The wood in the fireplace crackled and popped as the fire burning it was warming up the household, while a head trophy of a large buck mounted on the wall above it. A twenty-seven year old woman with long brunette hair and a slim figure wearing only blue pajamas named Jackie was sitting on her couch staring at the flames with her feet out and laying on the square-shaped wooden table in front of her, relaxing after a busy day from working as a nurse. She let out a sigh with a tiny smile, enjoying the moment of comfort.

Then over the sound of pops in the fire, another sound came.

It was her telephone ringing nearby.

Jackie leaned her head back over the couch, groaning in a bit of annoyance. She didn't want to get up from her seat, basically just wanting to let it ring. But after it ranged a couple more times, she did so anyways with some urgency, thinking it could be important. She strode fast around the furniture, swinging her hands back and forth with each stride.

Before the phone that was close to her bedroom door could manage to ring the sixth time, Jackie swiftly picked up the receiver and held it near her ear. She tried to have her voice sound polite when she said, "Hello?"

An elderly woman's voice answered at the other end, "Hi Jackie."

The woman younger than the one who answered managed to form a smile on her lips, "Hi mom."

"Hey, I just called to remind you that me and your father will be over at your house tomorrow in the afternoon for our family dinner."

Jackie did remember that plan for tomorrow, but knowing her mother she would call and remind her daughter about something. That's always a habit of hers, been that way since she was a little girl. Jackie kinda did wonder why she hadn't called her sooner, cause usually her mother does a minute or two after she comes home from work, only when they have something planned the next day and just remind her of what. Jackie stroked some of her hair that was over her left eye away, an amused tone in her voice, "And of course you had to call and remind me now while I was relaxing. I didn't think you were going to call me."

She heard her mother giggle in the receiver, "I know! I'm late."

"Yep, you were." Jackie chuckled, "I sort of thought you and dad had a change of plans and that was why you didn't call me earlier."

"Oh no...It's just I took a nap and I woke up about an hour ago. And I realized just now that I forgot to call you!"

"Had a feeling something like that kept you occupied." Jackie let out a breath, playfully raising her brows, "Mom, you know you don't have to call and remind me of things. I didn't forget about tomorrow."

Her mom replied, her tone sounding a little worried, "I know honey, but you know me, I just don't like it when other people forget, especially your dad. You know how forgetful he can be."

Jackie said as a thought came to her mind, "Yeah, I see what you mean. I remember one time when I was fifteen when you didn't enjoy dad forgetting your wedding anniversary." She snickered, "He looked clueless when you brought it up and you got mad in a second."

Jackie's mother said after giggling a bit, "Well, that was because I had reminded him of that about three times and he still didn't remember when the day came."

Jackie crossed her arm across her chest, her hand held within her armpit, "Least he made it up to you afterward with a lovely, candlelit dinner."

Her tone on the other end sounded sweet and warm, "Sure did, the sweetheart." Then her voice sounded serious, "So, about tomorrow. Remember we'll show up at four in the afternoon, and please don't forget to make the food before we show up."

The brunette haired lady rolled up her eyes as the hand under her armpit took off and slumped down her side, "I won't forget. Goodnight, and tell dad I said that to him as well."

Now her mother's voice sounded relieved, "Okay...I love you."

"Love you too. Bye." Then she hung up, placing the receiver back in its place. Jackie only stood and stared down at the phone with her hands to her hips, still a tiny bit annoyed by the phone call. Honestly she wished her mother or someone from work would call her on her cellphone, instead of calling on that thing and making her run and answer it. But the problem was her cellphone doesn't get a signal at where she lived. That was why a telephone line had been hooked into her home.

Jackie let out a sigh and made her way to the kitchen, thinking about looking outside through the window for a few moments before she went back to her couch and sat down. The beautiful woman gazed outside when she stood close to the window, seeing it was dark out since night already arrived, her car that sits in the gravel driveway, and the line of tall trees that surround her home.

