Waking up on the floor of my bathroom, not very normal. Except, this isn't my bathroom. The tile is like ice. It’s dark and dusty except for the florescent light above the mirror. The sink is dripping with brown water. My head hurts. My legs are numb. I try to get up but I fall right back into the wall. I sit still for just a moment, looking at my surroundings as my eyes dart back and forth around the dimly lit room. Finally, I crawl to the sink and hold on for support. I get to my feet and can finally look at myself. My face is pale, my cheekbones are sunk in and my eyes empty. My hair is matted with grass, dirt, leaves and blood.

I don’t remember anything. I don’t know how I got here. I’m wearing a dress and it looks like something I might own but, it’s torn and is covered in the same contents as my hair. I try to turn on the sink, it just runs a deep brown and I decide not to try. My mouth is so dry and tastes metallic. It’s not safe. I hear a voice and can’t decide if it’s my own or someone else’s. I go to the door hoping I’ll find something. I grab the handle and go to turn it and it’s just as cold as the tiles. I turn it anyway and it sounds like old bones creaking. I open the door fully and see wilderness. I was expecting more of a house, and instead find the darkness of dawn, along with my foot hitting the ground and the crunching of dead leaves and dirt under my bare feet. I release the handle. Half expecting it to be there for me to turn right back to if I needed to and half expecting the loud slam of the old wooden door. Instead, when I let go, I turn around and there’s nothing. Just more forest.

I don’t hear animals, or rustling, it’s just silence. All the trees are bare and a deep grey. All the leaves a tan or grey color are now scattered on the dirt. I only now realize just how cold I am and decide I have to either stand here and freeze to death or try to find some sort of civilization. I begin to walk in no particular direction when I notice the light of a flashlight seeping through the dead branches. Suddenly, I feel a ray of hope shine through and walk towards the light. I approach a man and take a step back based on his appearance and realize I don't look much better. He looks to be about mid-forties. The hair on his head already thinning, greasy, and grey. The bags under his eyes seem to be growing every second, his wife beater under his overalls seem like they’ve never been taken off or washed. Although his appearance isn’t the most comforting, he might be the only way back to somewhere I actually know who I am or anything about myself.

“Hello sir, I was um”, I try to make up a lie so he doesn’t think I’m crazy- “I was out taking photos, and I got mugged!”

“Well, sure thing darlin’ I am sorry about that.”, he smiles, showing his yellow teeth. “Well my wife and I have a little cabin just a little while from here, we can get you some of her leftover pot pie and something to drink, and we’ll drive you back to the city.” Maybe he's a little off. But I'm starving, thirsty, and cold. He's probably just a guy that doesn't have a lot of money. And, for some reason, the fact that he has a wife seems comforting to me.

“Okay. Thank you so much!”, I say, feeling a bit easier now.

“No problem darlin’. I heard rustlin’ and as ya can imagine, we don’t get a lot of racket out here in these parts so, I came lookin’. And I bet you sure are glad I found ya! When lady winter is almost here, it gets pretty chilly!”, he said with a laugh.

“Yeah.”, I say, giggling nervously.

“Oh it’s just right here. I gotta make sure it looks nice, I wasn’t plannin’ on havin’ guests. I’ll run up ahead of ya, you stay out here til I say it’s okay. A pretty lady shouldn’t be sittin’ in a dirty old cabin.”, he said. He ran in front of me and I walked slowly along the man made path I could now see in the rising sun covered by grey clouds. I walked up to the old cabin. The house seemed to be eating itself from the outside in. The wood looked decayed and the obvious cherry wood colored paint was chipping but, I could see a warm light protruding through the plaid curtains and suddenly felt calm.

“Alrighty, come on in!”, he says, his head poking out from the front door. I walk in after him. “Well it’s pretty early you've got a log you ahead. How about we do something fun? At least til my wife wakes up.”

“O-okay.”, I say feeling a bit uneasy.

“Hmm… we could play hide and seek! Haven't played that in a while!”, he says and seems genuine in his excitement. He must not get out much.

“Okay, should I hide or count first?”, I say.

“How's about you count. Hiding is more difficult and you look a little tired. Start when you want dear.”

“Ok-”, I close my eyes and begin to count. “Okay, one, two, three, four-”, I hear his footsteps. “Five, Six, Seven- hey what number am I supposed to---” I'm interrupted by a knife going through my hand. I scream in agony and he laughs a deep laugh. “What the hell?”, I scream at the top of my lungs.

“Oh, now, that’s not language we use in this house darlin’!”, he says with his sleazy grin. Tears stream profusely from my eyes. “Now we switch. I’ll count to- answer your question 100- and you'll hide!”

“Screw you!”, I spit. I knew there was something off about that guy. Desperation is ugly and dangerous. I finally work up the strength to look down at my hand. It’s gone right through. It hurts like hell. I try to grab it and realize it’s also gone through the wooden table. I scream again.

“Better start hidin’ hon. I’m good at findin’!” I realize I have to pull out the knife and run God knows where. I touch the handle again and begin to pull. I scream and my vision blurs and suddenly, everything is dark.

                    …

I wake up. All I see is more darkness. Pitch black. Nothing. Great. What now? I hear creaking stairs and suddenly, a light flips on. I squint at the first bright light my eyes have been exposed to in a long time. Honey, honey, wake up! Wake up!