He wasn’t supposed to cross the street. For years and years the woods across the street had been fenced off. Yet, for some odd reason nobody knew why, or at least nobody spoke of it.

Thomas James Michelson, otherwise known as TJ, had lived at 665 Willow Switch Lane for his entire life, which isn’t saying much considering he’s only five years old. TJ’s house was a drastic contrast to the forest which lay, fenced off, at the end of the lane. 665 Willow Switch Lane was just like the typical American home you’d find in a 1960’s sitcom. The majestic house was painted a bright and luminescent yellow, outlined by a lovely, luscious, scarlet accent. Daily, the smell of freshly baked apple pie drifted through the spacious house as Mrs. Michelson baked the warm pastries for her customers while her husband, Mr. Michelson worked as the head sheriff in their super small town of Mirage Texas, a town so miniscule that if you blinked you would miss the entire thing. Also, more often than not you’d always find little TJ outside in his grass stained jeans, sky blue Pokémon t shirt, and cherry red light up sketchers, with his sun bleached brown hair and bright green eyes, playing tag with his best friend Patrick, or playing catch with his father. This is what TJ did almost every single day that summer, never getting bored of it. Little did anyone know it wouldn’t be what he did for much longer.

It was August 13, a dark and stormy day in the middle of the summer. Today was TJ’s sixth birthday, a sad day for a party. TJ was inside in the comfy dining room eating some cake and ice cream with the rest of his friends, a sad frown spreading across his boyish face, wishing he could play outside. Mr. Michelson was out on a call and Mrs. Michelson was at home trying to keep track of all nine of the children which she swore seemed to multiply by the second. With his best pouty lip and puppy dog eyes TJ went up to his mother. “Mommy? Can we please go play outside?” whined TJ.

“Not now sweetie. It’s raining and you’ll surely all get sick!” exclaimed Mrs. Michelson.

“I know. But what if we just played outside for a few minutes? Please mommy? It’s my birthday!” whimpered TJ, pulling on his mother’s heartstrings.

“Okay sweetie. Just be sure to stay in the yard and don’t cross the street! I’ll be watching from the kitchen window, making you guys some hot chocolate for after you’re done!” resigned Mrs. Michelson.

“Thanks mommy! I love you sooooo much!” bellowed TJ as he ran to go grab his rain coat and boots. The rest of the children quickly finished their cake and ice cream and in a matter of seconds they were all out the door playing soccer with TJ’s brand new kickball that Patrick had given him. The faces of the children glowed with their smiles as they finally got to play outside after being stuck inside on one of the worst days of the summer. All the while, Mrs. Michelson was watching the kids play from her kitchen window, boiling some water for the hot chocolate on the stove. The next few minutes happened in almost a blink of an eye.

After much running and passing, TJ finally got the ball and was getting ready to kick it into his little kiddie goal. TJ’s friend Steven looked at him menacingly as to say You aren’t getting that ball past me! TJ swung his foot back as far as he could and then forward with all of his might. However, instead of going into the goal like TJ had hoped the ball soared over the goal and over the fence at the end of the lane. Meanwhile, while waiting for the water to boil on the stove Mrs. Michelson got a call and picked it up and it happened to be her husband calling. She made her way into the living room to pick up the phone. “Hey honey buns! How’s work going?” flirted Mrs. Michelson.

“Honey. Please tell me you have all of the kids inside.” staggered Mr. Michelson.

“Ummm, well actually no. They’re outside playing a friendly game of soccer! You know how TJ loves that silly game.” admitted Mrs. Michelson. Mrs. Michelson glanced at the clock on the wall, revealing that it was 4:30. “Anyways, shouldn’t you be home by now? You’re going to work yourself to death!” worried Mrs. Michelson.

“I need you to get all of the kids inside now.” said Mr. Michelson forcefully.

“Now honey, don’t you worry. They’re just playing some soccer and they’ll get cold and come inside any minute now.” explained Mrs. Michelson.