Her face showed a smile. She lives in a cabin in the middle of the woods, about twelve miles away from the nearest town called Rankin. That pretty much explained why her cell wouldn't get a signal at where she lived. But despite that, and the annoyed telephone calls that makes her move to answer, she wouldn't want to move away from this cabin. It's a pretty nice place with good scenery that surrounds it. More than once she saw deer or any creature that's harmless come by her cabin and she just watches them until she gets tired of it or the creature leaves her property and heads back into the wilderness. Watching the creatures that go by always amused her, not to mention find it beautiful.

Before she could tear herself away from the window, Jackie barely saw something moving in the woods for a second and then it disappeared.

She squinted, curious about what it was, "What was that?" It moved fast, but she did see that it looked big and was standing on...Two legs. The palm of her hand pressed against the windowpane as she pressed her head against it also, trying to get a better look and see if she can find it. But she didn't see anything.

Was there a person out there? Stalking her? That is what she was thinking. Of all the times she has been living out in the woods, nothing like that had happened to her...Until this night. Fear and worry was clawing at her chest, and it had her eyes pull away from the window towards the direction of her telephone. Should she call the police? Have someone come and check outside? Jackie took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and let it out in a slow whoosh of air. Her head had lowered, her eyes looking at the floor as she put thoughts into the situation. Maybe it was her imagination, and she THOUGHT she saw somebody running around. But it looked real to her. Maybe she saw an animal, but she wasn't sure.

Jackie raised her gaze to look outside again. Maybe she should go out there and look around for a minute. At least find some footprints or any trace that a person was out there before she assumes that. Jackie trotted to a cabinet beneath the kitchen sink, crouched low and opened it up to grab a flashlight out of there. She turned around and went up to the front door, put her shoes on, and then grabbed for the doorknob to head outside.

But she hesitated to turn it, thinking now it's not a good idea. The woman pushed that aside for a moment. She'll just check things out for a minute and come back inside when she's done.

And keep her eyes peeled for danger while at it...If there is any. That's her plan anyways.

Jackie sucked in a calming breath, and slowly turned the knob and pulled the door wide open. She was met with cool air as she took a few steps outside, closing it behind her. With her thumb on the button, she turned the flashlight on. Her eyes and the flashlight beam were tracing from one part of the area to another, including where her car sat and the spot in the woods she saw that figure run around in. But she still didn't see anything moving.

She did not move herself after making those steps, since she felt a little apprehensive about her plan still. She decided to call out, wondering if someone will answer, "Hello?"

No response.

Jackie tried again, "Is anybody out here?"

Still none.

After standing around for a second, she pushed herself to move further away from cabin. She made a lot of slow, tentative steps onto the grass as she headed towards where she saw that figure. While she was moving herself closer to the woods, she swung her gaze and the flashlight back and forth, making sure, and HOPING, nobody was gonna come and grab her.

Jackie finally made it to the edge of the treeline and made her way past a bush. After taking several steps in the woods, she was now standing in the spot where she caught sight of that figure. She pointed her flashlight downward, looking down to see if there were any footprints left behind. She found some left on the dirt. Her eyes focused right on them, getting a bit closer for a good look.

The woman frowned in confusion. Actually, they weren't footprints she found. They were paw prints, seemed to be made by a dog or a coyote. That was strange. What she saw was on two legs.

But then she swiped that thought away, now believing there wasn't a person out here. Her chest was filled with relief as she closed her eyes, let out a breath, and said to herself, "Phew...There WAS nobody out here." After she opened them, she gazed at the prints again, and then noticed something strange about them. They seemed a little big for a dog or a coyote.

