it. Four locks. Then the doorknob. The door creaks open. A small figure, one I never would have expected, came through and stood in the shadows.

“I can take the tape off your mouth if you promise not to yell” the small figure said. I nodded slightly. The black figure moved towards the flickering light. It was a small girl, her black hair bouncing as she walked. I saw her hand move towards me and I flinch, though I am not sure why.

“It’s ok” she said, “I’ll rip it off fast so it doesn’t hurt.” She pinches her fingers on one corner of the tape.

“Are you ready?” she asks. I nod slightly, closing my eyes. A sharp pain goes across my face as she rips it off.

“Wow” I say, “Your strong for your size.” She giggles.

“I guess so” she replied still giggling. I look down realizing I’m still taped to the chair. Looking back up at her, she looks sad.

“I’m sorry I can’t take that off” she replies to my unspoken words. She looks at her feet sort of swaying.

“Why am I here?” I ask, trying to move on.

“I’m not sure that answer should come from me” She says, her crystal green eyes looking back up at me.

“Ok. I have one more question” I say, connecting my eyes to hers. “What’s your name?” I ask. She opens her mouth to answer when she is interrupted by a booming shout from the hallway.

“Jade!” the voice calls again. The girl looks panicked.

“I’m sorry” she says, quickly putting the tape back over my mouth. I struggle to get free, wanting to go with her. She heads towards the door, but stops turning back to me. She runs back quickly, placing an item in my hand. I hide it, not knowing that the cold item in my hand is. The small girl races out and shuts the door. The four clicks standing as the only sound after that.