Out of the Shadows

Shadowed

                        Sleep is just out of my grasp as I lie there next to her. She sleeps peacefully next to me, the motion sensor woke me up; like it has every night since we moved into this place. Almost like someone has it timed to go off, it'll go off at the same time every night, up to an hour. Normally I just roll back over and try to go back to sleep, but for some reason I can't sleep for whatever reason my mind conjures up. She begins talking in her sleep trailing off into something I could only hope to understand. I smile at her; it was the one thing that shocked me the most about her. It took some time for me to get used to it but I learned to deal with it as most would. A chill creeps up my spine, like one of those 'someone's watching you' feelings. It starts at the base of my neck and races down my spine leaving me cold. I sit up carefully to avoid waking her, and walk the hall to the kitchen, my eyes well-adjusted to the dark. As I peeked into the refrigerator for a late night snack, I turned away, momentarily blinded by the sudden light. While I was adjusting to my surroundings a scream, loud and ear splitting pierced the night.

I run half blind to our room. She is thrashing about wildly on our bed. Fuck the 'don't wake a sleep talker' bullshit. I shake her, she sits bolt upright and looks me dead in the eyes saying in a sing song voice. "Don't let them in, whatever you do, don't let the Dark One in." Several times before falling back into my bewildered arms. Sound asleep. I lay her back and watch the slow rise and fall of her chest. The motion sensor goes dark outside. Another chill, the walls creaks ever so slightly. I lie back thinking nothing of it, it comes again, something moves out of the corner of my eye. Sitting up slowly, listening. Silence, the only sound is my wife's breathing. Just as I begin to lie back the door opens slowly. For a moment I swore I could see the silhouette of someone but it was gone. I get up once again hearing the walls creak. Footsteps that aren't my own coming from just out of sight. I turn the corner and see one of my little boys drawings drift to the floor slowly. The urge to check on him is almost overpowering, picking up his drawing as I walk past I stand in the living room scanning it. The feeling of not the being only one here makes my skin crawl. A long high pitch creak comes from down the hall. My sons room, I turn just in time to see -or not see- something enter. I know it can't be real, but my gut feeling says otherwise. I walk down the hall amd check on him anyways, he lies sprawled out across his bed half hanging off the edge. I go in dancing around the toys on the floor, making a mental note to tell him to pick them up later. I push him back to the middle of the bed, he stirs and smiles up at me.

"Daddy, don't let the Dark Man with the tie get me..."

"I won't bud, I promise. Now, go back to sleep."

He's already asleep before I could finish. I stare down at him for the longest time unable to move, chills race up and down my arms and every inch of skin seems to crawl. I walk back out of the room, the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. A shadow seems to have raced across the room, I stand still again I back up to where I was and walk forward again; no shadow this time. I turn around and watch his room, not sure why, but the feeling that something was very wrong was very apparent. Someone behind me? I look back and no. Just the dark empty house, I sigh laughing at myself. I walk back to our room with goose bumps running up and down my arms. Sleep will be long off at this point, but I crawl in bed anyway. The silence has never been as loud as it is tonight.

The morning light pulls me out of bed, I walk to the kitchen before anyone else wakes up and start cooking breakfast. After looking at the eggs for a moment debating whether or not I should attempt to cook them or rather just to make pancakes and bacon. I spot some blueberries and grin. Blueberry pancakes and bacon it is. I begin mixing the batter throwing in a cup of blueberries in the mix. Michelle's arms wrap around me as I finish the last pancake. "Good morning beautiful." I turn scowling at her. "You're supposed to still be in bed, or its not breakfast in bed." I grin kissing her. I make her plate and sit it on the table in front of her.

"How do you feel about getting a dog?"

Her eyes light up and she smiles.

"Matthew has been asking for one for months."

I put my finger to my lips shushing her.

"It's a surprise."

I put a plate down for Matt and sit down to eat my own. With a smirk I reach over and fork some of Michelle's pancake, she scowls at me and I give my most innocent look while chewing. Little Matt comes in a few minutes later.

