Lover's Of The Night

Running.

She pushed her legs faster, ignoring the burn of her muscles.
Her chest ached but she couldn't stop, if she did she was dead.

The sound of running feet grew louder.

"Keep running!" Her mother's voice rang out.

Lillian Rose looked behind her at the glowing yellow eyes and her step's faltered, causing her to trip and fall.
Crying out when she looked down at her tore knee, the light of the full moon shined on the blood.

Bethany turned at her five year old daughters cry and her heart froze as she saw the yellow eyes get closer.

Picking up her little girl she ran, but the creature was faster, it's jaw clamping down around her leg.

Lillian flew out of her mother's arms and hit the cold hard ground.

Whimpering, she raised her head to see the monster on top of her mother, teeth and claws tearing into her soft skin.

"Mama!"

_____________

Eighteen year old Lillian shot up in her bed, gasping for air with her hand on her chest as the nightmare faded.
Sweat soaked her thin night gown, making her uncomfortable.

When will they stop? She thought, putting a hand to her forehead.

"Lilly Rose! Are you awake?" Her father called out knocking on her door.

"Yes papa. I'll be right down." She hated how shaky her voice sounded.

"Are you alright?" Her father asked with concern.

"Yes papa, I'm fine." She said tossing back her cover's.

"Hmmm, well we need to hurry or we'll be late."

She waited until his foot steps faded before getting out of bed, wrinkling her nose at the sweat.

Walking over to her dresser, she poured water from the porcelain pitcher into the matching bowl and splashed the cold water on her face.
Looking at her reflection in the small mirror, she frowned at the dark circles under her hazel eyes and her messy reddish brown hair, sticking with sweat.

Eyeing the cold water, she grimaced.
There was no help for it, she'd have to clean up and didn't have time to heat up the water.
Grabbing a rag from the top drawer and her bar of rose scented soap and started washing the smell of sweat from her body and hair.

By the time she was done, she was shivering and ran to the wardrobe to throw on her light blue cotton dress that tied in the front, hugging her waist and chest before flaring out at her hips.
After fixing her damp hair into a bun at the back of her head, she picked up the gold locket from her mother's old jewelry box and headed down stairs.

"There's my angel." Her father said with a smile on his face.

She smiled and joined him at the table, grabbing the coffee pot and poured herself a cup before reaching for a biscuit left over from their supper.

"What's that?" Her father asked, pointing at the chain hanging from her fingers.

"Mama's necklace." She said rubbing her thumb on the gold locket.

Andrew Smith frowned as his daughter looked down at the necklace that held a picture of her and his wife.
Taking a deep breath he smiled at her, the light of his life. Her and the church were the only things that helped him through the death of his beloved Bethany.

"Let me help you put it on." He said, rising from his seat and moving around the table.

Carefully taking the necklace and clasping it around her neck.

"You look just like her you know." He said moving around in front of her.

Her eyes lit up and she smiled.
"Really? I do?" Her expression was so hopeful and bright that guilt weighed on him for a moment.
Guilt that he had hardly spoken of her mother over the years.
It had just been too hard.

"Yes, well, it's time to go." He said and headed for the door.

_____________________

Arriving at the church, Lillian clung to her father's arm as he greeted people.
Crowds had always made her uneasy.

"Hello dear!" Mrs Wright, a plumb cheerful older woman with bright blue eyes and rosey cheeks, came and wrapped her in a perfume scented hug.

Lillian grimaced and patted her on the back. Her eyes were starting to sting and she held back a cough.
She liked Mrs Wright but hated her perfume.

"Good morning Mr Smith! You look well this fine morning!"

Lillian looked up at the grey cloud's hanging heavy with rain above their heads.

"Good morning to you Mrs Wright. You look lovely as always." Her father said with his winning smile.

"Oh you!" Mrs Wright blushed at his compliment and headed inside the church.

"Good morning Lilly."

She turned at the voice of her friends brother and instantly felt her face heat.

"Good morning Will." She said with a shy smile.
Will was as tall as her father, with blonde hair and green eyes, a dimple in both cheeks and a smile that took her breath away.
She had fancied him since she was ten. Her and every other girl in town.

"Good morning sir." He said shaking her father's hand.

"Morning Will, how's your family doing?"

The hair on the back of Lillian's neck stood and a chill went down her spine as the two men talked.
Feeling a pair of eyes on her, she searched the crowd but only saw people talking amongst themselves, shaking hands and children playing.

Turning her head to look behind her, she just caught the retreating figure of a man.

"Lilly Rose? It's time to go inside." Her father said, gently tugging her arm.

"Okay." She said, taking one last look at the spot where the man had been.

The storm hit as the sermon started, her father's voice carrying over the sound of thunder.

"It's with a heavy heart that I ask you to pray for yet another young one that has gone missing."

Children and young people have been going missing for over a month now and there were no lead's. One day they're there and the next they aren't.

Lillian looked around Will at the Jones' family, Mary Jones'crying on her husband's shoulder. Their daughter Rachel was the lastest to disappear and the town was devastated. Rachel was the sweetest person she had ever met and she prayed they'd find her.

Leaning back in her seat, she sent up a silent pray for the sixteen years old girl and her family.

She hoped they would catch whoever was doing this soon.......