Violet’s long dark hair clung to the back of her neck as she continued to run. Her vision was blurring; her breathing labored. She knew if she paused they would catch her but she couldn’t help slowing down. By now she was tripping over her own feet, stumbling in the dark forest. All around it seemed as though the branches were hands reaching out to grab her, every living thing in alliance against her. As she ventured on, a pale light appeared in the distance. Violet hoped and prayed it was a sign of help and not a sign of her imminent destruction.

The slight hope that she was nearing help drove Violet to run faster. With all the strength left in her, she pressed on, focusing her attention on the dying light ahead. She was so focused on the light that she neglected to see the low branch in front of her before it was too late to duck. Thrown into a dizzying fit, she collapsed onto the dark, musty forest floor. She tried to keep her mind at bay, convincing herself the snapping sound was just an animal stepping on a dead tree limb, and keeping her heart from racing by claiming the strange whistling to be that of the wind. As another snap was heard to her left, Violet scrambled to her feet and made a mad-dash for the pale light that seemed to be drawing ever closer.

To think the day had started out normal would be inconceivable, but it had. However, the day had been anything but normal. After school Violet had made her way to work as usual, but unusually she was asked to lock up shop, resulting in her walking home in the dark around eleven o’clock at night. Violet was not one to fear the dark but she was still cautious about walking home alone so close to midnight. Realizing she had no other choice, she took a deep breath and began the long trek home.

Rounding the corner to her neighborhood, Violet felt a rush of wind behind her as though someone had run past her. When she whipped around, though, there was no one and nothing there. She figured her mind was playing tricks on her because of the late hour and, dismissing the thought, continued home, her pace quickening just the slightest bit.

Nearing the family-owned shop on the corner, Violet smiled as she saw the owner’s daughter emerge from the store. Her smile quickly faded though as a seemingly deranged woman appeared out of the shadows, racing towards the owner’s daughter. Violet desperately wished to help but there was nothing she could do as she watched the owner’s daughter’s lifeless form crumple to the ground. The deranged woman dropped the knife that had been in her hand with a satisfied smile. Suddenly a young man appeared and cradled the lifeless young woman in his arms, sobbing. The other woman leaned down, removed something from the dead girl’s hand, and placed it on her own finger. Blood dripped from the woman’s hand and Violet gasped. The young man’s head shot up, as did the woman’s, her bloodshot eyes boring into Violet’s. The woman reached down for the knife and, without a second thought, Violet took off down the road. She had no idea where she would go; all she knew was that she couldn’t stop. Never before had she imagined she would find herself in such a predicament.

As it became clear that the pale light was coming from a tiny cabin porch, Violet still could not believe this was her reality. It had to be a dream. However, as she felt the coolness of the doorknob in her hand, it brought her out of her daze. Thankful the door was unlocked, Violet entered the cabin quickly, shutting the door behind her as she slid to the floor panting. Bad day to leave your door unlocked, she thought. It was dark and silent in the cabin, the only sound being her own labored breathing. Quickly but silently, Violet sprung to her feet and began searching the cabin for something to defend herself with. They were approaching, she could feel it. Realizing her best weapon would be the baseball bat lying on the couch, she grabbed it and made her way back to the door.

Violet waited just inside the door, bat raised, breathing only as much as she dared. Soon there was the sound of hurried footsteps and she watched as the doorknob turned. In the next instance, she blindly hit at whoever or whatever walked in the door. She no longer cared whether the one she was knocking unconscious was after her or not; she just wanted them down. There was a thud and Violet knew she had hit her target but she didn’t dare look at what exactly her target had become. She raced out the cabin door, the bat still in her hands. As she did, she looked down at her feet. On one shoe was a red stain that had not been there when she had put it on that morning. Her target was dead. Violet had just ended someone's life prematurely but she consoled herself with a simple thought: just one life to compensate for the innocent one.