"Don't worry sweetie, Mommy didn't let Daddy eat all your pancakes."

He crawls up and stares at his plate for a moment. This is the moment in the morning where it's the ultimate choice: Good mood, or Oscar The Grouch. He grins when he sees his favorite food, me and Michelle glance at each other. Oh, thank god.

"You know, if a certain little boy eats all of his breakfast, and cleans his room, we might have a surprise for him."

His eyes go wide as he looks at me.

"Really?!"

His voice comes out in a happy squeak as he begins to shovel down his food. I glace up at Michelle who is watching me, I tilt my head to the side. Matthew races off to his room and I can hear the clattering of toys being put in their box.

"You didn't sleep again last night, did you?"

Her eyes search my face for answers, I shake my head.

"I was asleep, then that damned motion sensor light thing came on."

I pause a moment, debating whether or not to tell her or not.

"Yes?"

"Insomnia took care of the rest."

I left it at that not wanting to worry her. I look down at my empty plate and smile.

"Did a good job with if I do say so myself."

Matt runs back out with a big smile on his face.

"All clean! All clean!"

He grabs my hand and pulls me to his room.

We walk through the maze of cages with dogs howling and barking at us. Some are excited others are angry, but one just sits there, looking at us. We walk past him several times, my son puts his fingers into the cage and he comes up and licks them wagging his tale.

"That's Russell, he was brought in about a month ago. He's a German Shepard, this is the most responsive that he's been since he arrived."

"Can I has this one daddy?"

I glance over at Michelle who seems to have fallen in love with him already.

"It's up to your momma."

Mat turns his head to his mom and pulls on her shirt.

"Lets keep him."

"Can we go in and say hi?"

The attendant opens the door to the cage and he just sits there waiting, Matt just rushes in and wraps his arms around the dog and Russell just licks his face wagging his tale.

"He's already been fixed, and he seems to be well trained."

"I think we'll take him."

Michelle wraps her arms around me and kisses me on the neck.

"I love you."

The attendant leads us out and we file the adoption papers, Russell sits there calmly next to us, Matt is about as tall as he is sitting.

Russell walks with us to the house but when we get to the front porch he sits, and refuses to go inside. A deep rumbling growl comes from his throat and his hair is bristled. My eyes follow to where he is looking.

"Guys, stay put."

I point to the door that stands slightly ajar mouthing didn't you lock it? She nods. Strange.

Walking inside, the air is ice cold. Nothing seems out of place, except a drawing from Matt lying on the floor. I pick it up wondering how it got from its place on the refrigerator and continue checking the rest of the house. That eerie feeling that I am not alone has returned. I check every room in the house and find nothing out of the ordinary. Wait. I check back in Matt's room, all of his toys are lined up neatly in rows. I stand there counting them 32 are in even rows in the middle of his floor.

I walk back outside and watch as Matt plays fetch with Russell not realizing I still had his drawing in my hand.

"Nothing?"

She gives me a worried look and takes the drawing, and gasps.

"What's wrong hun?"

She hands me back the drawing, a black X Is drawn over my son's representation of himself. I kneel down and call him over to me.

"Matt, did you add this into your drawing?"

he comes running up and looks at it, then shakes his head

"No, The Man with the Tie did that. He says he's going to get me soon. But he can't because you said so!" He hugs me tightly; Russell looks at me, then at the boy then goes inside. Something is wrong. Michelle looks at me, her face drained of color.

I look back at her giving her a helpless look. "C'mon, let's go inside." I say with my hand extended out to her. Chills run up and down my arms as I try and piece everything together. Michelle takes my hand and follows me inside, her hand trembling within mine. Matt and Russell are playing in the hall, I look at the time and sigh.

"I gotta go to work, you think you'll be okay?"

"I think I can manage." She pauses. "Another late one you think?"

" I dunno, it depends on what all needs done."

