• Calone Loper sat at the table, trying to do his homework. This was proving to be quite hard as his younger siblings kept shouting and playing around behind him.
    "Will you two shut up!" he bellowed angrily, slamming his fist on the table.
    Asha and Lance merely glanced at him before resuming their game. Calone kicked his chair back and stormed out of the room.
    "Mom! I'm going for a walk!" he called as he strode out the front door.
    Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he strolled up the street, ignoring the greeting from his elderly neighbor. It was a warm day, with a slight breeze that caressed his face. It was autumn, Calone's favorite season. At the end of the street, he turned left, into the woods.
    Leaves crackled beneath his feet, red, orange, yellow, and brown. The woods had a pleasant smell that Calone loved. He was now so deep in that he could no longer see the houses, but he wasn't worried; he always came this way. At last, he came to his favorite spot; a small clearing surrounding by trees and, since it was autumn, was now covered in leaves.
    He lay down in a particulary comfy looking patch of leaves and sighed contentedly. He stared up into the deep blue sky and was amazed by its beauty. Smiling slightly to himself, he closed his eyes. A peircing scream rang through the woods, and Calone jerked up. Another scream came, and it was silent. Heart racing wildly, Calone jumped up, and almost against his will, dashed, stumbling, towards the source of the terrible screams.