Alyssa tossed and turned in her floating sleep-pod. She could feel it bob up and down in the air as she moved. She couldn’t sleep, and she didn’t know why. Nothing was out of the ordinary. The crickets chirped in the bushes, the trees rustled in the breeze, and the soft whir of the family’s pet robot could be heard downstairs. She flumped down on the couch and flipped on the holographic screen. She watched for a few minutes, then turned it off again and started pacing around. Her eyes were tired, but her brain was going a million miles an hour. As she paced, the thought about what her mother had told her. Was her father really dead? If he was, how did he die? Her mind explored the possibilities, but none of them seemed quite right. Alyssa’s watch buzzed, and she jumped. Who was trying to contact her in the middle of the night? She pressed the little button on the side, and a hologram flickered to life. It showed a tall, slender man with a thin, pale face. His pale-blonde hair stuck up in tall spikes that waved in a breeze. He was wearing a long peacoat, and the collar was flipped up. He looked oddly familiar, but Alyssa was sure that she had never seen him before. “Alyssa,” the man said. How does he know my name? Alyssa wondered. He stared back at her with a piercing gaze, “I need to speak to you.” “Who are you?” Alyssa asked, fidgeting with her leggings, “How do you know my name?” “Nevermind that,” he waved her question away, “Do not tell your mother about this.” “Why?” “Stop asking questions,” he snapped, “Come out into the woods. Now.” “Why should I?” He sighed, “I will explain everything later. Come out into the woods.” “No, you’ll kidnap me or something.” “Why would I want to do that?” “Because you’re a creepy stranger asking me to come into the woods.” He sighed again, but Alyssa noticed the corner of his mouth twitched into a small smile. “I will explain everything,” the man said again, “One you come out into the woods.” “Promise you won’t try to kill me?” Alyssa asked. “You have my word I won’t try to kill you in any way,” he said solemnly, and, strangely, Alyssa believed him.
