The sounds of screaming wake me from my slumber. Upon opening my eyes, I find everything on fire. When I cry out for my mother, I look out my window and notice that the entire village is burning. I see shapes lying on the ground, blurred from sleep. As my vision starts to clear, I recognize the familiar faces of my grandmother and others of our village. I cry again for my mother, but she still wouldn't come.
I throw my covers off and shoot myself out of bed and to my door. As I touch the handle, a bone-shattering howl comes from outside my window. I turn around quickly to see the monster that my people were so terrified of. Its back to me, I turn toward my door, fling it open and rush into the hall. I cough and drop to the floor, starting to crawl as fast as I can.
Just as I get outside my mother's room, I hear my window break announcing that the creature had entered our house. I go to stand and open my mother's door just as it flies open and a dark figure emerges. The figure grabs me by the arm and drags me into the room. I scream and claw at the hand that's gripping me.
"Alaina, it's me! It's Thomas," said the figure as it pulls me close. With my eyes focused on his face, I realize that it is Thomas, my brother. I start to cry.
"Hey, don't cry now. We have to find mom and grams and get out of here."
I shake my head and cry harder, "Grams is dead, I saw her laying on the ground outside."
Our bodies stiffen as we hear a howl outside the room. He turns and pulls me along, wrapping his body around mine. As we crash through the window, we hear the door being ripped off it's hinges by the monster. Tumbling to the ground, we get up and start running through town heading for the Mashiev Forrest.