She nods smiling that smile. That smile I fell for so many years ago. I swoop her up in my arms biting her jaw playfully. She giggles and slaps my arms.

"Nooo! No zombies allowed!"

She glares at me grinning.

"Now get to work."

I roll my eyes making zombie noises 'shambling' to our room to get dressed for work. Nothing fancy, just night worker at a shipping company, lately I've been going in earlier and leaving later. Today I am scheduled from 3 pm to 3 am, another fun and exciting shift.

The time passes slowly as it always does, I move a box maybe three feet from one conveyer to the next depending on where the label dictates. After 11 my feet ache in the usual way that they seem to do after being on your feet for long periods of time. Another hour passes like the last, and I make my way to the computer and clock out. The wind hits me in the face, and I welcome it as I walk to my car outside. The fresh air is much nicer then the dusty dirty and stale air inside the warehouse.

As I pull onto the highway the feeling that someone, something is sitting behind me. The chills race up and down my spine, instinct tells me to look in the rear-view mirror telling me that its nothing, but something tells me to just look straight ahead, so I keep looking ahead. That no matter what I don't want to see something staring back at me. The chills become more intense as I drive, moving its way ever so slowly up my leg, mile by mile. The urge to look back grows stronger just to prove to myself that its nothing. I turn the radio on, hoping to drown out my thoughts. It begins to work, I notice my speedometer begin decreasing ever so slowly. I hit the gas, but nothing the lights begin to flicker and dim as the car slows to a stop. The radio grows staticy where I normally would have clear signal. He's mine... The boy belongs to us... The sounds of voices overrun the static, all talking over one another. A hand touches my shoulder, chilling me to the bone.

Just as suddenly it occurred, it disappeared, the idiot lights come back to life and the engine seems to know what it needs to do, and the radio is coming in clear as day. The feeling is gone, the feeling that something is watching me is gone and the rest of the 45 minute drive happens without much. I pull into the driveway next to Michelle's car my back is turned while I'm getting my lunchbox. I turn in time to see a hand pressed up to the glass. I back into my car, watching as a face rises, staring at me through tangled black hair. Another hand, claws downward. In a rush of wind, its gone. For a moment, I see the curtains billow outwards in the kitchen. A human figure seems to have gone through it. I stand, unsure of myself. For the first time in my life, I wanted to go back to work. I shake it off, and go inside. I look behind me, expecting for the motion sensor to go off. I stand in the door way out of the detection range. A long thin shadow in the silhouette of a figure, stretched back from something. I slam the door shut locking the deadbolt.

A hand presses on my shoulder, I nearly jump out of my skin. I turn and see Michelle standing behind me. I wrap my arms around her almost clinging to her.

"What's wrong..? You're shaking like a leaf."

I shake my head; the motion sensor is off outside.

"Just, been a stressful day at work."

The feelings of being watched slip away as I stare at her with a big smile on my face, I pull her close. Taking her hand within mine, putting my other hand on her hip, swaying with her. She rests her forehead against mine as we dance back and forth in the kitchen to no music. I dip her back hearing her giggle softly and pull her back up. I drop her, her eyes are empty, her face cracks into a smile revealing rows of sharp teeth. Shadows rush around the room, and the house groans in protest. I fumble for the light switch as I back up. The light comes on. Nothing, absolutely nothing. I rush to our room to find Michelle sound asleep in bed, I watch her slow steady breathing just to make sure. Cold sweat runs down my back I turn and walk to Matt's room. The shadows dance about his walls, I watch them for a long time, they drift about with the wind outside. Seeming normal, but...

