In a blink of an eye in front of me stood the most atrocious creature I ever have seen, I don't know what I saw actually but it's no longer the female cat from earlier, this is something else...very tall, pitch-black with glowing eyes fixing me in place, I can fell his anger and the magnitude of his entire being crushing me down physically.

His hands end in sharp long black nails, I was frozen in place, the smell around this entity was odd and dry while his huge grin almost broke his cheeks. He seems impressed by my controlled fear, I wanted to run but also, I wanted to know what he wants from me, where I am and how to get back home, as a result, I swallow my heart and go for it.

I took a step forward, the mud feels slippery under my feet, he was watching me astonished by my move, it was almost like a weird but in the same time stunning ritual between a human being and a creature of the night, I wanted to know more about him and he wanted to discover what he did not find yet about me.

His eyes were enormously big, yellow-gold like and breathtaking, his body is burned and very skinny...like he didn't have a meal in ages, that thought gives me shivers down my spine...despite that, I took a step closer ready for the worse when... in the quiet forest only one single thing, one single deafening sound howl at me to force my way out of there: his hollowed growl screamed in my ears while my heart was pumping fear through my veins. Synchronized with all of that he picked up a tiny piece of wood, the way he was leading his body down to reach the wood was an action which sends me into pure terror, so slowly, I could feel his ecstatic mood rising like he can't wait to show me something.

He rises his body tardily while his gaze remains on me.

He stood still for a moment, keeping me terrified for a little more time. His hands examine carefully the dirty wood, I don't know what to do, what's going to do with that in his grip?

Then he points in my direction with his long arm and after he points at the wood, his grin disappeared from his face, what meaning is behind this? the piece of wood represents me?

He was holding both of his hands at each end of the wood still looking at me, he broke it in half... making a cracking sound which timidly crawls below my skin while my breath stops dead in my lungs.

What followed happened so fast that I couldn't completely understand my reaction, the last thing I know is that I was sprinting at full speed straight into the depth of the ashed leaves, the thrilling view in front of me minutes ago decompose in a rotten nightmare, he wasn't following me, however, something was fishy. I didn't dare to look and see if he's eating my steps I keep my mind focused on putting as much distance between us as I possibly can.

After what felt like ages I stopped and try to hide behind a tree, it's trunk was rough and cold against my back, I can't hear a sound, just my breath kidnapped by my agitated body, until...I take a small peek from behind the tree, only deadly silence welcomes my ears but this time the entire forest was changed into a creepy labyrinth.

Left, right, in front of me...or back from where I was running earlier were my only options for directions in his playground however, I always come with my rules.

I try to think for a moment, what this arrangement of walls means?

In Greek mythology, the labyrinth was an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the hero of the story, even so, every story has a drop of truth inside.

Daedalus had so cunningly made the labyrinth that he could barely escape it after he built it so, in other words, this creature also knows the way out of here which means he's one step ahead of me.

He could be right after the first corner or, patiently waiting for me at the end of the labyrinth, I can't know unless I don't make a move, despite that a thing I know for sure: the chase has begun.

He's the big cat and I am the tiny rat.

The labyrinth isn't made by real walls, I take a closer look and I can see how every old tree is somehow arranged in such a way that they form roads for me to try.

I look back for a little bit, the sun sets sleepy behind the line of the horizon, I need to hurry up and get out of here before dark settle in.

As I turn my glare back at the labyrinth something is off, I can hear sounds like how you heard when you're beneath the water but I'm on flat earth...what's going on?

I can hear bubbles popping and running water almost like rain but in a muffled tone, the ocean is singing to me...blue darkness which leads me to a place beyond ordinary understanding, mysterious and tragical followed by the sound of wild wind and angry water that looked at me intensely, asking me why I am here? what I am looking for?

-I am looking for the exit, please help me! I whispered petrified by the thought that he will hear me if I raise my voice.

I could immediately hear the sound of a whale, it was breathtaking, guiding me through the forest while the feeling inside my chest was warm, its sound shakes me up like a giant earthquake, but somehow I felt her motherly tone embracing my freaked out soul, I could feel I was safe and I starting to follow her voice right away.

