Stone Circle the half moon said: these nights are fogged and slow,

It's late, and the girl is restless. She can't sleep, as she'd spent all day dozing and resting rather than visiting her usual haunts. So she sets off to explore the territory under the cloak of night, a touch apprehensive. The forest is so quiet, she can hear the faint thrum of her heart. She's used to being alone — that doesn't bother her. But something about the stillness of nighttime unsettles her; still unaware of the concept of nocturnal creatures, she imagines all the animals are tucked away for the night, and the forest is empty.
So, the crack of a twig somewhere in the distance startles her more than it might usually. She jumps, fur fluffing, and takes a couple steps back. Her head jerks one direction, then the other, but she sees little under the scant light offered by the moon and stars. Dark shapes, shifting shadows — her imagination shapes them into horrific nameless creatures, beasts born of nightmares. Maybe not all of the animals are sleeping, she thinks — maybe something is going to eat her out here, and she'll never see mom or Arlette or Merrit again. It doesn't occur to her to run, or to fight; all she can think to do is sit down and cry, mind blank with terror.