[Retro]

Are you afraid of the dark? It's alright because I am as well.

Picture a house on top of a hill. It's such a simple thing to see for there are so many houses like this. Made of logs, it makes itself clear among the vast emptiness that surrounds it, and yet on the outskirts of this emptiness is a forest of no importance. It has everything one could think of, trees, animals, rivers and more. Yet it is humble and provides everything one could need.

So, on top of this hill and inside of the house is a group of people, a family. A father, a mother, a son, and two daughters, all of whom love each other. The children play outside and venture into the forest while the father hunted and the mother takes care of everything else. They live happily and it seems it will last forever after.

Out of the kids, the son is no older than eight years old, with the two daughters most likely being four or five, twins as fate would have it. The son would lead the two daughters into the forest for a day of fun. What they did for fun changed with every day and for no particular reason, they decided to head to the stream this day. 

So time passes as it always does and the sun passes the midday, it's rays beaming down through the foliage, reflecting off the crystal clear water that flowed. Nothing is amiss and yet something catches one of the daughter's eyes. 

"Hey, brother! Brother! What is this?" She would cry out as she walked over to a tree. "Come! Come!" 

Why was I so foolish?

So the brother went over as always. "What is it?" He would state while looking at the tree, the other daughter in tow.

Why was I so ignorant?

"Have you seen this before?" The first daughter stated while his finger traced the mark on the tree, a circle with five lines all connecting amongst each other. "It looks cool, right?"

Why was this fate set upon us?

It took the son a moment to analyze what laid before him but as always he came to a conclusion. "I guess? I'm sure it's nothing, let's go back to having fun!" He'd state ignorantly. 

I was their brother!

The second daughter simply stared and pulled at the son's shirt in protest, but she eventually gave in and they went back to having fun as per usual. 

I should have known better!

A day, or two, or maybe even a few more passed and the father would call his son into his room, something that only happened when he was in trouble. "Son, did you see anything in the forest a few days ago." His voice differed from what the son was used to. "Anything out of place?" 

I should not have told you the truth!

The son took a moment to think, and when coming to his conclusion he simply looked at his father. "I didn't see anything out of the ordinary." Yet he still pondered and his mind flashed back to what they found by the stream. "There was a weird mark on a tree but -"

Why did I tell you!

"What did it look like?" The father would state, cutting off his son from continuing, his features tensing all the while. 

I hate you!

So the son told his father what the mark looked like and where to find it, he even offered to lead his father there but was shot down in a heartbeat. It was rather unlike the father to do this but he had grown tenser by the year's end. 

It should have been me...

"I will be back by nightfall." Were the last words the father said before heading out to wherever. Yet not before adorning his black leather uniform decorated with gold trimmings, holstering his magitech rifle on his back.

Why was it her...

The father would be true to his word and came back by nightfall, yet he seemed tired and wary, he didn't even eat dinner that night opting to head to bed early that night. 

I should have known what was wrong...

So more time would pass, clearly, it was in the days but it all seemed to happen in a moment as if days had been hours. Yet the entire atmosphere of the house changed as the father seemingly had more gray hairs than ever. 

We were told the tales...

"My dearest daughter." He would state to the first daughter, finally breaking the tension. "Come with me, will you?" 

But we thought they were just tales...

The daughter ever so slightly canted her head as she smiled at her father. "What are we going to do Papa?" 

We were so innocent...

The father smiled and picked her up. "I want to show you something - I've been meaning to show you it for a long time." He'd state ever so happily. 

We were so pure...

And so they left, yet not before pausing as the father turned back to the mother, his eyes closing as he took a deep and continued into the forest, right towards where the children had found the mark. An hour passed and birds from the forest flew up into the air, both the son and second daughter watched as they waited for their father to return.

But...

Another hour passed and the sun finally set and amidst the twilight, the father returned, alone. 

You took everything from us...

The two remaining children would ask where their father where the first daughter went but he would only assure them she would return. 

From my siblings...

But that was a lie.

From me...

A day and then one more would pass before the night finally came upon the house. Fog rolled in and the house on the hill would be trapped in an endless maze. The son would look outside through the window and he would see it. 
I will never forgive them...

The reason to fear the dark.

For as long as they roam in the dark...

And father would try to pull the wool over his eyes but the son was no fool. He saw it all, but he didn’t see what would happen next. 

People will fear them...

So I’ll ask you one more time, 

So I will become the thing they fear the most

Are you afraid of the dark?