"Catherine!" The little girl giggled out when she heard her name. Not only that, but the feeling of her mothers loving arms wrapping about her tiny form. Drawing her in for a tight, loving hug. "Mom..! Stop it!" Protesting the hug with wiggles of her body to prove it. Wiggle, wiggle; trying her best to escape the clutches of the evil adult who wanted to keep her away from her most important task! "And just what are you doing, Little Girl" Oooh...You're drawing?" Catherine was forced to giggle out and wiggle more just then. Why' Because of those fingers that tickled about her ribs. "S...Stop it, Moom..! It's important..!" The protests causing a chuckle of amusement from the adult. She'd let her daughter go, but only to kneel down and look over the drawing that seemed to be taking up her little girls time.

"...What's this?" Her voice full of question. She had all right to question it; the picture itself looked like something her daughter wouldn't usually draw.

Castles. Princesses. Unicorns. These are the subjects her young Catherine loved to draw. Even more than playing with her beloved Barbies...but this" The use of the color black, how much of the paper had been clouded fully by it. Back and forth, heavy scrapes of the crayon to black out every space that hadn't been used...but not only that, the thing that drew the woman's attention had been focused more on the two figures in the middle..

A small girl. One that matched her daughters likeness. She had seen her draw many times. Many of the drawings displayed on her fridge taught her this much. "...Catherine" Who's this?" It was not that...but the other image that caused such a small feeling of dread within the pit of her stomach. "Huuh..?" The confused voice of the little girl met the woman's ears. "...This one...is she a friend?" That's when she'd press a finger to the other image...the tall looming figure that stood side by side with her daughters crayon self-image. It's face blackened out, but the rest of it seemed to be carefully scribbled into place by other colors...one of them being predominantly red.

Red. The color that dripped down the knife the drawn figure held.

"What does she say..?" "That I won't be hurt anymore.."

I won't be hurt anymore.. She could still see the look of uncertainty within her daughters face. How she faced away from her to continue scribbling at that darkened piece of drawing paper. She could still hear the conversation in her head. Pressing her daughter, trying to get her to speak, the frustration she felt when the girl only seemed to care about finishing her picture.

Who's hurting her daughter" This can't just be some wild story like George is claiming. Something is wrong.

Then she'd be lurched back into reality the split second her body was sent jolting forward.

That smile...it grew more. She could see it, she could see lips split and gritting teeth peeking through. Not only that, but the smallest of slits began to appear where it's eyes should be.

Reality set back in. Her brows furrowing as she tried her hardest to realize what happened. Blurred vision, the strange ringing that filled her ears...Ring, ring, ring. No, it wasn't a ring, it was an alarm. Head pulled away just then, but she felt a sting of pain run down her features the moment she moved her head. She'd hiss in pain and frustration then. What the hell just happened? Eyes tried their best to focus on what was in front of her.

The airbag...Wait - did that mean' The woman looked up to see a smashed windshield and what looked to be a tree bending before her.

"....O...oh thank god.." The first thing that came from her lips. She was still alive.

What's worse than cold.." A foggy cold morning. She was lucky to see even the hand in front of her as she stepped through the street. The early morning lit street lamps being her guide. Hands gripped at her long coat and hugged it close to her form. What she wouldn't do for her cell phone right now. How she could even forget it caused her worry. Her cell phone was her life line to work. Without it, how could she answer those important texts" Even more important calls" She had demanding clients that needed to be dealt with!

Her foot bent and she'd be forced to stagger on those high heels.

"No...no, no, no...not now."

She cried out in annoyance. Heel broke, perfect...First a car wreck, then the lack of her cell, and now this. Tired, angry...she felt many things right now, but it all boiled down to those two. She kicked away the broken heel, as well as it's good twin, and continued on with only stockings protecting her from the cold sidewalk.

Nothing looked familiar. Nothing at all.

She couldn't even make out the buildings she passed. Even as she stepped up close to one, she couldn't make out the writing on the window.