But what? They're just shadows. It's been a long day, you need some sleep. I turn expecting to see that the kitchen light is still on. But no, it had gotten turned off. Creaking, groaning, and scratching seems to come from all directions, a shadow passes over the walls. Slipping from corner to corner, I try to follow it with my eyes. It's a fucking shadow for cryin' out loud! Bro, grow a pair, its just a damn shadow. Russell rubs up against my leg, causing me to nearly piss myself. I look back in Matts room, to see that Russell was sitting up at the side of his bed. On high alert. What the fuck brush— The back of my leg gets taken out, and I feel myself getting dragged backwards into the living room. Matts door slams shut loudly, Russell's deep growling can be heard inside. Pots and pans fall out of the cabinets, seeming to make a beeline for me. I roll several times and end up on my stomach, my legs are tangled up in something when a heavy weight falls upon my shoulders. Pinning me; I feel claws dig into me. The entire house seems to have came to life. I hear movement, and a moment later Michelle is standing over me. The house is silent.

"What the hell is going on?!"

She grabs my shoulder and I wince, not expecting it to hurt so badly. All I can do is shrug. Pots and pans lie scattered across the floor, and every cabinet door stands open.

I rush down the hall, and open Matts door, Russell sits staring intently at Matt. I stand there running my fingers through my hair, and walk back to the kitchen where Michelle is standing there tapping her foot on the floor.

"What happened?"

"I.." I pause, unsure what to say. "I can't explain it.."

Her glair burns through me, I feel as if I had done something wrong. I back up against the counter, gasping at the pain in my back, white hot and searing. I fall to my knee's as its intensity increases, just as sudden as it came on, its gone. Michelle is there helping me back up.

"Wha- what was that?"

The anger in her voice is now replaced with concern.

"Check my back..?"

She lifts up my shirt and gasps.

"What? What is it?"

"It says..." She pauses. "The boy... He's ours. Gimme your phone."

A moment later she hands it back to me and across my back, etched into my skin.

The boy...

He's ours

I am shaken awake by Michelle, I lay on the kitchen floor surrounded by pots and pans. I sit up, my eyes travel around the kitchen, looking at the broken cabinet doors that hang in tatters, and the broken plates that lie about the floor.

"I took Matt to your mothers."

Her voice solemn, and calm. My head aches, my hand reaches for my head and finds a tender spot on the side of my head. I blink, confused.

"Wh-why?"

"You were drunk..."

Disappointment drips from her voice.

"I thought you were... Better than that. You broke your promise.."

She stands her words echo throughout my head. I try to piece together the events of the night before, but nothing.

"You scared the shit out of me last night. Worst of all you scared your son."

When you figure yourself out, come and get us."

The door closes behind her, with a tone of finality. It echo's throughout my mind, just like her words.

I get to my feet, unsure of myself. Unsure of everything, at first I pace around the house, trying to piece together my fractured memory of the night before. The one thing I am certain of, is that I didn't touch a drop. That was the old me, that was when I didn't care at all when I didn't even care about myself. That was the old me, the one that couldn't escape from his past. The boy... He's ours.. A whisper, perhaps wind through the eve's outside.

"FUCK!"

My fist hits the counter with enough force to shake the cabinet doors.

"You're getting paranoid man, get a damn grip on yourself! You really think fucking shadows did this? The fucking hangover is enough proof for you. It was you."

Gritting my teeth I grab the broom. Might as well be productive you fucking idiot. It takes several hours to clean the broken dish fragments from around the kitchen. I reorganize the pots and pans back in their rightful places. Looking around I grab a broken shard of cabinet door, counting the broken cabinets.

"Looks like you gotta lot of work ahead of you today."

I take off one of the doors that remain unbroken and take it with me to the hardware store.

After a while of looking I find some replacement doors, that'll fit in just nicely with the rest of them with the necessary parts to install them. I put them into the back of my truck then drive to Wal-Mart and restock the dishes, and the food while I'm there. In and out, just like clockwork. My heart ache's as I pull into the empty driveway, as I pull in, a Shadow passes in front of one of the windows. No. I shake my head. Trick of the eye. I pull in, and start the task of carrying everything in, which is fine. Its what I deserve after all.

With the easy part out of the way, I begin to reattach the new doors to the cabinets. I spent a little extra money and got the fancy one's that Michelle went head-over-heels for when she seen them years ago.

