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A thick fog filled the morning forest air, and I did not want to have to make the long walk through the woods to our closest neighbor. I had to deliver to them a basket full of peaches, and I was supposed to return with a basket full of corn. The walk one way alone took me more than an hour to complete. I did not mind walking; I spent a lot of time walking the trails in the woods near our house. This walk was one I dreaded every time my parents told me I would have to make it.
If I had any brothers, my parents would send one of them on this trip for sure. Unfortunately, there was only me and my five sisters, so we had to do the work around the garden and with the livestock normally reserved for male children. My father put in long days and hard hours to take care of as much as the difficult labor as he could, but there was only so much one man could do.
Three days a week I made trips to the closest neighboring homes to trade produce. The other two trips I did not mind at all, but there was something about this path that scared me every time I hiked it. Although I never saw any other people on this one trail, I always felt like someone was out there somewhere watching me. I could never shake the feeling something was lurking about the underbrush stalking me every time.
Generally, my father allowed me to bring Caden, our family dog, along with me. Today Father got up early and went hunting, taking Caden with him. The two would not return until I was already making the walk back home. I was not totally unprotected as my mother allowed me to bring one of the six shooters with me, and I could shoot better than anyone else my age living in the valley. I would still feel much safer with Caden because he could sense things I could not.
Until late morning came to warm up the air, the fog would linger around obscuring my vision to no more than a hundred feet at best. I wished I could make this trip later in the day after the morning fog cleared, but mother needed me at home to help tend to the little ones. I was about to turn thirteen in a month, and the closest sister to me was only nine. Until she was a few years older, Mother would rely on me to help tend to my youngest sisters.
Normally I would skip, play games of hopscotch along the trail and enjoy the beautiful scenery around me as I made my way to our neighbor’s. That was normally except for this one trek. I never could pinpoint anything particular about this trail, but I never felt like I was alone when I walked this way. Even on a clear day, when I could see for as far as the trees allowed, I still felt uneasy. Not once did I ever see anything to validate this constant sense of paranoia, but no matter how many times I made this walk, the sensation never went away.
The fog was transparent to a point centered around me. Even though I could not see the fog up close, I could still feel the tiny wet droplets landing against my skin. More than once, the mist tickling the hairs on my arms and neck sent shivers down my spine. This only served to intensify the feeling of being watched, and I picked up the pace a bit. Perhaps I could push myself harder today and get my task done in a shorter period of time.
Somehow moving faster only intensified my uneasiness, like something was following me. It was as if my increased pace somehow agitated whatever was stalking me, but now slowing down no longer felt like an option. So long as I continued to move at this rate, I should reach the neighbor’s land in just shy of an hour.
I knew this path very well, and I should have been paying attention to what I was doing. The tip of a large rock protruded from the center of the trail, and I kicked it hard with my left toe as I hurried along. Falling to the ground, I dropped a dozen peaches onto the ground when I hit. I guess I was lucky as I could have spilled the entire contents of the basket, which would take me time I did not want to waste to gather them all back up.
As I gathered up the last two peaches, I glanced up the trail for a brief moment. I thought I saw someone standing next to a tree beside the trail, but when I turned my gaze back to confirm what I saw, it was gone. My eyes darted up and again to the ground so quickly, I did not pay enough attention to know if I did in fact see someone. If I did see someone, it would be the first time I ever encountered anyone else on this trail. I saw others regularly on the other trails I took throughout the week, but never on this one.
Regardless of the lack of other travelers I saw on this trail in the past, there was still always that chance I might encounter someone else. I withdrew the pistol from its holster on my hip. Continuing to keep the pistol in my grip, I folded my arm across my ribs and rested the firearm on the top of the basket. This was it would not be so obvious to others I was walking with a gun in my hand.
Cautiously, I approached the tree next to which I thought I saw a figure on the trail. My pace slowed as I scanned the area for any sign there was someone else out there. I saw no footprints in the soft, wet ground on either side of the trail nor did I see anything else to indicate I was not alone. Continuing slowly, I did not pick the pace back up until I could no longer see that tree in the fog behind me.
Now I was more careful to pay attention to the roots, rocks or anything else in the trail that might once again cause me to lose my footing and send me plummeting to the ground. This trail, just like the others I walked every week, I knew very well. Regardless of my degree of familiarity with this path, I still exercised caution as I continued to the neighbor’s home.
