(A/N There is no swear words, inappropriate scenes [like sex or making out]. Although there are things that could scare a real young reader, like death by a monsters talons. Crunching of bones. Beware! [Turn on dark mode or do Ctrl + search button + H for extra effect])

She heard the gong echo across the clearing.

She froze in fear.

Screams sounded around her.

The monster had been spotted.

Her brain finally caught up to what was happening, and she started to sprint towards her neighbors house. in every house was a trapped door leading towards the hidden maze under the village. When the gong rang, it was run to the nearest building and get into the cellar, or it was almost certain death. 

The people where required to unlock their doors, and hide in their cellars. After a minute, they where allowed to lock the cellar door and were not permitted to open it up no matter what.

She shoved open the door to her neighbors house, and quickly shut it behind her.

"Hurry! get in!" Said a hushed voice.

She looked around to see a person standing halfway in the cellar, holding it open for her.

Then she remembered.

"My baby! I have to get it!" She shouted.

"No! you cant!" 

But she ignored them. She was a mother, and her duty was to her child. 

She sprinted out of the house and shut the door behind her. By now, the screams had subsided as everyone was hidden safely away, only a couple people rushed towards the nearest house and ducked through the doorway.

She ran as fast as she could to her house, the wet morning grass almost causing her to trip. As she finally reached her house, all sounds of life had gone away. Even the birds had stopped chirping, the gong stopped booming across the field. The only noise was the breeze in the trees, and the footsteps of something huge.

She grabbed the door knob and tried to open her door. It was locked. Someone had taken refuge in her house, and locked the door, like protocol. She ran towards the window, but it was locked. just as she left it for the night, just like protocol. She could hear her baby crying through the window, whoever was in her house did not even try to save her baby.

She had nothing to do. she was completely helpless.

Except....

She ran around her house towards the back door. The back door would certainly be locked, but she had another plan. As the sound of footsteps grew louder, the ground shook. She frantically heaved herself up onto the shed. She got footholds from the shovels leaning against the stone walls of the storage shed. Once she was up on the shed roof, she jumped up onto the main roof of the house.

The footsteps must be shaking the whole continent by now.

She finally reached her chimney, and took a breath. Then She jumped in.

She fell down the stone chimney, blinded by the dust. She hit the ground hard, her ankle twisted in between two burnt logs. The house trembled as the monster stepped nearby, causing her to fall deeper into the soot. She got up and limped over to the next room, covered in soot and dust. 

The crying of her baby was heard over the monsters footsteps.

She limped inside the room. Her baby was in its crib, crying oceans.

She reached out and cradled her baby in her arms, and it stopped crying. She limped over as fast as she could towards the cellar. 

She fell to the ground as the monster took another step closer.

She held her baby tight in her arms, and started to cry. She closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

She felt the monsters breath on her back.

She hugged her baby closer.

Then she felt her weight be lifted off the ground, and her baby fall from her arms.

With a terrifying crunch, she was no more.