"Now, to go tame the angry Momma Bear."

I smirk, challenge accepted. I hold back a laugh as an image of a someone poking a bear with a stick crosses my mind. Not going to be easy.

Her car sits in my mothers driveway, as I had expected. Jeezus, it's almost 6 o'clock. I park out front, grabbing her roses from the passenger seat just before I get out. I stand out front of her door, wondering how to fix it, how to make things right. It all seemed easy in my head. I knock on the door, my mind pulls up the bear image again. This time of a guy in a suit and tie with flowers behind his back, in front of him, a dark cave with none too pleasant noises issuing forth. My mom answers, a scowl crosses over her face, then she see's the flowers behind my back and it turns into a smile.

"Come my love, my darling! I must set you free from the dragon that beseeches you!"

My mom hits my arm

"Ey! Watch it there, I can still beat your ass!"

Michelle laughs, and I walk over offering her my hand, she takes it and stands. I bow deeply kissing her hand, and with a flourish I produce the flowers. I hear Matt come running in.

"I hear a little goblin! And a wee little one at that!" I swoop him up into my arms looking at mom.

"Will the dragon who terrorizes all who enters its dwelling be willing to torture one while I take malady on an adventure?"

I tickle Matt's sides until he nearly pee's himself. Michelle leans over after he escapes from my grasp.

"You aren't still mad at daddy for scaring you last night are you?"

Matt looks at me and then at his momma.

"That wasn't daddy. That was The Caretaker! Daddy would never do that!"

We all look at one another.

"The Caretaker?"

I press.

"Ya! That's what The Man with the tie likes to call himself. He told me so!"

Michelle looks at me and I shrug, a chill runs through me. I smile at her and take her hand.

"We must be off!"

I sweep her off her feet and carry her out the door, she squeals in protest as we get to the car. I open the door and let her in, closing it behind her.

I take her to a park, nice and secluded with a view of a lake with a fountain in the center. I walk her out then walk back to retrieve the card I had gotten. I watch as she reads the little poem that I written inside:

"Under the light of a thousand stars,

Here we stand,

Together hand in hand.

Dancing to the beat of our hearts,

Holding each other close.

We look ahead from a broken past,

To a brighter future.

Upon my knee, with a ring made of shooting stars.

With a simple phrase, your heart soared and scattered upon the stars.

Our hearts were then forever one,

So that we may greet this as a new beginning Forevermore."

The poem I had used to break the ice when I proposed to her, so many years ago. Michelle wraps her arms around me making a little squeaking noise.

"I love you."

"I love you too, so much. I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you."

I hug her close to me, enjoying the feeling of her against me. She looks at me for a long moment, and kisses me. For a moment everything is okay all the weird shit has slipped into distant memory.

Several hours later we walk into the house and Russell comes and greets Matt at the door and they go off down the hall playing with each other, Matts laughter can be heard going down the hallway. Michelle stands shocked looking at the cabinets.

"You did all of this?"

I shrug grinning.

"Nahh I just had the help of Lefty and Righty."

She rolls her eyes hitting my arm playfully.

"You're not funny."

I shrug grinning

"I think we should call Gramma and tell her to babysit the night."

She pulls me close and kisses me, when our eyes meet and her hand rests on my belt I can only guess why. I sweep her off her feet, she squeals and giggles as I carry her off to our room.

We lie there together, her head resting on my chest my hand running my fingers through her hair. I watch as she falls asleep against me, the feeling of her skin against mine is like nothing else. Eventually as she drifts deeper into sleep, mumbling something here and there, she rolls to her own side, and I am left there to my own thoughts. At first its mundane everyday stuff, nothing really worrying, like what bills are coming out and if I have the money to cover them. Who's this The Caretaker guy? I sit up slowly, the house seems much quieter. At the foot of our bed Russell lays curled up, I lay back down a little more relaxed now, and close my eyes. Maybe I can get some sleep tonight, I close my eyes.

