Devil's Elbow

June 10th, 1987... The mountain forest was a shade of fog… fog that seemed to be as thick as the trees that covered the grass. Barely a sound could be heard outside of it, save for the occasional piercing howl from a pack of local wolves. But not today however… Because deep inside the forest was a scream of emotional agony… Inside the thicket of the forest was a young man, running for his desperate life, a hunting rifle in his hand as he ran down the hill from an unseeable force. In a distance behind him, this force was blurring through the thick forest as it followed the sounds of the boy's footsteps and breath. “Oh Liam, honey…” It called out in a woman's voice, making the boy grow fearful as he recognized the voice of his mother. “LEAVE ME ALONE!” “Aww is that any way to talk to mommy, sweetheart..?” The voice giggled as he hid behind a tree to catch his breath. “You are not my mom!” He said in a whisper before running again and tripping over a body of skeletons screaming at the top of his lungs, giving away his position. He held his father’s rifle up ready for whatever decided to leapt it's way at him and, for a full minute, didn't hear or see a thing, nothing but the angry pounding of a heartbeat in his chest and pulsating throbbing in his head to keep him company. He soon got up again in his tattered jeans and shirt, ready to run. Until a familiar sniffle caught his attention. “Liam…” He froze in place as he slowly turned his eyes, his head soon following as he saw his sister in bloody clothes. “Krista…” “Why..? Why did you hurt me?” She asked in tears as he stood shaken. “No Krista… It wasn't me..!” He said, starting to move towards her. “You strangled me..! Told me you would protect me! YOU LIED!” She sobbed. Soon, the boy ran forward and held her in his arms. “Please, Krista… tell me you can forgive me..! Please!” He said, shedding tears along with her as they both sobbed. Until that is, the little girls' sobs became small bouts of snickers. Snickers that made the boy’s expression go blank, his heart skipping a beat, his blood running cold as he looked down at her dirt-covered face plastered with a very animated and stretched out smile. “You are forgiven… big brother.” She said. Just as he found the strength to grab his rifle and aim it in his hands, he looked up as a shadowy figure in the same grin came down from the trees above and yanked the boy upward off his feet, causing him to scream in resistance... until the screams faded out, the only thing remaining, being the hunting rifle of his family, the fog soon dissipating.