Facing the depths
Night was falling and some people were still closing their wooden windows and doors. Every night after the twilight, when you can´t see your own hands, the Dark Ones arrive with their dances and songs. They steal the kids and young ladies, they kill the soldiers and make the elderly go mad with their horrible faces. This place used to be a country advanced in technology and knowledge but that was almost 70 years before the pests. No other country dared to come in anymore, they had tried to help over and over, to take all the people from Ishtarpillar somewhere new but all around the world, population had grew too fast leaving no space for so many new comers.
The Dark Ones was the name of an old tribe from ancient Ishtarpillar; it was a myth though. The legend said that the Dark Ones were small creatures that had been expelled from the city by the old king Demetry and his wife Hermia after destroying the main city, Catril. There were no remains of life as the evil had took all with them and built their own reign somewhere under the sea. They had promised revenge, they said they were going to come back and destroy the rest of Ishtarpillar for making them run into the sea. The Dark Ones grew guts on their necks, their skin had turned greenish and their hairs were covered with algae and pieces of coral, their teeth were mostly broken and their ripped clothes were scarce. They were hungry of human meat and blood; it wasn´t enough with fishes and oceanic flora. They were always hungry.
It was cold, not a single light. Families used to seat on the floor really tight to keep warm as their only source of heat was a candle for them to see their surroundings. The light wasn´t enough but to see two or three paces from where they stood. After some hours of waiting the songs began, couldn´t grasp a single word. People could do nothing but pray they wouldn´t be the night victim. Cries of pain and terror were heard. Not a single person could have missed it.
Inside the Lumpchests´ house, people prayed and cried as the noises approached. Their house was the only one without neighboring houses at the sides. There was just field about. Carter was hugging Harriet as two fat tears streamed down her face. Carter was the older brother of five but Harriet was his favorite, she was two years younger than him. There was Carter, then Harriet, the twin brothers and little baby Lucianne. There were so many screams as the door was bang open that a little sound from when their voices joined together to form one, was audible. Carter stood up making Harriet land next to him. He took her by the hand and tried to grab somebody, whomever. There was no possible way to help his family so he took Harriet by the wrist and pulled her toward the back door that was at the other side of the house passing through many corridors. With this darkness, if you didn´t knew the way by heart, the house was a maze. They almost fell many times with the things that were on the floor or with the tables that were spread all around the house, every one of a different size and style. The darkness was absolute but unfortunately, they weren´t deaf. The screams of fear and possibly pain were agonizing. Steps followed them. Harriet, being more agile than her brother, threw herself to the floor, graved a rock that stood on her way and then rose with the delicacy of a ballerina. She held the rock on her fist clinging to dear life and as the steps grew nearer, Harriet turned around and let go off the rock and threw it at their chaser. It hit the target, causing a grown of pain out of his/her throat. The chasing stopped. When they finally got to the door, Carter still had to take off the woods his father had bolted to the door frame.
“Harriet I want you to stay in here while I go and try to….-the screaming, the kicking against the floor and walls had stop- help?”
“Let´s get out of here” Said Harriet after seconds of complete silence. There were no words. Carter nodded and opened the door quietly. They ran into the field guided with the light of the stars and moon. The nearest house was the one of the Rays´. Carter and Mr. and Mrs. Ray only son, Greyson, used to be really good friends before the attacks got worse. Three knocks at the door were enough for Greyson to find out it was Carter. Sometime of waiting and the door opened, it was Greyson that took them by their shirts and pulled them inside the house.