As I lie there, just before I drop off into sleep, I feel a tingling sensation creep up my leg. I ignore it at first, it begins spreading ever so slowly upwards. A chill seems to sit right on the base of my spine, the air suddenly gets much colder. I try to pull the blankets closer to myself thinking that I should get up and turn the air conditioner off. But my limbs seem unresponsive, I can't seem to get them to move or do anything. My eyes open and I try to look around, but the only thing that I can see is the shadows dancing up above my head. A creek in the floor beside my bed, then silence, the tingling sensation seems to have moved to the rest of my body, yet I can still feel everything. The shadows begin moving erratically, from one side of the room to the other. Whispers, silent enough you can't hear the words, but loud enough you can hear them. I begin to panic, willing my limbs to move. I close my eyes, trying to calm myself, trying to think rationally. The bed sinks on either side of me, as if someone was there. I open my eyes and see a face staring down at me, her hair hung framing her face in dark clumps. Her eyes glow a dark crimson red, with dark pupils, her teeth are sharpened into points, or perhaps maybe not. Her hand caresses my cheek, and I can feel the sharp talons scrape across my skin. A shadow passes over, I lay there unable to scream, unable to move. His face looks down at me, eyes like black pits, with slender red rings; his smile reveals sharp teeth his skin hangs loosely from his almost demon like face. He speaks, without using words. Come, my child. This is not the one we want. The time is not right, it is not now. Then he looks down at me. The boy is safe, for another night. Rest easy. The Man in Black, The Caretaker, somehow I knew without being told.

I awake screaming into the night, Michelle is next to me holding me in her arms as I lie there shaking. After a moment she pulls back her hand and looks at me.

"You're ice cold.."

I lay against her shivering, but not from the cold, my eyes followed the shadow as it left the room. It takes several minutes before I realize that she's been trying to talk to me this entire time. I blink back into reality, shaking my head.

"Just a nightmare.."

I run my fingers through my hair feeling the soreness in my arms from the struggle.

"You haven't been sleeping well haven't you."

She turns my face to look up at her, I shake my head.

"No, not at all..." I pause, choosing my words carefully. "Just been stressed about bills, they haven't been working me as much."

She pulls me close to her, and I wrap my arms around her, I close my eyes as she begins playing with my hair , something that has always seemed to put me out..



Everything is dark, up ahead a lone streetlight shines brightly down onto the road, something compels me to the light. Sounds, skittering of feet, rustling of the wind through the leaves, and voices as I walk I can see two figures standing there one small, and the other tall and slender holding hands. The light flickers just for a moment, the figures are farther apart, the smaller one seems to have several shadowy things surrounding him. Him. Matthew. The light flickers again, and the little figure is farther away, closer to the edge of the light, with more shadowy things surrounding him. I start running, calling out to him, as I get closer the light explodes, showering me in sparks and hot glass. I fall to my knee's feeling desperate wanting to be able to protect my family. Up ahead another light comes on, its just the tall figure, looking lost and confused. The light flickers again and two figures are standing, their arms are moving angrily. Another flicker, then another light comes on, one figure stands pacing back and forth appearing to run its fingers through its hair. Me. The other figure stands, falling to her knees, her light begins to dim, then it goes out altogether, then the light explodes in sparks, in the sparks I can see. No. I can feel her...



I sit up, and panic, her side of the bed is empty. I get to my feet, dressing quickly and start searching the house. No one. Just before I begin to panic I spy the note on the refrigerator door

"Went to get the kiddo, might swing by the store. Love you -M"

I sigh resting my forehead against the door. Get ahold of yourself. That feeling of hopelessness still lingers from the dream, from everything that has happened. I flop onto the couch and enjoy watching the TV that isn't a cartoon for once. Russell comes over and lays his head on my lap and curls up beside me on the couch. I pet his head and scratch his ears, wondering where he went last night, or if that was all in my head. After flipping through the guide, I see something worth watching an episode of Mythbusters I haven't seen yet. I grin to myself, it's always been my favorite show since I was a kid, and every time I would watch it they would be blowing something up in the name of Science. Today's episode seems to be about what would happen if a water heater where to explode. They strip it of all of its safety features and then build a little house around it putting Buster in with it, poor guy. After waiting for forever it finally goes off, and damn it shoots into the air like a rocket. I laugh, rewinding it and playing it forward in slow motion watching it shoot skyward, destroying the little house they built for it.