If I were able to travel the way the crow flies, I could reach my destination in probably no more than fifteen minutes. As it was, this trail wound through the woods like an inebriated snake. The path was packed firm, but there were many places immediately off the trail that only appeared solid. What would look like hard ground covered in short vegetation to some was actually very thick, very deep mud. It was not quicksand. One would not sink in it and die, but a person could sink as far as to their shins. It was really easy to lose one’s shoes in the soft mud.
Continuing along my way I reached a small hill over which the trail wound wildly through the trees. When I was about to crest the top of the hill, I could see two figures standing next to the path up ahead. They stood just inside the area visible to me in the morning fog. One of the people stood on one side of the path while the second stood on the other. Neither one of them stood directly on the path.
I froze in place, too terrified to move any further. I knew everyone living in the valley and a bit beyond, but I did not recognize either one of the figures standing before me. They did not appear to notice me for the first minute I stood there, but as soon as they saw me, they fled.
When they fled, they did not run like normal people would. The one on the left side of the path leapt over the trail in a manner that reminded me of a frog or toad. Very quickly they disappeared into the wall of fog surrounding me. I could not say for certain because everything happened so fast, but I thought I saw the two not running away. They appeared to be bounding by leaps on all fours.
My mind had to be playing tricks on me. No person could flee in the manner I saw these two retreat off into the fog. I had a crucial decision to make. I was no more than ten minutes from my destination, but that meant possibly leaving myself vulnerable to these things hiding in the heavy fog. I was the best shot of any kid my age here in the valley, but I did not want to have to count on that with my vision still so obscured. Something could leap out of the white wall of mist surrounding me before I had a chance to even take aim.
Swallowing my fear, I continued on until I finally broke into the clearing surrounding the neighboring home. Stepping out of that forest, even though the fog still lingered in the opening, gave me a large measure of relief. I could hear someone chopping firewood, and someone must be feeding the chickens as I could hear the birds clucking in excitement.
It was a few more minutes before I saw the house, but I called out to announce my arrival. The father and one of the sons replied, and less than a minute later the mother exited the home and greeted me. I tried to hide my excitement, the extreme relief I felt when I saw this family. At least for now I was confident I was safe from those people, those creatures, those whatever they were for now.
I brought the lady of the house the basket of peaches I brought for them, and she invited me inside where she would fill my basket with the corn I was to carry back home with me. It was not a small basket, and the load was a cumbersome one. At this point in my life, I was used to such tasks. Even though I was a girl, I had to do the work of a boy since all my parents had were daughters.
My stomach was growling audibly, and the nice neighbor lady offered me some buttered biscuits she had left over from breakfast. I ate breakfast myself this morning, but the long walk and the heavy basket helped me work up another appetite. I was more than happy to accept the biscuits. She even offered me some strawberry jam to sweeten them up and give them some moisture as they began to grow stale.
As much as I wanted to, I could not linger for too long. Mother was expecting me home to help with the little ones. Waiting for the fog to lift completely was not an option. It was clearing a bit as the morning sun burned it away, but it was still dense enough in the trees to provide a hiding place for anything that might be stalking me.
As I exited the large log home, I considered taking a trail that led to another neighboring family’s land, but that would take me more than three quarters of an hour out of the way. If I was going to do that, I would just wait for the fog to lift and return to my family’s land. In addition to that, I did not want the boy out chopping the firewood to know I was scared. Being the best shot out of anyone near my age, I had a reputation of being one tough girl. That was a reputation I was not willing to risk by avoiding the scary path.
The fog in the clearing surrounding the home was virtually gone, but I was very disappointed to find it still lingering rather heavily among the trees. This trail always seemed to be foggier than any other, but I always assumed it was due to the marshy terrain that dominated the forest between our home and the neighbor’s.
I withdrew the six-shooter once again and rested in on the top of my basket. The fog allowed me to see perhaps ten feet further than I could before, but it was not much lighter than when I exited it twenty minutes ago. I really hoped it lifted more than this, but I guess anything was better than nothing. By the time I made it back to my family’s homestead, the forest air should be clear. Taking a deep breath, I stepped beyond the trees and strolled along the path past the forest line.
I felt an intense sense of dread as the trail disappeared in the fog behind me, like something was waiting for me to venture deeper into the woods. Whatever I saw earlier, if I saw it, could be hiding in the underbrush waiting to pounce on me. Although my fear surged and I could hear the blood rushing in my ears, I was still unsure if I ever saw anything to begin with.