Then Jackie shook her head to herself, "Oh just forget about them and get back to the cabin, Jackie." With that, she spun around, and when her form made a step, she bumped into something, "Oh!" Jackie took a step back. When she looked at what stood in front of her with her flashlight shined on it, she immediately screamed in terror, "AAAAAAHHHH-"

She was cut off when something swiped her away very hard, her frame sent flying to a nearby tree. Jackie's back crashed against it, and her body slid down the bark and touched the ground. She couldn't get up and move from the tree since she felt a lot of pain, and she let out a tiny moan because of it. Her mind was dizzy and her vision was starting to get blurry, but she did see what struck her. It was something that was not human. Something that was big, hairy and tall just stood where it was at, on its two feet, and it was watching her.

Jackie's sight was now starting to get darker as she was about to lose consciousness. And before things went very black, she heard a howl.

*****

From the viewpoint of black and white, someone, or something as it looked right now, lurked within the forest. It glanced at the sky above through the canopy, seeing it was all white. The sky may have looked white, but it knows that it's actually blue and it's day. It gazed ahead as it was strolling through the woods, moving a tree branch away in its path with a big, furry hand. The creature continued with the stroll before its pointy ears pricked when it heard something. With real good hearing, it heard a truck backing up. That noise didn't sound very far away. Looking off at that direction, it wondered what was going on.

The creature decided to check it out, and began making tracks towards that sound. It also had a thought of making sure to itself to be very cautious when checking things out. It knows that if there are people nearby, and if one person sees it, they won't take it lightly and start running away, or worse try to attack it.

And the creature wandering through the forest didn't want to fight back if it came to that, and it hopes that people only ran away than fight.

The lurking creature moved along through the bushes and under the tree limbs of each tree it goes by, until it can see the edge of the forest. It stopped close to it, not TOO close in case somebody might see it, and it can see a two-story house from a distance. Something else was within its sight. There were a few people around, with a moving van that's apparently parked in front of it, and two people were trying to carry a couch out of that vehicle towards the house. It tilted its head in thought. Apparently someone's moving into that house. It has seen that house more than once, and nobody has been in that place for a long time. It wondered if anyone would buy and live in that place one day. Well it doesn't have to wonder anymore now. Somebody is going to live in it.

"Matthew!" A voice rang out and it practically heard it. It shot its gaze towards a woman standing and gazing at the woods with a tiny dog held within her arms. She appeared to be middle aged who had a fit figure, and judging by how white her hair looked thanks to the creature's vision, the color of it must be blonde. It was also tied up into a ponytail. Apparently she was hollering for someone, someone possibly in the woods. It figured that must be one of the people who are going to live in that house, and that dog as well. The creature who was watching her formed a smile on its muzzle. It did not know that person, but it can sense that the woman must be a nice one. Now it was curious about her name. The woman tried again, "Matthew!"

The creature looked at the person for another moment before deciding it had enough watching what was going on there. It spun and walked off as quietly as it could before anybody could actually see it. As the stalking creature was far enough away from the house and those people, it began to walk normally, letting out a calm, relieving breath, very glad nobody saw it and there was gonna be trouble. "Matthew!" While it still wandered off away, it still heard the woman's voice hollering for someone. Someone by the name 'Matthew'.

The creature wrinkled its face in curiosity. It thought 'Matthew' was a nice name, and now it was wondering what this 'Matthew' looked like, and wondering if it'll get the same sense out of him just like it gotten from that woman. That's when it heard a dog bark a couple times, from somewhere else in the forest. The creature gasped quietly, stopped in place, and snapped its eyes to the direction those barks came from, hearing and knowing that it's not far from where it's at. It believes that since this 'Matthew' was wandering around in the woods, he must have a dog with him. Another one other than the tiny dog it saw. And by the sound of those barks, it sounded like a BIG dog.

Now it's hoping that other dog won't find it. If that dog does, then that person who's with it will find that creature as well. And that dog could be vicious also.

It can't let that happen.

The creature was gonna run off, but then it was putting thought into it. It didn't want to go home yet, it was curious about Matthew. It put on a brave face after quickly making a decision. That thing will sneak around and try to see that person, from a good distance of course. And if any kind of dog is with him and comes at it, it's outa here.