Just as the next episode begins Russell gets up and goes to the door, I follow him and open it up to see Michelle walking up with an armload of groceries. I take some from her and set them in the kitchen, then go out to retrieve the rest, I hand Matt a bag that has the bread in it and tell him to go put it in with the rest of them, as I'm getting as much as possible. Michelle comes out and scowls at me grinning.

"What?" I laugh. "I don't wanna make a hundred trips for groceries!"

I walk around her carrying all but the last 5 bags that I couldn't grab. I catch her shaking her head at me as she walks in. Laying them down I turn on my heel and go back out to reclaim the last 5 bags. When I get back inside I start helping her put up all the groceries, smiling as Matt tosses a ball down the hallway for Russell to chase. I stoop down picking up some bread, cracking my head on the bottom of an open drawer.

"Shit! Forgot about that."
I stand rubbing the back of my head pushing the drawer back making it slam. From another room comes Russell's deep rumbling growl. Michelle looks at me with a look of concern on her face. I go to investigate to find a shadowy figure seemingly materializing from the shadows. Matthew clings to my legs Russell launches at the man like figure. Michelle screams from the kitchen, I scoop up little Matt and rush down the hall. Several more of those shadowy figures stand in each corner seeming to form from the shadows themselves. I reach over and pull Michelle closer to me. Suddenly the cabinet doors swing open at once and every dish gets flung out at us. I push Matthew into her arms and then push the two of them into our bedroom keeping my eyes on all of them.
"Get my gun!" Furniture gets overturned. Russell's intimidating growls turn into yelps and howls of pain before I hear a loud thud and the sounds of what could only be breaking bone. Michelle pushes the gun into my hand. Russell races past with his tale stuck between his legs heading to the front door. The Shadow-Men stand at every exit. Michelle screams behind me, i turn to see one more coalescing in the shadowy corner.

"911 please state your emergency."

The sounds of a woman screaming, struggling, and glass breaking
"They're after my son!"

Three gunshots in rapid succession. The sound of more screaming a cry of pain and sadistic laughter followed by complete and utter silence as the call is terminated. The receptionists fingers fly across the keys dictating the officers and paramedics and fire rescue to the call.
She redials but the phone just rings endlessly.

Officer Brian Winters is the first on the scene. The house is in complete disarray, the front door stands open, with a dead dog which appears to be nearly decapitated in the doorway. Blood paints the walls in wide arcs. A man with a butcher knife sticking out of his back is huddled over a woman who is obviously dead judging by the angle of her neck alone, The man looks up reaching for him gasping. "They got my son..." He spends the next few moments coughing out blood and mucus before continuing in a labored deliberate fashion. "His name is Matthew."
Paramedics arrive but it was already too late for the man.

The Caretaker sits in a dark sedan with a little boy sound asleep in the seat beside him. He watches the people out the window with disinterest. Each person he finds no real value for him. Nothing special, no hidden talent like little Matthew here. A large box truck sits a little ways down the street, and a young man jumps down from the driver's seat. Something about this young man attracted his attention, he almost saw a glow around him. Without uttering a word or even gesturing, the driver turns down the street passing the truck as he unloads mattresses. He goes to probe the young man, as he has done countless times before. The only thing he can find out about him was his name before being repelled from further investigation. In fact he feels something trying to reach into his own mind. Their eyes lock for a moment through the tinted windows, a trickle of fear reaches through him all The Caretaker knows is he must have him. His name is Eric Holloway.