Even so, I still felt hesitant about passing corners after corners which egoistically stole for seconds my view of what I will meet.

Although nothing happened I can feel his stare from the shadows, he's angry and frustrated, maybe he can't touch me if the whale's with me. I grinned a bit at that thought but faded away quickly, what I am going to do if the whale's gone after I reach the exit?

Her sounds calmed me down a bit, I was hearing them like she's far away, in a distance long enough to not be able to see her, but her presence felt very close.

The song of her vocals was getting higher when I was walking in the right direction and lower when I wasn't going right, it was easy to keep up with her, I even started to get so happy without a reason in my mind, the feeling comes out of nowhere, taking some space in my soul and heating up.

Despite that, another feeling, fear, was being stubbornly stuck to my heart so bad that even if I was walking slowly I was breathing with much difficulty as if I wasn't getting enough oxygen in my tortured lungs, right there things started to get turned upside-down.

Without any warning, the whale's noises were more distant and at the same time alert, like she's trying to make me hurry and I didn't react too well.

I was suddenly so disorientated that I couldn't follow her instructions, I was too afraid that he's going to catch me and despite her lower sounds I didn't stop bolting around like a frightened rat.

In the next second, I saw him right in front of me, staring mockingly at me meanwhile the whale was already gone.

Between us, scattered silence was built up making me feel close to a panic attack.

I was with my back on another tree, without any chances to escape, I was horrified as I saw him stepping closer to where I was staying, unmoved, barely breathing.

Suddenly he put his hand on my mouth pushing me further into the tree while trying to take a strong grip on my left wrist he spoke...for the first time in a raspy low voice: I can't wait to meet you again.

His eyes make me feel anxious, I felt so small and weak, his hand was deadly cold, my veins turned blue and my head get dizzier second by second, he never let go, the weirdest thing is that I couldn't feel his breath on my face while he spoke, as if he never breathe in to let out words...

My head hurts so bad by this point, I wanted to leave and before I realize he moves his head fanatically at the right side of my neck and bites hard while I scream in agonizing pain, begging for him to let go. His fangs felt like sharped knives, hot tears were rolling down on my cheeks and boiled blood runs down on my injured neck, after a while, I couldn't feel anything anymore. I heard only one scream of another marine creature, an orca killer almost pleading me to keep fighting, like if I let go of myself now it will be impossible to come back from the madness under the forest.

But I was so tired, so so exhausted and ready to give in when...I remembered about Mark...yeah he's probably waiting for me back home, I need to get back home.

In a fraction of second, I grab all my force and hit him right in the face, although he didn't flinch, he gives me a horrible look, a mix between anger and enthusiasm while he let go of me.I felt shivers down my spine and start dashed in the labyrinth feeling his presence right behind my back.I didn't stop, I couldn't, I was struggling to keep my mind focused on the ways I took rather than the hungry monster that's chasing me.

My mind was blurred by my rushed moves and my body felt high, this forest feels like a drug or a sleeping pill which makes you want to die.

I try to make myself vanish from his view, my feet hurried my body into the darkness which was already settled in the vegetation while my eyes desperately search for an escape.Trees around me spit shadows on the ground while uncontrolled emotions hunt my pulse and froze my blood.

Wait...shadows?...how? that's when I realize the shiny light of a bulb proudly hanging by the crown of the trees which hits me in the forehead, like little stars their light produces a bit of warmth for this creepy place but in the same time a heavy feeling is in my neck...he can see my shadow now.

I stop a bit to take a closer look at these pretty ''stars'' but that will be my biggest regret... as I studied more I can see that inside the bulb a beating heart is painfully squished in the insufficient space drowned in dry blood, surrounded by little electricity cables which make light but also...wake up the body from above...

It took me one blink to completely understand what's up there, young bodies wrapped in numerous twigs infected with rotten skin and hurtful moans almost pleading for death it was making me throw up.