With a nod to itself, it stalked to where the barks was at. Then not long it quickly stopped before planting another step when it can see a man, which it certainly knows it was Matthew, through the woods. He was walking with a dog, and it had thought right before, it was a big one. The dog's fur looked black, but since the creature was looking at it with black and white vision it wasn't sure if the dog was ACTUALLY black, or it was brown. The person and the dog didn't see it, and it was lucky they hadn't. With perked up ears, it focused intently on the man.

He was young, by appearance, maybe nineteen or twenty years old. He has short hair which the color it believes to be brown on top of his head. Maybe that guy was that woman's son, it believes so anyways. He didn't actually look bad for a young man either. He looked cute and handsome, and he probably worked out a bit as well. The creature smiled again. By looking at the boy, it's got the same sense as it had gotten from that woman near the house. The boy must be a nice person too.

Not a bad feeling at all.

After watching Matthew for another second, and its curiosity about him has been settled, it turned around to walk off, deciding to head home. While making its way through the woods, it was still smiling other than wondering about the woman calling out for Matthew, about what her name was. Those people it stalked seemed friendly, judging by the sense it got off them. Maybe it might see them again, next time talk to them while in a different form than what that thing looks like now, and find out what that woman's name is.

The woman holding that tiny dog looked beautiful at her age, and it can imagine her name was beautiful too.

*****

I was walking slowly on the trail in the woods as my green eyes were gazing up through the space in the canopy towards the noon blue sky. I was having a bit of a walk out here with my dog, and it was my very first walk out in the woods. From thinking about it, having a stroll out here was totally different than strolling in the city of Pittsburgh. I stopped in my tracks, still holding my eyes upward. It was odd to me, since there isn't much noise out here, except a few little noises of the wilderness. There aren't any noises like the ones you'd hear living in a city. No cars, no people, or anything.

But I heard a noise very close by and that was my dog barking. I looked back since he was a bit behind me, and saw my Black Labrador Retriever, Tobey, looking off the dirt trail we're on. He was barking some more with his tail wagging behind him, barking at whatever he think he hears and sees. I let out a playful sigh. I guess it's odd to Tobey also, maybe a little. He's never been to the woods before. Basically he lived in a city for much of his life. Since he's experiencing his first time with me out here, he's getting to hear noises he hasn't heard of before. They probably startle him a bit but also make him feeling excited. And during our walk, he has barked at something a few times already, but I didn't see anything when he does that.

I giggled. I hope he doesn't get crazy out here. We're going to be living in the woods from now on. I called out to him, patting my leg, "Hey. Come here, boy." But the dog kept letting out his loud barking. I glanced at where he looked at with squinted eyes, but just like before, nothing. I groaned as I looked back at my pet, "Come on, Tobey, there's nothing there. We got to get back to mom. She's hollering for me." Tobey actually listened to me that time and he padded up and past my form. I watched my dog as I went back to walking back to our new home. I already heard mom's voice carried across the woods to me about three times, and I'm not wanting to keep her waiting.

I'm guessing she wants me to get back to helping her and a few people she's hired unpack our belongings. I tiredly moaned to myself. Augh, I'm tired of lifting crap. Why couldn't she just left me alone for my walk? After all, I'm trying to get used to the fact that I'm living out here.

I let out a long, drawn out sigh as I still trekked behind my black furred dog. I haven't lived in the Pennsylvania woods before, and I'm not feeling too excited like Tobey about it. Like my dog, I had lived in Pittsburgh for all my life. And this really feels abnormal. Sure I've seen the woods before, but living in them was a different story. Earlier I wanted to have a break from lifting things, and I went for a walk out here so I'd feel like I belong out here. But I still have that abnormal feeling, and it still bothers me. Tobey's lucky, I can tell about him. I can tell he's not feeling that. He's apparently liking his new home, and it's on the first day.

I lowered my head, seeing my feet making one step at a time below me. I guess it won't go away right away for me...

