Haunted

“Who are you?” Neveah asked the little girl as they stood in the middle of a meadow. The little girl had long-blonde hair and the purest blue eyes she’d ever seen. The yellow sundress had seen better days and was slightly tattered.

“Millicent.” The little girl plucked a couple of the little purple flowers that surrounded them.

“Why are we here?” Neveah asked as she accepted the flowers from the little girl. Neveah scanned their surroundings. She had never seen this meadow before and wondered where they were. “Where are we?”

Millicent replied without looking up at her. “I don’t know. I just come here because of him.

Neveah frowned at the little girl. “Who is he?”

The little girl plucked some more flowered and began to braid them into a headband as she refused to answer.

“Millicent,” Neveah said her name harshly. “Who is he?”

Millicent dropped the floral headband and looked up at her. “I don’t know. He doesn’t like you.”

Neveah could only stare at her. “Who is he?” she asked again.

Millicent let out a huff before she stood. “He doesn’t like you.” Then she took off running toward a section of woods.

Neveah groaned as she stood and followed the little girl. She entered the woods and paused to listen. There were no sounds, no animals or insects. It was eerily quiet. “Millicent?” Neveah called out. She reached up to brush a lock of hair from her cheek as she continued to search for Millicent. She turned around and started to walk back to the meadow. This time she wasn’t alone, there were other people standing around watching her. Neveah noted they all were wearing the same type of colors of white shirts and black pants and they all were staring at her. She had no idea who these people were and why they were staring at her. It sent chills cascading down her spine. There weren’t any flowers and this time it seemed as if the meadow was dead. The green grass that once covered the meadow was dead.

“Millicent?” Neveah called out with a shaky voice. “Where are you?” She was desperate to find the little girl. There was a dark shadow that passed over in the sky and she looked up. She couldn’t figure out what it was and she was starting to get scared. She approached one of the men standing in the field. “Where is she?” she asked him but got no response but he continued to stare at her.

“Who are you?” She asked. Neveah gasped when she realized his eyes were closed. Neveah stepped back and walked over to a woman with long brown hair who stood there. Her eyes were closed as well. Neveah couldn’t help but feel as if they all were staring at her.

“Millicent!” She cried out as she stumbled backward away from the woman. The sky was starting to turn gray but there weren’t any clouds. Neveah couldn’t even see the sun. The people in the meadow were beginning to move—surrounding her. Her heart began to beat wildly as she tried to make her way out of the maze of people in the meadow. A soft whimper escaped her lips as she tried to make her way between the bodies surrounding her and she began pushing them away from her.

“Ethan!” Neveah cried out.

“Ethan!” Neveah cried out as she shoved and pushed her way out of the meadow and all the people who were surrounding her. She kept calling out to him but he wasn’t there. She could hear voices but none sounded familiar to her.

A dark shadow crept up behind her and she swung around to face. “Who are you?” She demanded as the people seem that were surrounding her slowly departed away from her. The dark shadow didn’t answer her. It was then she realized who these people were. “These people—they’re all dead because of you.” It was more of a statement then a question. She was right and she knew it. It’s why they all were surrounding her and they’re eyes were closed.

“Where’s Millicent?” She asked knowing she wasn’t going to get an answer. Neveah took a step when the dark shadow crept closer to her. “Stay back,” she demanded and held out a hand. The dark shadow didn’t listen as he moved slowly toward her.

“You’re not going to take me. I won’t let you.” Neveah said as she stepped into the woods.

“I will take you. You are mine.” A voice filled her mind. It sounded male and very creepy as it spoke.

“No.” She whispered as she darted to her left away from the shadow. She felt how evil the shadow was and it wanted her. “Ethan!” She cried out wondering where he was.

“He won’t help you,” the evil voice told her.

“He will!” She cried out as she started to run away from the meadow. The shadow gave chase and she could hear it laughing in her mind causing her to trip onto her knees. Neveah cried out but didn’t feel any pain. “If this is real I should have felt some pain.” But it felt real to her. She looked around her and saw that it was starting to get foggy.

“Where are you Ethan?” The shadow man was growing closer her. She rose to her feet and started running again toward…she had no idea where she was going she just had to get away from the shadow man. Her heart was beating out of control as he breathing came in gasps. Sweat dotted along her forehead even though it was cold and foggy and everything around her grew damp.

She paused against a tree as she drew in huge gasps of breath and let them out. She heard the evil laughter again. Something told her that he was enjoying the chase. Her clothes were damp and clung to her skin as she scanned her surroundings wondering where he was. “You can’t have me. I won’t let you.” Neveah told the darkness. “I belong to someone else.” She cried out before she pushed away from the tree and ran with all of her might.

She paused again at another tree and her arms hugged the damp wood. Up ahead she could see lights from a house that seemed familiar. It’s was Ethan’s house. It was so close yet so far away. Tears began to slide from the corners of her eyes. She could hear Ethan speaking to her.

“Aroha ana ahau ki a koe.” He whispered into her ear.

Neveah closed her eyes and cried out, “Ethan!” Her heart ached for him.

“No,” the darkness hissed next to her ear.

Neveah whimpered as she shivered when she felt him sliding against her back. “I belong to him. I belong to the living.” She jerked away from and took a step closer to Ethan.

“No!” The dark shadow screamed as she moved away from him. His fingers bit into her shoulders to hold her back.

Again, Neveah jerked away from him. She could hear familiar voices talking and they were growing louder. There was another voice that sounded somewhat familiar but couldn’t place it.

“She’s starting to come around.” The female voice said.

That voice sounded so soothing and Neveah made a move toward it. She held up a hand waiting for someone to grasp it. It was Ethan’s hand that closed around hers. She knew his touch and it was so loving that she didn’t want to let go. “Aroha ana ahau ki a koe.” Neveah whispered to Ethan.

The darkness tried to shove her back into the dark void that she didn’t want to be in. “No, I won’t go there. I belong into the light.” She told the darkness with such force that it flew away from her and light began to fill the darkness.