‘Twas a dark and stormy night. I ran, blinded by the driving rain, through the endless forest. I had to reach The Place before midnight! If not, I feared all would be lost.
    “Ahh!” I tripped and fell, landing hard on the ground. Ouch, I would really have a bruise the next day. That is- if I made it to the next day. Suddenly, I heard a deep growl behind me. No! I fear it will be too late, and all shall be lost! Another girl who looked about a few years older than me streaked past, shooting up mud behind her.
    “Help!” She screamed. “They’re coming!”
    I sprang up a nearby tree and held out my hand for the girl. “Come on, I’ll pull you up!” I screeched in desperation. I couldn’t watch another person die without even trying! I couldn’t!
    “Too late.” She moaned, defeated.
    “No!” I wailed as a black cloud enveloped her, and shut my eyes tightly. When I opened them, she was gone!
    I slipped out of the tree and landed softly, continuing onward to The Place. Cascading vines threatened to trip me up at every step, and I lost track of time. My lungs burned, my feet ached, but I pursued onward. I had to make it!
    Suddenly, the ground fell away beneath me and I plummeted downward. My head smashed against a rock, and I saw stars. Blinking off the dizziness, I braced myself for the impact.
All at once, vines shot out of nowhere and caught me. No! From one danger to another. The Tendrils had caught me! I swiftly yanked my knife out of my pocket and slashed through the thrashing green creepers. Catching a jutting rock, I clambered out of the hole. Racing onwards, I rushed to The Place.
A rancid scent overwhelmed me. It was the odor of rotten eggs, sweaty socks, and three-day old yogurt gone bad. I heard rustling, and thumping? I fell, and pushed myself upward, spitting out grainy chunks of bitter mud and grass. My grip tightened around my knife, and I turned around to stare directly into a pair of bright blue eyes.
“Cierra!” I exclaimed. She was my best friend from the village, before it was destroyed by the Midnight Monsters. Speaking of which, it was almost midnight, we had to hurry. I grabbed Cierra, and we bolted toward The Place. I could see the door when my hand slipped out of Cierra’s.
“No!” Came our anguished cries as she was brutally torn from me and dragged into the undergrowth. There was no time to mourn, I sprinted to the door and locked and bolted it behind me, panting hard, just as the clock chimed midnight. Safe at last, I collapsed, knowing that this peace would not last long.