Jade Basra was running in the forest. Her signature silver pendant pounded against her chest as she jogged on the path she had made so many years before, chocolate hair flying, olive skin slick with sweat. Squirrels skittered away from her as she flew past. Listening to her iPod, violet eyes closed, she didn't notice the sun setting.

Jade opened her eyes to a dark forest. Her heart flooded with fear.

I need to get home.

Jade’s childhood had been filled with stories about creatures who lived in the dark, coming to take her away from her home in Manaus. Jade hadn't believed them, but they all seemed so real now. Jade took a deep breath. She turned around to go back to her father’s house, but something made her stop. Listening closely, Jade heard a soft dripping sound, like water falling from a leaky faucet. Jade didn't know why it scared her so much, but she had goosebumps all over her arms, though it was a warm night. Somebody was walking close to her― she could hear the fall leaves crunching. Jade, starting to run, tripped over a tree root and landed flat on her face on the hard ground. Spitting the coppery blood out of her mouth, she heard something else now; somebody else breathing fast and ragged, as if they had forgotten how to breathe normally. The plopping noise grew louder. Jade sat up very quickly. She had no weapons. The crunching and dripping grew louder and louder, surely going to reach her soonㅡ

And then it stopped. Jade looked up cautiously and screamed.

Before her stood a little girl in a thin pink slip, with pale skin, curled black hair, and big red eyes. Her little mouth was covered with blood, which was dripping out of her mouth; the dripping noise I heard earlier, Jade realized. Her feet were bare. Her breathing was ragged. Out of control.

Then Jade saw the slit in her neck.

Screaming, Jade leapt up and ran away. But she could hear the thing chasing her. The faster she ran, the closer it seemed to get. Finally, she saw her dad’s house. Shouting in victory, Jade pumped her legs harder. Mistake. The thing caught her arm, dragging her into the darkness as Jade howled in pain and fear.

The only thing her father ever found in the morning was her beautiful silver locket.