“What?” I called out, barely whispering.

‘Rock-a-bye and rock-a-bye, the wolf has eaten the sheep. My little lamb, what did you do when you found yourself in the wolf’s mouth? The wolf, traitor and devourer has eaten all of the lamb, of the lamb only the skin and horns and nothing else remain.’ the voices chanted once more, but louder.

I screamed and looked at my surroundings, I wasn’t in my cave but my mom's old house. Looked around and saw that I was in my room, my old room anyway, but why? I quickly brushed off the question when the fresh scent of fish bacon and cherry pancakes hit me like a flash of lightning. I quickly shot out of the bed and bolted for the staircase, completely forgetting that I should be cautious. I made my way to the stairs and held my breath. She was there and alive, she looked just as beautiful as I remembered with her long blond hair, soft pale skin… but she seemed different.

“Good morning mi hija(my daughter), I made your favorite, fish bacon and cherry pancakes.” She cheered, but she was wrong. The lady didn’t know this so I played along.

“Good morning mamá, muchas gracias(mom, thank you very much)” I chirped softly, though I was able to hide the sourness in my comment, she wasn’t fooled easily, she knew something was up..

“mi hija, is something the matter” she echoed, 

“no, no, para nada mamá,(no, no, not at all mom,)” I replied, biting back my fear, I decided to throw her a bone. “It’s just that you must have forgotten that my favorite breakfast is your special Huevos revueltos con chorizo y Churros con chocolate.(Scrambled eggs with chorizo and Churros with chocolate.)” I looked up from my plate, and she was gone.. I turned behind me and the door was wide open, I could hear a faint groaning in the wind, I go to the door as my curiosity starts to get the better of me, I feel a cold presence from behind me, I turn to look behind me and the entire house is gone, replaced by the eerie sight of tall dark trees, looming over-head.

“Hello?” My voice echoed through the trees, nothing 

“So.. you don’t like my food?” I grimmenced as I heard a screech, like a child who just got the chanclas, it gave me a headache to say the least, my head hurt so badly I wanted to cry, it didn’t help that my childhood came rushing at me like a waterfall of pain, I couldn’t take it anymore I screamed so much that I awoke this time I was back in my cave,

“Thank god, it was just a dream..” I told myself,

“Or was it?” An eerie voice laughed out, I grabbed my backpack and ran, as much as I didn’t want to admit it then, I was scared. The night was evermore yet I continued on, I had to keep moving for Ally's sake. Despite the odds I kept hope in my heart that Ally was still alive, but the odds were against me as I began to smell rotting flesh, in a poorly dug grave laid my best friend, Ally Barkerson. It felt like a part of me had died inside, my knees gave out, the air around me had gotten colder, and time seemingly stopped. I cried till the sun began to rise in the east, I felt another presence and a part of me knew it was that creature that had appeared earlier,

“This is your fault, she’s dead because of you, you and your dumbass warnings” I deadpanned, it was like it could feel my pain,

“Ман хеле пушаймонам, ки фарзандам, ман ҳеҷ гоҳ намехостам, ки фарзандонам ба ту чунин дардро расонанд .. ин метавонад фоидае надиҳад, аммо ман ба ту вақт ҷудо мекунам. шумо ҳақиқатан дар бораи ӯ ғамхорӣ мекардед, ман медонам, зеро мову шумо як ҳиссиётро эҳсос мекунем, зеро мо бо ҳам алоқамандем..(I am so sorry my child, I never wanted my children to cause you such pain .. it may not help, but I will give you time. you really cared about her, I know, because you and I feel the same way because we are connected.)” it replied in a monotone voice, almost matching my own,

“What are you? How, how can you justify this treason? I don’t need time, I need answers.” I was crying by that point.

“Ман нигаҳбони ҷангал ҳастам, марде, ки ҳамсараш бева карда, бо шаш фарзанд рафтааст, рӯҳи танҳо бо танҳо бо хаёли ман мондааст, дугоникҳои калонии маро фиреби фиреби ғор дар ғарб, калонии маро ҳамлаи гургон, дугоникҳои хурдиамро бед ба тарафи шарқ дафн карданд ва писарам аз тарси он ки ӯ низ ба сарнавишти даҳшатнок дучор мешавад, гурехтааст..(I am the forest keeper, a man whose wife is widowed and left with six children, a ghost left alone with my imagination, my older twins were tricked by a cave witch in the west, my eldest daughter was torn by wolves, my younger twins were buried by a willow to the east, and my son he fled in fear that he too would face a terrible fate.)” He spoke with so much emotion that it seemed real. I felt his presence disappear, gathering my strength I properly buried my friend, I had finished saying a prayer, before letting my eyes close as I drifted off to sleep.