The sun had long since set, and the moon was high in the sky by the time I reached the edge of the forest. I had been walking for hours, and I was getting tired. I had been foolish to come out here alone, I knew that now. But I had been dared, and I couldn't back down. 

 I had been told all sorts of stories about this place. People said that it was haunted by the spirits of those who had been lost in it. Others said that it was home to all sorts of monsters and beasts, just waiting to tear unsuspecting victims to shreds. And then there were the stories of the things that had happened to people who had dared to enter the forest... 

I tried not to think about those stories as I made my way into the trees. I told myself that they weren't true, that they were just urban legends. But I couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching me, following me through the darkness. 

 I had only been walking for a few minutes when I heard the first noise. It sounded like something moving through the underbrush, coming closer and closer to me. I froze, not knowing what to do. Should I run? Hide? 

 Before I could make a decision, I heard a branch snap, and then something crashed through the bushes towards me. I scrambled backwards, trying to get away, but it was too late. I felt something hit me, and then everything went black. 

 I don't know how long I was unconscious. When I finally came to, I was lying on the ground, staring up at the stars. I tried to sit up, but I couldn't move. I was paralyzed. 

 I heard the rustling again, and then I saw it. A figure, stalking towards me through the darkness. I tried to scream, but no sound would come out. I was frozen in fear, unable to move or look away as the thing came closer and closer. 

 It was only when it was right in front of me that I saw what it was. A girl, no more than sixteen or seventeen. She was wearing a torn and bloodstained dress, and her eyes were sunken and lifeless. 

"Help me," she whispered, reaching out to me with one hand. "Please, help me find my way out of here." 

I tried to scream, to warn her away from me, but it was too late. She touched my cheek, and I felt my body go cold. I felt myself being pulled down into the darkness, and then everything went black again.