The face of the shadow was inches from mine. A deep, rotten stench wafted from its mouth, and the sticky goo that held me to the ground strung between its lips. The goo dripped slowly onto my face as its hot, damp breath pulsed against my skin. A long, split end tongue unfurled from its mouth and roughly licked my cheek. I shuddered under its touch.

The faint smell of her mother’s perfume filled the air around her as she was yanked back into her parents’ bedroom. The door closed and she turned to find her mother staring at her. Her eyes were wide as saucers and her face was ghostly white.

Natalie looked at her stunned. She furrowed her brow as her mother said, “I heard that, too.” She was trembling. Natalie was utterly confused. She looked back towards the closed door, then back to her mother.

Branches of trees scratched at my bare arms. There was a cold wind that whipped through the tears, tearing at my nightgown. I was still sobbing. Each time I stopped, my father pushed me forward farther. I took another step forward and fell, face first, into a pile of dirt. I felt my nose break against the ground. I screamed and tried to turn myself over. I got to my side as I felt the pound of dirt being shoveled on top of me. My body rustled as the dirt flung over me. They were burying me. Alive.