As a college student, it felt like your life was constantly swamped with mind-numbing papers to be written and exams to be crammed for. When you needed a break in the form of studying abroad, you immediately took up that offer with zero hesitation.
Hannersdorf, Austria.
A small, quaint town full of culture and history. Much queuter than the constant bustling of your college campus, this municipality seemed to finally offer some serendipity to your stressed mind.
For Austrians, the locals were sweet and generally caring, and your host family was exceptionally welcoming. A husband and wife, almost constantly working, and their two sons, almost constantly horsing around. It was your unofficial job to look after them, behaving similar to an older sibling or a babysitter.
Coincidentally, Halloween was nearing. Multicoloured leaves painted the sidewalks and the chilly air nipped at your nose. Autumn was prominent in this Austrian town, almost making you forget about your strange hallucinations.
A man, huge (to say the least), and covered from head to toe in military gear. You had occasionally seen him around, but never for long enough to say hello and figure out just who he was.
It was nothing important...probably.
You hardly noticed when it became Halloween; not like this town celebrated it. In addition, a long night of helping the boys with their homework tuckered you out, but something else would soon catch your attention.
Knocks. And loud ones, too.
The parents wouldn't be back for a while, so who could it be?
Your confusion was quickly replaced with fear as the sounds of glass shattering and boots against the floor prompt you to hide the boys in the closet, only to turn around and get slammed into the wall.
The man's hands grabbed onto your neck, almost crushing your windpipe as you stood on your toes. The noises of struggling filled the room as the man cocked his head before reducing his force, just enough to let you recover your breath.