Michael

1

"Come on, mom! "Michael screamed. "we'll be late! ".

It was Kim Haley's 9th birthday. She was Michael's cousin.

"Loretta, would you come downstairs! "Micheal's dad, Sean said to his wife.

"Be down in a few! " Loretta
screamed.
            In no time, they were on the move. They were now on the bush path that led to Kim's, when the engine overheated. Sean stopped the car and got down.

" what are we going to do?!" he said, soliloquising.

"let's go get help " Loretta said. She looked at Michael. "would you be fine on your own? " she asked him.

"yeah, mom, I'm 10. I can't be scared" Michael replied.
                  Loretta looked at her watch. It was 4 pm.

"let's go quickly "she said. "And Michael.... Don't get out of the car, don't talk to anyone and do not open the doors for anyone that isn't us okay?! " .

Michael rolled his eyes.

" I know, Mom! ".

Loretta and Sean went to the roadside, far from the car.
                    Now, it was 6pm and Loretta and Sean weren't back. Michael was getting hungry and choked up.
"A little fresh air shouldn't hurt? " he said.  "Right? ".
He got out of the car. It was oddly dark outside and cold.  Michael heard a rustling in the trees among the fog .

" what the...? " Michael thought. " it's to early for all this fog! "

. The rustling stopped. Michael walked toward where he thought the sound was coming from. Far from the car.

"Mom, dad? "  he said.

Suddenly, a ragged man jumped out of the bushes.
"hey,! " he said to Michael.

Micheal didn't respond..

What is he? A hobo?

" what are you doing here? " the man asked again.
Michael remembered what Loretta said about getting out and talking to people.

"I guess you're not a talker" the ragged man said again.
                 
"what do you want?! " Michael blurted. He had just defied every rule Loretta gave. The man gave  a knowing smile.

"Um, can I see your hands, please? " The man said to Michael. Michael just stared at him, lost in thought.

"little boy, can i see your hands" the man asked again, teary eyed. Michael came back to earth. "yeah, sure". Once the man got hold of Michael's hands, a tear dropped from his eye. "you know little boy, life isn't fair " he said, smiling in a sinister manner. " you just have to make it fairing your own". Michael was alarmed at the putrid smell oozing from the man's clothes.
                    The man squeezed Michael's hands and breathed harshly on them. Michael tried to pull his hands away,  but the man had an unusually firm grip. Suddenly, blue air spewed from his mouth onto Michael's hands. In the blink of an eye, the man's body crumbled like dust before Michael. It was like an electrical surge. Michael's clothes were burnt. He looked insane. Loretta and Sean were already running toward the car with someone who volunteered to help. "Michael must be so scared! " Loretta lamented, as she arrived the car. She opened the door. " where's the child?! " she asked Sean. " I dunno ,I just ran almost half a mile with you!"  Sean replied. "let me check the car" the woman who came with them said.
                    Loretta was freaking out. She and Sean checked everywhere around the car and they couldn't find him. " hey, the cars' working! " the woman said. " yeah, thanks Beatrice "Loretta said. She noticed that the fog was getting much. She saw a figure. A black one. Standing far away, in the center of the tree graced bush.  "s-sean, what is that? " she stammered. The figure was already walking toward them. " it's coming! " Sean screamed. "Run for your life! " . They entered the car with Beatrice who was already regretting coming into the bushes with them. " step on it, Sean! " Loretta squealed.