shivered as I opened the door, pulling my hat down over my ears. It had been so cold the past few days, and today, the coldest, was the day I was to go to school. I turned back round to mum and John, who had his arm around her shoulder protectivley as she glanced around the house, shaking with fear.I felt like crying. I had made her that way, the night I had the nightmare which caused me to stick my fingernails in my neck. Ever since that night she had been uneasy, jumping at every noise, every movement. She always demanded to know the reason why I had dreamed of what I did, and what I had dreamed, and she insisted on getting up every hour to check on me. She was making herself ill, and she needed me. I could hardly tell her I was just as scared as she was, after all, I was the one who had the dream in the first place.I smiled at John, silently thanking him for taking such good care of mum, and hesitantley stepped outside for the first time in three weeks. I instantly wanted to go back inside, and I cursed my weakness under my breath. Archie jumped down from his usual perch, wrapping himself around my legs, purring loudly. I sighed, opening the door again to let him in. Mum nearly jumped out of her skin, and ran forward demanding to know if I was okay.I nodded, smiling to reassure her. "I'm fine, mum. I was just letting Archie in. I'll see you at four, okay?" I kissed her forehead and left again, without waiting for an answer.I took a deep breath, and headed off in the direction I had to take to get to school, which meant I was to go through the path. My heart was racing just at the thought of it, but I knew that the group of boys would have to be at school, and they wouldn't be there. I looked around me, paranoid I was being followed, and nearly screamed when I noticed a girl running towards me, waving her arms above her head. I picked up speed, putting my head down and forcing against the wind to let my legs work. "Hey, Karina, wait up!" I jumped.I didn't know this girl, but she knew me. I spun round, recovering my former courage slightly, and peered through watery eyes caused by the force of the wind. "Who... Who are you?" I was finding it difficult to voice my feelings, to speak to this girl. She could be anyone, and I had stopped to talk to her."Oh, that's right. Sorry, I heard about you from Cathy at the shop and it's like I know you already. I'm Bea." she put her hand out, and I flinched back. She wanted me to shake it, but at any moment she could shift into something I didn't want to touch, a monster, she could be anything.I continued walking, and she jogged to walk alongside me. "I've not seen you around much since you moved here."I nodded, keeping my head down, and entered the trees where my chest felt ready to explode with every prolonged breath I took so as to keep from her the fact that I was afraid. "It's funny, Daryan said he spoke with you, and then you disapear for three weeks. He was quite worried."I froze, staring at her in disbelief. "You know Daryan?" I breathed, unable to hide my shock, and my disaproval.She smiled. "He's my brother. It's weird, he's one of those brothers - Hey, where you going?!"I was walking ahead, glancing back every so often in fear. She was his sister. He spoke of me to her, and here she was, talking to me like nothing was wrong. If she was coming from my side of this place, that meant that her, and Daryan lived on the same side as me, and that no doubt I would see them every day. It meant that Daryan was closer to me than I thought, and that his friends would be too."Karina, wait." she laughed, a high pitched laugh that was as if she was singing. She grabbed hold of my arm, and I shook her off, running ahead and this time not stopping to look back. But she was behind me, I could hear her footsteps. What did she want from me? Was she like her brother? Would I ever get any peace here?