The Demons Mark

The Arrival of IT- 7 Years Earlier

My 10th birthday was last week. My new foster parents forgot. But its okay, I don't like my birthday. Well not anymore. Mummy always said 'Birthdays are meant to be celebrated, to be full of happiness and smiles. And if your not you can't let the world bring you down as somebody out there is celebrating too'. My new foster parents say I should forget about my mummy and daddy because they are dead and buried, and soon maybe I might be adopted and nobody wants a frowning crying child who cant forget her old parents. But I don't want to forget them and I don't want to be adopted.

So now I'm sitting in their living room being lectured about my behaviour because I was rude to prospective adoptive parents.

"Harvey, you need to be a lady and stay quiet! Nobody will adopt you if you keep up this behaviour! Harley! Are you listening to me girl!" my foster father ranted. Then my foster mother started on about how I should be grateful to them for taking me in, instead of leaving me on the streets like they should have.

"Hayden", I interrupted them, "My name is Hayden", I murmured angrily. I heard them reply but I wasn't listening or looking at them. No, I was looking at the corner of the room where a man stood. He had greasy blonde hair and burgundy red eyes with skin so pale it was transparent. He grinned at me then pointed to my foster parents. When I looked at them IT appeared behind my foster father with a knife in his hand. I sat there while IT slit my foster father's throat. A haze appeared behind my eyes and I couldn't see then just as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared as I heard a high pitched blood curdling scream. It was from my foster mother who stood behind the dead being who was my foster father who's throat was slit and she was holding the knife covered in his blood. Then I started screaming.

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I only calmed down when my social worker, Maggie Carter, placed her arms round me at the police station. She was there to take me then re-home me. I knew the drill. Nobody wanted a troubled child because a troubled child grew up to be a troubled teen then a troubled adult. So who would want me the poor little orphan. If Maggie knew what I was thinking she would half heartily scold me. Buts that's only because she has a soft spot for me. Which made me feel special because she reminded me of my mummy.

"Hayden sweetheart, are you okay?" She looked at me with so much sadness it was hard to stand. I just nodded. "Are you sure kiddo?" She tried again but I just nodded. She sighed and stood up. She held her hand out to me and said, "Okay then if you're sure kiddo, its time to go. You'll like this family, please try this time, for me?"

I gave her a small smile and nodded. She nodded too then stopped pulling me to a halt and crouching down, "And Hayden, you know what Mrs. Reese did to Mr. Reese wasn't your fault right?".

At my nod, she stood up, kissed my forehead and walked me to her car. But what she didn't understand, it was my fault, I just know it.