I wake to the sound of strong winds blowing in the trees. The wind whistling, changing direction back and forth, buffeting our house making the walls creak. The leaves rustling in the trees. Our neighbors' dogs barking again.

'Why do they have to have so many dogs?' I think to myself as I fall back asleep. Too tired to care about the weather and whatever else is going on outside.

Somewhere in my dreams or another world.

A flash of light.

Muffled thunder in the distance.

Drizzle of rain, the breeze cool and slight.

Picturesque view of a green landscape. Low rolling hills with a dirt road winding between them.

Sporadic groups of trees are scattered about. A lone-grown maple stands full out atop a hill close by. At the foot of the tree, two young men stand by an open grave that they did not dig.

"It's funny I tell ya." the one with the shovel says as he throws another scoop of dirt back in the grave.

"You're an idiot." Says the second one.

"I'm telling you; it’s going to be funny. When they get here tomorrow. When they try to put the old guy to rest. There's going to be someone already here."

"Can't believe you made all that effort to bring him over here because you think it's going to be funny."

"Had to hide him somewhere. Not like no one is ever going to not find him. This way, with all the people coming, no one will be able to track anything, including us."

"What's funny is you, thinking he had money to steal because he had that sword."

Throwing the shovel upon his shoulder, holding it with one hand, the other on his hip. "That thing is a piece of crap. Not even sure if it's supposed to be a sword. Looked like someone was trying to make something."

"Ahhhhhhhhh" a girl screams in the distance.

"Looks like Fred found her." the second one says. "I'm going back before he does anything that costs us money."

Driving the shovel into the loose dirt, to stand it up. "Just a sec". Looking into the grave, the body with a couple of shovels fulls of dirt on it. "Making sure we didn't miss anything. Ever see him before?"

"I haven't" the second turning and starting to walk away.

Another scream, this time closer. The wind now picking up, the sound of rain coming, but still a drizzle here.

The first picks up the sword. Walks over to the head of the grave and drives it into the ground. "There, now it's a headstone."

CRACKkkkkk... BOOOOMMMMMMMMmm..... Lightning strikes the lone tree. Electricity flashing and arcing down as it searches for ground. The first, dead at that moment, his chard hand still on the pommel. The second, farther away, but still thrown twice his height. The third, Fred, now closer, his hand gripping a girl’s arm, dragging her with him. Now temporarily blinded, seeing spots of lightning bolts before his eyes. The fourth, sitting up in a grave.

A little girl can be seen running in the distance of this new world as she is pursued. She is far quicker and more agile, but they are many and continue to cut off her paths to freedom and home.

"Jenn? Jenn? Where are you Jenn?" She hears her father calling in the distance.

Too out of breath to reply loudly enough for him to hear "Dad! Help me, Dad!" She screams. Her pursuers gathering around as her exhaustion overtakes her.

Muffled and bound, she is carried away. Only to almost escape again when all but one of her captors have left. She struggles against his hold on her wrist, too weak to break free.

"THUMP!" The sound of a shovel ringing off her captors' head as she watches him slump to the ground.

"Tree's!" she exclaims under her breath as she watches this new foe stare her down. He is dirty and unkept, a shovel in one hand. He just stares. Watching her, his eyes following her. Guarding her. 'What is wrong with this human?' she thinks to herself.