“You do not understand. The reason why I’m not home and the reason why I’m worried is because we just pulled over some crazy old man in a junker car for speeding. Before we could get his license and registration he knocked out an officer and ran off into the woods. When the officer finally came to he heard screaming coming from the back of the man’s car. Officer Ryan ran back to his vehicle, phoned for backup and grabbed a crowbar. With a loud creak he opened the trunk of the man’s car and inside was a little girl who had been reported missing from Austin three days ago.” speeded Mr. Michelson.

“Wait honey. What? I don’t understand what you’re trying to say!” exclaimed Mrs. Michelson, growing increasingly worried.

“A crazy child predator is loose, and he’s somewhere in the woods across the street.” said Mr. Michelson slowly and with urgency. With that Mrs. Michelson dropped her phone, paralyzed with fear, and just then a little girl came running into the house. “Mrs. Michelson! TJ just crossed the street into the woods to go get a ball. I don’t think he should have because my mommy told me to never ever cross the street no matter what.” tattled little Lucy Jenkins. Mrs. Michelson couldn’t believe it, for the one time she let TJ go play outside without her may very well be the last. Mrs. Michelson ran to the window to see if what she had been told was true, and sure enough it was. TJ was nowhere to be found. So, quickly she sprinted outside, grabbed all eight of the children and brought them in, locking and dead bolting the door behind her. Tears ran down her face she called her husband to explain to him what had happened, but little Thomas James Michelson was already far too gone.

TJ had just been playing soccer with his friends when he kicked the ball too hard, sending it flying over the towering fence. Proud of himself for kicking so hard, TJ told the others that he would just hurry and climb the fence to the other side and be right back. TJ quickly made his way over to the fence and began climbing just as Mrs. Michelson was going to answer the phone. As he reached the top of the eight foot fence, the wind began to blow through his sun bleached hair, and swallowing the bit of fear that crept up inside of him, TJ quickly descended the other side of the fence into Willow Forest, searching for his long lost ball thinking, It can’t be too far.

TJ searched and searched for his ball, combing through all of the fallen willow switches with his hands. Deeper and deeper he found himself going into this maze of a forest as he frantically searched for it, not even remembering how he had made his way to where he was at. Lost, confused, and alone, TJ began to cry, a rare thing for a boy as strong as he, when suddenly he saw something. Just down a trail overhung on both sides with large, billowing, willow trees he saw a cabin, and what he thought might be the faintest glimpse of a brand new red kick ball. Fueled by a seed of hope TJ ran as fast as he could, to what would be his own torture chamber, and Mrs. Michelson was only just calling up her husband once again.

TJ quickly neared the cabin, not noticing the fresh footprints in the muddy trail or the faint trail of smoke making its way up from the top of the cabin. Soon he was but within a yard of the cabin, and peeking through the wide open door he saw his bright red ball leaning against a dark, stained, wardrobe. TJ knew that he had been out here for a while and that soon his friends and family would begin to grow worried so he hurried into the cabin and grabbed his red ball. A wave of happiness crashed over TJ as he hugged his ball to his chest, suddenly replaced by a wave of terror as the cabin door slammed shut. TJ suddenly felt a cloth go over his mouth and before he could scream he drifted off into a deep sleep.

TJ awoke in the dark cabin with nothing but the fire supplying light to the room. He tried to get up but he found that both his arms and legs were bound to a wooden pole running straight down the middle of the room. TJ looked around frantically, hoping that this was all just some sick joke. In one corner, to his right he saw a large queen bed with dirty, torn sheets, obviously recently used, and to his left TJ could see the door he had walked through just hours ago, now locked, dead bolted, and latched shut. And farther on to his left, along the wall TJ saw the wardrobe which at first glance he had thought was simple place to store clothes, but looked more menacing by the minute. Behind him roared the fire, fueled by the fallen willow switches and logs from felled willow trees. Finally, as far back to his right as he could see, TJ heard the creaking of a rocking chair and an old man smiling sadistically at him. “Welcome home Charlie. Why did you leave me? You know that you must be punished now.” With that, TJ let out loudest scream he possibly could, but nobody was around to hear it.