I raised my eyes and saw we're almost out of the woods. Tobey trotted out of the edge first and out onto the yard of our new home, and I followed that up behind him. I was staring at the new house me and mom are gonna be living in with each slow step I made. Staring at a old, wooden, two-story white house with a grey roof on top and a red brick chimney stuck to the side of it, and a long porch with a cover that stretches across the whole thing at the front. There was a moving van parked directly in front of it with its back turned to the house.

I did get a chance to explore both floors inside it earlier before I got busy moving in it. On the first floor, there was the living room and it held a fireplace, which that explained why there was a chimney at the side of the building to begin with, and that was the first place I was going to live in that had a fireplace. It also had a dining room, laundry room, and of course the kitchen. Upstairs, there was a bathroom where you can take either a bath or a shower in it. Also there are three bedrooms up there, and upon finding out that it'd made me wonder what mother was gonna do with the third bedroom since we don't have a third mattress with us.

Speaking of mother, whose name is Julia by the way, I did find her standing with her back turned to me and talking to one of the people helping us out with our moving. Tobey made his way up to her and he got her attention when he nosed her side. When she noticed him, she turned herself all the way around and found me coming towards her. I saw she twisted her head and apparently told the guy to go off and do his thing. He left her shortly after, heading back to the back of the moving van to help his buddies out. I see she was holding the other dog we have in her arms. A short haired, cream colored Chihuahua named Brendi. The little dog's bug eyes took sight of me, and she let out a cute, happy little yip at me. I chuckled at that and gave them a short wave with my hand.

But mom wasn't chuckling like me. She was having a serious, impatient look in her own green eyes. I stopped right in front of her as Tobey wandered off away from us to have a look around the area. Not like he hadn't done that already. Mom asked in a bit of an impatient tone, "Matthew, what took you so long? I know you wanted to have a break, but it was a long one and you still have things to carry in."

I giggled a bit and shrugged my shoulders, "Sorry. Guess I was getting caught up in my own walk."

She gave me a smirk, "Or maybe you're just lazy and you don't want to work anymore."

I replied without lying, "Got that right." My smile was wiped off my face as I rolled my arms and shoulders around a bit, "I'm tired of moving stuff around."

Mom was petting the top of Brendi's tiny, apple-sized head with her fingers while she said, "Well we're almost done, sweetie. After today, you won't have to do it anymore."

I let out a long breath, "I'd better not. But seriously can I just sit and do nothing for a few more minutes? I sill don't want to-"

But she cut me off, "Nope. Your walk was enough of a break." She shot her head back to the house, "Now get back to helping these kind gentlemen out."

I made a smirk, "Oh, fine." I gestured my hand to her, "But since I am, aren't you going to get back to helping out too?"

Mom giggled deeply, "I would." Then she eyed at our Chihuahua within her cradled grasp, a fond look shone in her eyes, "But the baby dog wants me to hold her right now." She shot her gaze back to me and playfully remarked, "Gonna have to do it without me for now."

I frowned at the little dog for a moment. Damn it, Brendi. Maybe I need to hold you to get out of this! I'm not feeling the mood to do more of this moving crap! Why did you have to pick mom to hold you instead of me? Then I smiled again a bit at my mother, "Figured as much."

Her eyes went towards the picnic table that was already at the house when we showed up far nearby, "I'll be sitting over there if you need me." Then she went back to gazing at me, "And if I can get this little dog away from me, I'll come back to help." With that, she strode with our tiny dog to that table.

I mumbled while I watched her stroll away from me, "Can't wait." I glanced at the house and let out a tiresome sigh, already feeling my arms getting tired from lifting.

Well, back to freakin work.

*****

With my back lying on the bed and the back of my head laying on my hands that are between it and a pillow, I was blinking and staring at the ceiling of my new bedroom. I was shirtless and wearing pajama pants as I was listening to the sound of crickets outside since night's here. The ceiling light in my room showed other than the bed I'm laying on it has a single chest drawer close to a wall at the left side of the bed and a closet at the right side. My chest expanded and lowered as I sucked in air and let it out. I'm glad the hard working day was finally over with. Basically my arms still feel tired from lifting boxes and furniture.