Meanwhile, I heard someone say in a rough muffled voice: run away, as fast as you can. I turn my head and look up, a kid younger than me was watching me so intense with his white eyes, his glance burned my view and suddenly I feel close to collapse. Here are all of the kids that couldn't find the exit...or who were caught by the black figure that's haunting me too. His facial features keep reminding me of someone I am sure I used to know. His dark blond hair seems messy and dry while his uncolored eyes exhaust the orbs in fixing me with his stare on the ground. Dirty blood-covered half of his face, old wounds never being closed up let nature travels inside his arms and stomach where a nest of leaves break free from his damaged skin. Slim branches run down on his legs making deep cuts and holes which never healed. All of him was a mass of injuries, I couldn't move on from the shock of the atrocious view which shakes my knowledge of the world I know and live in. All I could do was whispered in a reserved way:

-What happened to you?

-There's no time for me... to explain that to you, you will remember yourself sadly, Derek. He replied trembling and with much difficulty, that's when I saw his wide-open throat where a rat comes out scaring the crap out of me, it's little nouse and hands were digging in his flesh.

With shivers down my spine, I managed to ask in a nervous, unsure and frightened tone:

-How do you know my name?

He didn't have time to respond as we both heard movement between trees, like some kind of heavy figure let his weight on them creating cracking noise. My petrified eyes search for the source of it, but nothing seems out of the place as I sight loudly.

The cold wind howls above our ears surrounding the space and none of us make a sound, we just look at each other asking for opposite things: I wanted to stay and find out more, he wanted me to leave and find nothing.However, another sound makes me change my mind: his high growl, almost like a bear but sharper ended itself in multiple echoed children laughs…was looking for me.

One single final look at the sacrificed child up in the tree and my memory hit me like a train, I am looking at Eddie, the lost child I used to spend time with long ago, but before I can say something one blink vanished him in a second leaving me miserable, unable to think or move at all while rushed steps heads my way.

It was suffocating, such an enormous feeling I never had, my body refused to move and my breath stops in my throat as I can recognize his rhythm piercing through the labyrinth increasing the speed as if he knows now I am alone again...I try to wake myself up while my mind shouted at me to do something, but it was in vain.

Like a thunder, his weight pressured my shoulders as I look up and I see his twisted body. His legs feel so cold as he let his body bend above my head, his abdomen facing the sky while his neck cracks insanely in front of my eyes. He seemed he's in pain almost, holding his hands behind his back like he was tied up or trapped in something I couldn't see.Even if our faces were millimeters away, I could not feel his breath, I just saw mine getting out in small pale clouds, it was getting colder and the labyrinth was gone when I catch a glimpse of the new surroundings, the forest is back to normal in a second, and I can't understand what's happening. And that's when I came to the conclusion that is pissing me off the most, to not understand at all things, especially all of this.Once I get back home, I'm going to know everything about that orphanage even if it is the last thing I do.

-What the fuck do you want from me, cat? You've been chasing me a lot, I am sick of it, so speak up if you know how to talk. I said annoyed before it gives me a dead shock. I never speak like that...what is this place doing to me?He's staring back at me, making me remember about opia, the ambiguous intensity from looking someone in the eye. It was beautiful in a way, my anger vanished from my soul as a new feeling embrace my body, I felt somehow in love with his eyes, now a green-yellow color, like leaves in the autumn, rusty and old.In a whisper he said:

-Why music feels nicer at full volume?

I'm confused by the meaning of his question, but I blink once and the black dusty cat it's again purring near my feet.Whit a snake movement I step hard and quickly on her neck to keep her unmoved, although it's tiny body was struggling for air, I lean down and grab her small head in my sweaty palm and pull off its head. Her sounds mixed from a barely one till a high scream of an animal in immense pain, trying desperately to fight back pulling her tiny nails out on my shoes to scratch them while her tongue was numbly out of her mouth. The harder I pulled, the louder her screaming become echoing in the silent forest until her neck makes a cracking sound and I stopped, now everything is once again suffocated by stillness while my right hand it's painted in red and with black fur on. I sigh loudly: why music feels nicer at full volume?

My question remained unanswered, meanwhile, staring at the moon I felt how angry she's with me but that thought makes me laugh, the moon has no feelings.