Trying to convince myself all those figures were nothing more than swirls in the fog, I could not shake the feeling more than one set of eyes observed me as I sauntered along the trail. This one pathway between these neighbor’s land and ours was the only one that ever made me feel uncomfortable, and the trip this morning seemed more intense by many times over.
Although I gazed about the area looking for anything unusual or out of place, I tried to focus most of my attention on listening to the sounds of the forest around me. The sounds of frogs, insects and birds gave me a small measure of assurance nothing supernatural was afoot, but only a small measure. Doing my best to keep my eyes and ears alert, I carried the heavy basket filled with ears of corn as quickly as I could. I had to be careful as I did not want to trip and fall again, but the fog was not as dense as it was during my trip the other direction.
My heart nearly burst through my chest when I heard a group of small birds all take to the air at once in a violent flutter. I turned to scan in the direction from which I heard the sudden noise, but the tiny flock of birds was beyond the range of my vision thanks to the persisting fog. I stood there motionless, trying to catch a noise, the snap of a twig, or something to indicate something on the ground scared away the birds. Only the normal sounds of the forest echoed through the air, so I assumed it was probably a small mammal in the branches that scared them away.
My attention was so focused on one side of the trail, I was not paying attention to the other. Satisfied it was not a large predator that scared the birds away, I turned and was about to resume my walk. That was when I saw, no more than twenty feet away from me was a hideous creature like something out of my worst nightmares.
The thing somewhat resembled a human in that it had arms, legs, a torso and a head. Its skin was a patchy green that blended in well with the forest floor. The hands and feet were grotesquely elongated, which was probably what allowed these things to walk across the vast patches of mud that filled this part of the valley. The eyes appeared empty, like the eyes of an animal, and its oversized jaw made me wince in horror at the thought of this thing eating me.
I could not say with any certainty how long I gawked at the monstrosity before I lifted my pistol off the basket and pointed it at the abomination. I was sure it would either run or attack when I trained my weapon on it, but the creature simply turned its head to the side as if looking at me out of curiosity. It was looking at me with an air of curiosity, but I was sure it was trying to assess the situation. The inhuman beast was trying to decide if the pistol was a threat before it attacked me. I did not give it the chance, and I fired a shot into the socket of its lanky shoulder.
I expected it to emit a loud, high-pitched screech. Instead, it lowered its jaw, drew in a deep breath and let out a moan so deep, I could feel it more than I could hear it. I could feel the wicker basket vibrating in my arm. Injured, but seemingly in no pain, the horrific beast turned and leapt away like a frog. In only two bounds it was already beyond the edge of the fog, and I could no longer see the creature.
At this point I began to run. It was difficult with the heavy basket of corn in my arm, but we were going to count on this food to help us make it through the winter. I could not drop it and leave it behind. I did not think my parents would ever believe me if I told them what I saw, and I could not arrive home without our trade with the neighbors. If I could keep up my current pace for the rest of my journey, I would be home in a little more than ten minutes.
I pushed myself as far as I could, but I only managed to run perhaps four or five minutes before I had to stop and catch my breath. If it was just me, I could run from the neighbor’s house to ours without stopping, but the basket of corn was both awkward and cumbersome. It simply made a long, sustained run impossible.
I sat the basket down on the ground and immediately checked my surroundings. The fog was a little thinner now, and it did not obscure my vision too incredibly much anymore. I still could only see for about fifty feet or so, but that was much better than it was earlier this morning. Slowly turning in a circle, I looked for anything out of place, but nothing currently seemed amiss in the immediate area. With its inhuman skin color, that beast or perhaps even a host of the things could be hiding in the underbrush, and I would probably never see them unless they moved while I was looking.
After shooting the one creature, I was sure more would come to take revenge for the attack. Several minutes passed as I continued to observe my surroundings for anything that should not be there. Being very familiar with the area, I knew virtually every tree and every bush along the trail, and I did not see anything I had not seen a hundred times before. Feeling confident there was nothing stalking me, at least not at the moment, I lifted my basket off the packed dirt of the trail.
No sooner did I take my next step did one of those things come pouncing on top of me from one of the trees overhanging above. Before I even knew the thing was coming, it had me down on the ground and pinned tightly. As hideous as its oversized yellow eyes were, it did not look at me as though it had a malicious intent. It was the same one I shot further back on the trail because it had a nearly healed bullet wound in the same shoulder.