I really was done, and now here I am laying around in my bedroom on the second floor of the house. Then I had a thought about earlier. It was about me and mom after we brought all our stuff inside this house and the guys she hired left. It was at the part where she looked at me and stated to me that 'this place is going to be great'. I remember that it wasn't hard to tell by the way she looked and talked that she'd already accepted this house in the middle of the woods as home. My head and body shifted a bit. But unlike her, I still haven't. I still had that abnormal feeling within my chest and it was STILL bothering me, even as I was lying on my bed.

My dogs and my mother...How can they even accept this place that fast? I groaned quietly. I hope it'll go away soon. I don't want to tell mom that I want to move back to the city. I actually grinned and giggled to myself. Well, I pretty much think she will flat out say no when I tell her I want to do that. Actually no matter how many times I plead to her. Mother doesn't give in that easily. She's a cop after all.

Then I heard something outside, and my head rose and snapped towards the window. I heard a long howl echoing out there, then another one came, then another. I frowned. God, what is going on out there? I got myself off the bed and trotted to the window, the howls stopped as I peered outside. Even though there wasn't much light out there, I can still see Tobey chained to his doghouse about six feet away from the woods. He was staring at them while laying on his stomach, probably heard the howls and listened.

I was then looking at the forest, sighing nervously. They kinda scared me, and I'm betting they did to Tobey too and he's alert now. Goodness. I turned my head and body a bit to see my door. Wonder if mom heard them? I'll go check and see.

On that thought, I was pacing to my bedroom doorway and came out of there. I stood in the hallway near the staircase and the second floor banister after I emerged out of my room. I took a glance at my left, seeing a doorway to another bedroom in the hall, and the entrance to the bathroom at the end of it. Then I began walking towards the other end of the hallway to my mom's bedroom, my footsteps making a few creaks on the floor. I found that her door was left wide open before I stood at her doorway. Other than seeing her bedroom closet, which was a bit bigger than mine, I saw mom was still awake with a beside lamp on while sitting on her large bed that stood across her large dresser that has a huge rectangular mirror mounted on top of it. She was wearing her black nightgown with her long blonde hair fallen past her shoulders and reading one of those Nicholas Sparks novels. I think it was titled 'Dear John'. I even found Brendi near her feet all curled up, sounding asleep.

Mom felt my presence and looked off her book to see me. She gave me a greeting smile, "Hey. You can't sleep?"

I shook my head as I returned her smile with mine, "Not really."

She placed the bookmark in her book and placed it on her bedside desk, "Well, I just got done reading a chapter and was about to. Talk about timing."

I giggled when I was entering her room and slowly making my way to her bed, "Well I don't think I can after hearing those howls."

Mom wrinkled her brow, "Howls?"

I frowned when I stopped near the foot of it, "Well, yeah, howls." I pointed at her window across the room, "I heard them outside, three of them to be exact. They were long and...Scary."

She looked at her window from a distance, and then chuckled shortly, "Huh. I didn't hear any howls."

I shot my surprised look at her, "Seriously? You didn't hear anything? I heard them plain as the crickets out there."

Mom gazed back and replied, "Guess I was paying so much attention to reading that I didn't pay much to anything else."

I chuckled a bit and rubbed the back of my neck, "Maybe I need to borrow one of your books to read."

She just grinned, "I think that's a good idea considering we don't have any cable TV hooked up here yet."

I looked at her bedroom window from where I'm standing, a tiny bit of nervousness shown on me, "Well...I don't think reading will work for me right now. I'm...Kinda scared because of them."

Mother still smiled while she shook her head in assurance, "Oh, there's nothing to be afraid of. You're bound to hear coyotes howling during nights, we're in the woods."

