Marie stopped. She looked at her father -- who was standing at the door of the wooden cabin, his arm outstretched towards her -- and turned. She looked back at the trail, the dark, murky path that she had found herself lost in so many times before, and smiled. It was calling her, yearning for her, it wanted her -- and she wanted it. She longed to walk along the path again, just like before, and be free of the rules that plagued her in her home with her father.

"Marie," her father called gently, stepping towards her. "Come home."

Marie looked at her father and scowled. "Why should I? I'm sick and tired of your rules! I just want to be free, to have fun!"

"Marie, please," he said quietly, motioning to the house. "My rules are only to keep you safe. Come home and be with me."

Marie shook her head violently. "No!"

Then, she ran. She darted into the forest, onto the trail, and ran as fast as she could. She could hear her father yelling after her, pleading for her to stop, but she did not listen. He didn't believe she could make it, that she could survive the night, but she would prove him wrong.

This time, things would be different.

She ran and she ran, and took in the cold, fresh air and smiled. It felt good, as it always did. She clutched her blanket tightly as the wind grew colder, but she still did not stop running.

Finally, out of breath, she dropped to her knees in the middle of the trail. She hugged her blanket as tightly as she could, and her smile widened as a dark warmth began to writhe through her body. Her eyes closed as she began to succumb to the sinister feeling.

A whipping sound shocked her eyes open. She looked to her left, just in time to see the tail of a snake snap into the darkness. Her breathing mellowed.

Standing, she began to walk, this time slower, and it was then that she realized, the forest did not look nearly as beautiful as it had before. The trees bore no leaves, the moon did not shine as it once had, everything had changed. Like throwing back the curtains. Confused, she looked around. She was still on the trail. Certainly she was not lost.

Her pace quickened.

The night air seemed to stab her wherever possible, so she used her blanket as a shield against the cold, a sword to protect her from evil. But the more she walked, the less she felt that she needed it. The cold air felt nice anyhow, even if it hurt. So she dropped the blanket to the ground, and almost immediately, she heard the snake slithering in the bushes nearby.

She began to jog.

The world seemed to be getting more bleak by the second, more dark by the moment, more sinister by the minute.

She began to run.

Her shirt caught on a branch, and her sleeve was torn from her. She screamed as she ran into more and more branches, and felt her clothes rip from her body. She began to cry, to sob, and she called out for help, for her father.

She could hear the snake nearing her, getting closer and closer, and she called even louder as she fell into the dirt. She looked to the left, just as the snake emerged from the bush with a snarl, rearing back its head, preparing to strike. Marie knew she had gotten herself into this, and did not try to escape. She only gave one last feeble, powerless scream.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed the snake by the tail. The snake lashed back and bit the arm of his attacker, who then tossed the snake back into the bushes where it had come from. The arm belonged to Marie's father. He covered the fang marks with one hand, and held Marie tightly with the other.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently, obviously in pain.

"Thank you, dad, thank you," Marie murmured, hugging him with every ounce of strength she had left.

"Let's go home," he said with a weak smile.

So they did. Along the way, Marie's father gave her new clothes to wear, and so she changed. He also gave her a new blanket, which she hugged happily.

When they reached the house, the dad ran ahead. Stopping at the door, he turned to her. "Please, Marie, next time be more careful. No more running through the forest," he said firmly but gently as he opened the door.

Marrie stopped. She looked at her father -- who was standing at the door of the wooden cabin, his wounded arm outstretched towards her -- and turned. She looked back at the trail, the dark, murky path that she had found herself lost in so many times before, and smiled. It was calling her, yearning for her, it wanted her -- and she wanted it. She longed to walk along the path again, just like before, and be free of the rules that plagued her in her home with her father.

"Marie," her father called gently, stepping towards her. "Come home."

Marie looked at her father and scowled. "Why should I? I'm sick and tired of your rules! I just want to be free, to have fun!"

"Marie, please," he said quietly, motioning to the house. "My rules are only to keep you safe. Come home and be with me."

Marie shook her head violently. "No!"

Then, she ran. She darted into the forest, onto the trail, and ran as fast as she could. She could hear her father yelling after her, pleading for her to stop, but she did not listen. He didn't believe she could make it, that she could survive the night, but she would prove him wrong.

This time, things would be different.