"Let's play hide and seek!" seven-year-old Addison giggled. Bucky and I ran off to hide.
He hid inside a log, while I ran deeper into the woods to find the best place. I darted through trees, the fall air hitting my face and blowing back my hair as I ran.
"8...9...10!" Addison shouted from the backyard in front of me. "Ready or not, here I come!"
I slid behind a tree, keeping my breaths quiet. My cousin's footsteps drew nearer, and I turned around the tree in order for her not to see me.
I tiptoed further into the forest to avoid being caught, dodging the leaves on the ground best I could.
The deeper I went into the forest, the more the wind sounded like whispers. Those whispers seemed to grow more into words. Words of three kids, drawing me further in.
I followed the voices, peeking behind every tree, seeing shadows moving in the distance despite it being mid-day. The whistling wind stung my face.
I giggled quietly as I dashed away from Addison and Bucky. I expected an easy win. I sat down on a throne of orange, red, yellow, and purple leaves and watched from afar as Addison searched for us.
I heard the whispering again. Growing louder, growing into more of a hiss, or howl. I began to jump back up, knowing that wolves and coyotes lived near here. I scanned around, but saw nothing.
The voices turned more humanoid again, and I let out a slight sigh of relief, but went back to being scared again. "Hello?" I said quietly. "Who's there?"
I heard crunching of leaves. I peered behind a tree and saw a boy my age. I squealed and jumped back, immediately checking to see if Addison heard me. She hadn't.
But as I looked back, he was gone. "H-hello?" I asked again.
With no reply, the winds back to a quiet whipping sound rather than a whisper, I ran back to Bucky's hiding place.
"Go away," he said. "She's going to find us both!"
"Did you hear those voices?" I asked with horror.
My brother groaned. "No! Now, go."
I huffed and stood back up. I ran back over to my throne and fell down. I began to hear the three voices again. I covered my ears and shut my eyes as tight as possible. The winds brushed against my arms, or what I hoped were the winds, and the voices grew louder.
And louder. Until they seemed to be three people talking in front of me.
"The Great Alpha," one said.
"But she has brown hair, you idiot."
"Yeah," a third spoke. "The other has white hair."
"I don't care how she appears, I'm positive that she is the Great Alpha."
The second huffed, and seemed to walk away, for I heard one set of feet crunching away. I popped my eyes open, and this time saw a boy and girl my age in front of me.
I screamed, and Addison and Bucky came running over. I blinked, and they were gone. The wind stopped. The air grew colder, though. I sunk into my pile of leaves more.
I never told them what happened, I refused. They'd think I was crazy. They'd think I'd gone completely insane. I kept quiet. Still, even eleven years later, no one knows.