I could swear the abomination was examining me with curiosity and not malice. I honestly thought it was going to have mercy on me and allow me to flee with my life, that was until it plunged its inhumanly long fingers into my belly. The pain was worse than any I ever felt before in my life. I screamed out in agony as I lifted my head expecting to see it tearing my entrails from my abdomen. I know it had to be shock from the terror of the situation or the pain it was inflicting upon me, but I did not see any blood. There appeared to be no wound, but the creature’s hand disappeared into my body.
It continued to look at my face until it withdrew its hand from my body and bound into the fog. With it no longer pinning me to the ground I was able to sit up and in a desperate attempt to save my life, I folded my arms over my stomach to prevent my guts from escaping the wound. My body trembled as the pain quickly faded away. Terrified of what I was going to see, I slowly moved my arms to inspect the severity of the wound.
What I saw scared me more than any wound. When I looked down at my belly, I found there was no wound there at all. There were four large bruises, but there were no tears in my skin except for those I sustained when I hit the ground. I probably sat there several minutes after the creature ran back into the marshy forest trying to comprehend what happened. For a moment I even entertained the notion this was all a hallucination. I could believe it if it were not for the horrific agony I experienced.
The basket of corn did not spill out when I fell, but I did damage one of the corners. Mother was going to be furious with me when she saw this. Dreading having to explain this to my parents, I slowly began to walk the rest of the way to my family’s home.
I was overcome by a wave of dizziness as memories that were not mine began to fill my head. I saw myself deep in the marsh of the lower valley and there were almost a dozen of the toad-like humanoids gathered around what appeared to be a small sinkhole in the mud. One by one, six more of the creatures crawled out of the impossible hole in the thick mud, and several of them, including myself, ran effortlessly over the ground that would normally swallow a man’s legs.
Hopping through the marsh as if I did it since birth, I sped through the woods like a wild animal. Fog filled the air, but the unusual vision I experienced through these eyes allowed me to see much further than any human. I did not travel through the forest for long at all before I saw a young girl walking along a dry path. That little girl was me. Somehow, I was seeing myself from the memory of that creature that attacked me.
Shaking my head vigorously, I tried to snap myself out of this hypnotic spell I seemed to be under. Now I wanted to get home as fast as I could. I dropped the basket and tried to run, but I could feel my shoes falling from my feet. Intense panic sent chills through my body as I looked down to see my overgrown feet tore through my ragged shoes. The five-inch toes protruding from my twelve-inch feet ended in long black talons. I began crying as I again tried to run along the path. The long flat feet that now donned the end of my green tinted legs did not allow me to move in such a manner, and I fell flat to my face.
My face struck the ground and as my vision filled with sparks, more memories that were not mine filled my head. I saw a place, a world very similar to this one. I felt like it was somewhere very local, but the terrain was unlike any I saw before in my life. The land was flat and scattered with trees. The trees and large brush were covered in something similar to Spanish moss, and a light rain fell over the terrain for as far as I could see.
I know the view should be gloomy and depressing, but I somehow found it to be incredibly beautiful. The different shades of green contrasted with the light color of the moss sparkled as prismatic waves containing colors I could never conceive of before this filled the drizzling rain drifting down from the sky. Magnificent buildings stood here and there each appearing as if they were each grown from a single, or possibly several trees. The buildings were grown with spectacular patterns and what I supposed could be called architecture.
The memory passed and I raised myself onto my hands and knees. That was at least what I intended to do. Rather than getting on my knees, I managed to position myself on my hands and my feet. My knees bowed outward from my ribs almost like those of a frog. When my brain told my body to get up and run, I hopped into the air and landed ten feet away from where I was. Never in my life had I moved in such a manner, but it felt like second nature to me.
I navigated this trail faster than I ever had in my life, and I found myself close to the edge of the forest in no more than two minutes. I was in view of my house in no time, but I realized in my current state, my parents would shoot me before they allowed me to get close enough to tell them it was me. I did not think I could ever get them to understand the abomination at the edge of the forest was their oldest daughter.
I wanted to cry, but my new eyes did not have tear ducts the same as they once did. These creatures did not come here to kill anyone. They were from another world, another earth existing in the same place as this one. The Broam, as I now knew them to be called, lost the ability to reproduce tens of thousands of years ago. They realized to keep their race alive, they had to steal the bodies of humans and convert the hapless victims into more Broam.
I took one more last heartbreaking look at my family home, and then I turned and bound off deeper into the forest. I remembered very clearly where the hole leading from this earth to theirs was located in the marsh, and that was where I had to go. I could no longer stay here where I would be nothing but the monster stalking the forest. Going back to the home world of the Broam was now my only choice.
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