Fear twisted her stomach and she drew back as the small man threw himself against the door.  For a heartbreaking moment it seemed like it would hold but thankfully it collapsed into chunks on to the stone lintel entryway to the pub.  Tara could see the burning embers of whatever monster stalked towards the three of them with an evil slowness.<br/><br/>She turned grabbing Aunt Mary Lin who seemed bewitched though she didn't hesitate to move.  A sudden jolt of pain ripped through Tara's head and a burst of energy raced through her at the thought of what might be grabbing the cloud of loose black hair that had unraveled from her braid.<br/><br/>There was no time to stop, she ran out, realizing as she did that it was a ragged edge of the door that had snagged her hair, and a moment later they were outside; leaving a coil of sable hair upon the door's wreckage.  Hurrying out into the light of the bonfire, she stopped breathing heavily as she looked back, expecting to see the little man behind them, but she couldn't see him.<br/><br/>"Well, tha' twas somethin'..."  her aunt actually smiled, much to Tara's wide eyed surprise.  Other villagers' eyes turned toward them both, some wary, some knowingly.  Aunt Mary Lin turned to them and nodded, "A red cap it were now, if'n I'm nae mistaken."  She looked to each of those standing in their group, some shook their heads and walked away, some nodded, some just looked as if they were willing to wait and see.  Tara didn't know what to say and looked back into the black opening to the inn, the smell of burnt wood and the throbbing from the spot on her head where her hair had been torn out.