It happened.

It happened at night.



I was laying in my bed, wondering...

Just wondering.





This week was going to be hectic,

Oh boy, was it going to be hectic.





I had mid-terms this week.

And i was a wreck.

My head was buzzing with facts, formulas, and complicated little diagrams.





The only thing that broke my silence was the occasional sigh

or creak of floorboards





That's when i heard it.





A sound that I'll never forget.





It was a sound so piercing, so pronounced...

It was as if it was blurring the line between life and death

Every nerve in my body was burning for it to stop.

After what seemed like forever,





It stopped.





My reaction...I can't even remember,

I was crouched in the fetal position, sweat soaking my sheets.





I had to find out what happened.

It wasnt a want...but an absolute need.





I creep out of my bed.

And walk across my room and out to the second landing

...skillfully avoiding every creak in the floor.

...barely moving a step without careful consideration

...and keeping insanely quiet the entire time.



I start climbing down the stairs.

I'm crouched down the whole time.

not knowing what could happen at any moment.



I'm on the first landing,

and I'm all of a sudden stuck there

My mind was willing my body to go on,

but my body--paralyzed with fear.



I finally conjured up all my strength,

and turned the corner, and walked down the long corridor to the family room.



As i walk through the arch to the family room,

I saw the source of the sound that frightened me so



...She was lying there, she could've been sleeping with her eyes open

If it werent for the look of pure fear that was etched into her eyes

and the pool of blood encircling her body.



I wanted to cry out to the woman who had cared for me for the past few years.

who treated me like a daughter

To comfort her.

But, I knew i was too late.

And instinct told me better.



The killer was still around.

Close by.

Perhaps still in the house.



I had to leave.

In that instant, i knew i had to go.

To leave this place of my childhood forever.



I debated whether or not to just leave right then.

To just go out into the night now.



But i decided to risk going up to my room.

I quickly climbed the stairs, and ran into my room.



I was already packed.

Just in case a situation like this surfaced.

I was always ready to run.



I grabbed my duffel bag, filled with all of the necesities:

-a month worth of clothes

-my passport

-my I.d. that "proved" i was 18.

-my fake birth cirtificate

-my laptop

-and $29,689 in cash.



and jumped out of the window,

stealthly landing on my trampoline below.

like i said, i was always prepared.

and i ran into the Allegheny Forest.



Someone was going to come eventually.

That much i knew.



What I didn't know...

Was why...



And this information lay very deep in my memories.

Encrypted. buried. put to rest.

But now, I had to dig them up.

My life depended on it.