"Yeah..." After a second passed, I looked to my mom once more, now feeling nervous to what I'm wanting to tell her, "Mom...Can I be honest with you?"

She spoke up, apparently having already figured it out, "You don't like this place, do you?"

Before admitting, my eyes looked away as I took a deep breath and let out a long sigh, "...I know I shouldn't complain, but..." They gazed right at her, "I don't feel good about living here. I do wish you'd bought a house in Fall Creek and we lived there. Not a house here, where there are no streets, no other houses sitting on streets and no other people around."

Mom softly responded with a grin, "Hey, it's not like we're living on the moon. Fall Creek's only twenty minutes from here."

"I know that." I sighed again as I trotted to her window, gazing out it and went on with my back turned to her, "But living here doesn't feel the same. I...I feel kinda...Exposed."

I heard her reply, "Look, Matthew, there weren't any houses in Fall Creek to live in." I looked over my shoulder, seeing her explain a bit more with a serious look, "This house was the only one I've found out that was empty. And frankly, I'm happy I found this house that's twenty minutes away from the town I grew up in. I know I told you already that I'm tired of living in civilization. That is the reason why we moved away from Pittsburgh." I turned fully to her as the seriousness in her eyes was replaced with sadness, "Other than your dad, of course." She beckoned me with her hand shortly after, "Matt, come over here." I did as she told me, standing very close to the side of her bed. She stated, "I know you've lived in civilization for much of your life, but you just need to get used to living here. It'll take time, but one day you'll like it here. And if you want, you can ride your bike or use my car to head to Fall Creek, just to make yourself feel that you're living in a city or something."

I grinned a bit, "Good idea, and I kind of had thought of that. But you'll be a officer there soon, so I'll probably not be using the car a lot."

Mom put on a smile for me, "And whose fault is it for buying a car that didn't work very well and finally broke down after four months of getting it?"

I rolled up my eyes, "Mine. And I bought it with my own money because it looked nice." Yeah...That fucking piece of junk.

"Right, and if you had bought a different car instead of the one that turned out to be not very workable, you'd still have a vehicle that you can drive."

"Don't remind me."

Mom giggled as her eyes followed me as I went around the bed and strolling to the side where she's sitting, "Anyways...While you're visiting Fall Creek, maybe you'll make some friends there. Fall Creek does have good people there."

When I was at her side of the bed, I responded to what she said in a low tone and with my hand running through my hair, "Maybe."

Mom held out and grabbed my other hand fondly, gripping it slightly, "Living here is not the end of the world, it's a new beginning. Just give this place a chance and some time. Okay? You'll love living here soon, I know it. And another thing, you'll soon get used to listening to coyotes howling in the night and not feel nervous by them."

I smirked a little, "Yeah that is if they don't scare me every night." I held in a breath for a second and added seriously, "Ok...I'll try."

She smiled and nodded a bit at that, "Good." Mom let go of my hand, then let out a loud yawn, "Gosh. Okay, I'm going to sleep now."

I replied, smiling back, "All right." I leaned to kiss her forehead, "Goodnight."

She blinked fondly from my kiss, "Goodnight, Matthew."

I looked at Brendi who was still sleeping despite we were talking, "You too, Brendi."

I turned to walk off and leave her room. Before I left through her bedroom doorway, she turned her bedside lamp off, turning her room into darkness. I came out into the hallway and headed back to mine. Feeling ready to get some shut eye, I flipped a tiny switch near my door, turning off the ceiling light in the process and making my room dark. Then I strolled to my bed and got myself in it, pulling a cover over me as I was laying on my side. While my head laid on the pillow, before I could close my eyes and try, they glanced to the window. The sound of the howls I heard earlier appeared in my head, and they made me a bit nervous again.

Then I mentally pushed them out of it. Forget about them, Matt. Just go to sleep. Remember what mom said. There's nothing to be afraid of. If they howl again, just ignore them. And I did so, closing my eyes and letting out air through my nose, trying to drift off to an eventless sleep.