"...Am I sleeping" This has to be a dream.."

Spoken softly to herself. Leaning back away from the window just then, only to feel her back press against something soft from behind.

Not only that...but whatever she pressed into was now gripping at her shoulder. Wide eyes looked to those long digits as they held onto her. Same eyes that followed that sleeved arm and looked to the owner of the shadow that now loomed over her.

That...smile.

How it reminded her so much of that picture.

Eyes fluttered open. She'd no longer be granted the vision of that looming woman.

Instead she'd feel the brightness of the sun burn into her eyes from above. The cloud cover from above cleared...Though still cold, she could feel the sun offering it's warmth onto her scraped face. A few earlybirds seemed to be going around with their own business, but one of them had taken notice of the woman. Why not' The scene of the car wreck had only been a few streets away, and the woman looked to be pretty beaten up...she fit the description of a would be crash survivor.

"Miss are you alright""

A voice she didn't care about. Head lolled about while eyes peered here and there. Where was that woman...where was the woman that matched the scribbled picture her daughter had created" She knew what she looked like...but, every time she tried to think on it — the only image that came to mind had been that picture her little Catherine had drawn.

"Miss..."

The arm reached for her. Man...woman' She hadn't given the person enough attention to even consider it's gender, let alone care for that reaching hand that came for her. She'd shrug it off violently and begin to step away...muttering words of wanting to be left alone.

Not only that...but muttering of a blonde haired woman she wanted oh so much to see again.

It still felt like a dream.

How'd she even get inside the house" She didn't know. It felt like the world was moving and she, herself, was just standing there going for the ride. Down the small hall, a turn, into the living room, another turn, and the dining room would be her destination before her world came to a stop. There she was, looking over the large table to see one of the chairs had been missing.

Why.." The answer came soon enough as another twist came to her body, and she'd now be facing toward the wall nearest to the kitchen. There her daughter sat, chair turned about with her facing the wall itself — like she was somehow in `` time out ``.

"...Catherine."

She was finally able to speak. But the moment the words left her lips would be the same moment she saw her daughters small hands press to her ears.

"She said I can't listen..!" Catherine spoke out in almost what sounded to be glee. As if this was nothing more than a game.

Then the pull happened again. She'd no longer be in the kitchen, but instead returning through the living room and back into the hall.

The long, dark hall that led to the many rooms in the back...Passing the guest room first...then the newly painted room after, her daughters room, and finally at the end of the unlit hall would be the door that led to the room she shared with her husband.

Many pictures. Many pictures of their daughter. Her husbands hand appearing in a few of them...feeling along the young child's leg.

The mothers blood stained hand found her mouth that instant in shock...and then she'd feel the tug once again.

No longer would she be inside that room. Feeling herself pulled through that hallway, across the living room, and once more brought into the kitchen. There her daughter sat. Hands kept pinned against her ears as she kept up with her little game...but she was no longer sitting there alone.

Long digits took gathered blonde strands and gently felt the golden locks as they fell from her grasp. The looming figure stood there, bent over the young child's sitting form. Curling fingers, gathering whatever amount of hair that she could, the woman could only watch as her daughters hair fell from interested fingers.

Get away from her...get away from her..!

She couldn't speak. But she sure as hell could think it. The figure then looked to her...that smile, those grit teeth peering from between stretched lips.

Not only that — those wide eyelids that housed wild green eyes.

"Wait, wait, wait...Are you serious" She kills f*cking pedos" Who the hell told you this story, dude?" Less than amused tone left the boys lips as he looked to his friend. A puff of cigarette smoke being the punishment his friend got for telling such a tale. A puff of smoke right into his face.

"...Look, I'm serious. That's what my uncle told me." He waved off the smoke and tried his hardest to do the same for the smell while letting out a cough or two.

"Want to know what I heard" Down at St. Annes. the girls are all talking about it." Grin crossing the boys face while be brought the cigarette to his lips once more.

"...I hear she has a thing for pregnant women."