The ground was cold. All life had been sucked out of the air. Only shadows remained. Or was there more? As the mist wrapped itself in its own hush, the warm waves of life pulsed out of the creature’s body blood screaming silently inside of him. His feet barely inches apart moved slow and cautiously forward… One, two, three… BANG! All that surrounded the living creature was darkness, he strained to see but to no avail could his only human senses help him. He tried to reach out, feel an object that could help him escape, but what was he trying to escape from? He himself didn’t know, but what was this under his sweaty palm? It almost felt soft, warm, it reacted to his touch, was it … a hand? He snapped his arm back to his chest; he felt the bones shatter all the way up toward his shoulder, making his spine freeze in fear. He was screaming but no sound would evacuate from the paralyzed almost… lifeless body which was his own. Not even a breath, not even a sign of a pulse evaporated from the translucent skin of this figure, which now lay sprawled astray from any sign of life.
The sun glared through the windows of a vacant, abandoned room. Suddenly life appeared through the door, only to find an unmade bed along with a scrawled note. The woman picked up the note with trembling hands when she felt someone kneel down beside her. She opened the note. She read it carefully.
“Beware, Beware the house of despair
Where children lay dead, blood completely drained they said
You’ll find bones in the river, the thought of this will make you shiver
Beware, Beware the house of despair
Where you’ll find your son lying
Dead in the river bed, who’s next?”
The woman dropped the note. “What’s this a teenage prank?” she asked her husband who had picked up the note and was clenching his fists. “Whatever it is must not touch Shaun!” the father looked at his wife and they nodded to themselves. They left the empty room and shuffled over to Shaun’s dungeon, and ever so slowly opened the door, to find a small boy, asleep sprawled in what he calls his bed. “He looks normal” the father said examining his son, “Looks can be deceiving Jack” “we’ll give him a few hours then we will invade his dreams” Jack closed the door once more, making sure he didn’t make any noise. The son was left to sleep, the other permanently asleep in the river bed. Like the rest.
Shaun woke slowly and lazily, all the energy seemed to have faded from his body. What was his problem? He was always so jumpy, why not today? He questioned himself with more questions as he got out of his bed, threw the covers behind him, and trudged to the bathroom. He washed, cleaned and changed. He decided to get himself some breakfast or at least his stomach decided that for him.
“Morning son” Jack called as his son came down the stairs like a herd of elephants. “Hi dad anything good in the newspaper?” “Not really, just a load of old rubbish as usual. Luna honey could you throw this newspaper out in the recycling so s-h-a-u-n can’t see it” “Sure Jack” Luna took the paper from Jack and made sure Shaun couldn’t see what was blazing out on the front page. “Dad why get rid of the paper so quickly today, you usually let me read it first?” “Yeah well son, you see it’s just got a load of political nonsense which I don’t want them filling your head with” “Sure whatever you say dad” Shaun said ending their conversation by walking into the kitchen to find a bowl, spoon and cereal. Once he had found his ingredients he settled himself on the couch by his father and ate his cereal in silence. “Son, you haven’t had any odd letters or notes lately have you?” Shawn stopped eating his breakfast and stared at his dad in confusion. “No, why? Have you?” “Well I got one but here take a look” Shaun taking the scrunched up note from his dad stared at the scribbled writing. After he had read it once he looked at the writing again, he had seen this writing before somewhere, it looked so familiar. “So do you have any idea what this is?” Jack asked his son almost hopeful. “No, but this writing looks familiar, I’ve seen it before” “Do you know where?” “No but if I see it again I’ll tell you” after that silence took its opportunity to fill the room again, but both the son and the father’s minds remained boggled and they pondered away. The only sound that filled the room was the spoon clanging against the bowl every once in a while. But then it stopped.
