A Demon in the Modern World [ Errorink / Errink ]

Chapter 7 - First Day on the Job

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

My heart sank. Terror filled me. I hesitated to even move my head to look at the thing probably in front of us but I powered through.

I followed her gaze and saw it - a figure standing in the darkness, its twisted form barely discernible amidst the shadows. As I stared, my heart pounded in my chest, and a sense of dread washed over me.

It stood there, almost the same height as me, but its presence loomed large, casting a shadow over the bench where we sat. Its form was twisted and contorted, like a malformed mockery of the human body. Its limbs were misshapen, with arms that seemed too long and thin, and legs that bent at odd angles. The creature's skin, if it could be called that, was a sickly shade of grey, mottled with patches of blackened flesh.

But what truly chilled me to the bone was its face or lack thereof. Where its features should have been, there was only darkness, as if the very essence of shadow had consumed its visage. There were no eyes, no mouth, no nose - just an abyss of endless blackness that seemed to swallow the light around it.

In one of its twisted hands, the creature clutched a gleaming kitchen knife, the blade stained with crimson. The sight sent a wave of horror coursing through me, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.

The ghost girl stood up from her seat, her form glowing faintly in the moonlight. With a bright smile, she called out, "Mister Æßµ‰£€‡!" and skipped over to him. I reached out instinctively, hoping to halt her in her tracks, but my hand passed right through her. Of course, she was a ghost after all. However, she must have sensed my futile attempt, as she turned back to me with a curious expression. "What is it?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Y-You shouldn't...go towards him," I stammered, trying to suppress my fear, but my voice wavered nonetheless. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead, trickling down my face as my heart raced with apprehension. The whole situation was utterly terrifying.

"Why?" she inquired innocently, her curiosity overriding any sense of danger.

"Because-" I felt a surge of irritation, unable to contain my fear any longer. "Can't you see how fricking terrifying he looks?!?" My voice came out sharper than intended, betraying my escalating anxiety. "He's holding a knife for god's sake!"

She was about to say something when....it spoke.

"Lizzie......come....here...." Its voice carried an unsettling aura that made my skin crawl.

I swore I saw it smiling while muttering those creepy syllables....what the fuuuckkkkk!!

The ghost, 'Lizzie', raised a hand as if to say 'wait'. "In a sec!" She then turned to me, her eyes filled with anticipation. "Are you going to play too?"

I hesitated. I was only supposed to be bait - just to stand there and look pretty, not get involved in whatever shit this creature had in mind. But as I glanced at her, her eyes brimming with excitement and innocence, something within me stirred. I sighed, cursing my common sense for making me agree. "Sure, why not..." I replied with a forced smile.

Lizzie smiled brightly and turned to the creature. "My friend will be joining us too! Do you mind?"

It shook its head slowly, its expression unreadable....in the actual sense.

"Good! Let's play then!" Lizzie exclaimed, her excitement infectious.

And so...the hiding began.

...

I ran quickly with the little ghost girl towards a picnic table. I scanned the area, searching for a good hiding spot for us, when Lizzie suddenly spoke up, "He's done counting."