Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-11203801-20160131190653

From the very second James stepped into this world, Lady Luck seemed to have turned her back away from him. He was born in a bathtub, because his father didn’t believe in medicine. Well, that was the cover story, at least.



The truth of the matter was that James' father was nothing more than an alcoholic who searched for any and all excuses to save money, even if it came at the cost of his family. There were only two things he cared about in his life: football and beer. He worked in a small firm as a door to door salesman, but he was eventually fired, because of his inconsistency at work. After that, George didn't even look for a new job. He would much rather spend his days, wasting away on the couch in his booze soaked delirium covered by losing betting tickets that just kept piling up.



Unlike George, Mariette was a hard working woman. Every day she would work from eight to eight as an industry worker for FeAl, an iron and aluminum production company. It didn't pay much, but at least she could provide for her family.



For years Mariette had to care for both her son and the leech that she called her husband. Day in and day out she would bust her back while George stayed home, barely even noticing the crying infant next to him.

 However, this could not last. The mask of a happy family Mariette tried to put on for her son, came tumbling down after just eleven years of marriage. Years and years of George's neglect towards his family finally came to collect, as she finally mustered up the courage and left her husband

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">She moved out of the old apartment she had with her husband, and rented a new one in Bridgecare, a small place just in the outskirts of London. This was supposed to be the beginning of a new life. However, fate, the cruel mistress, she is, had other plans for James.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">He was a pale and sickly child, which made him an easy target for the cruel bullies that surrounded him. He had nobody, except his mother that supported him through his life. She was the only one in James life that truly loved him and the only dim light of hope in his rather misfortune life.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Whenever James came crying home, she was there to console him. If a bully had done harm to her son, Mariette would raise all hell, just to protect James. It came off as a bit overbearing at times, but James didn't mind. After all, he was all she had and she was his all.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">For years this had been the case and James slowly began to grow out of his sickly phase. He was a studious person, allowing him to get into a good college.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">However, an event soon came that would change him forever.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">James was around twenty years old when the tragedy began. He had just come home from college and wanted to surprise his mother with a visit. Instead of finding her with a wide grin, James saw her eyes, red from the tears she had spilled, holding a letter in her hands.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">As James read it, his world suddenly tumbled down. The letter was a doctor's diagnosis, claiming that his mother was suffering from lung cancer and that she had no more than three months left.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">From that day, James swore not to leave his mother's side. He put his college on hold and stayed with his mother as long as she needed him. He paid the expensive bills that kept plaguing his home with the money he had saved, and even took up a few odd jobs around the town. He held her hand when the rough days came and did everything he could, just to keep her in this world for a little while.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Unfortunately, he could not stop the disease's treacherous path as it soon claimed her life. In the dead of the night, Mariette passed away, forever extinguishing the last glimmer of hope James had.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Once he saw her in such a state, lying there peacefully, James didn’t know how to react. It felt more like a horrible nightmare than reality. He didn’t cry. He didn’t scream. He just felt a terrible numbness spread through his veins. With her gone, James’ mind collapsed

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">He fell into a deep state of despair mixed with alcohol ridden haze. At first a single beer was enough to get him through the day, but soon the dosage had to be amplified. From one beer he moved on to four and from the beer he moved onto harsher liquors. His life was crumbling and in his ruined state of mind, they came forth.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">In the beginning they were just a whisper in his ear. No image, just barely a sound, calling out to him. He tried to ignore them, claiming they were nothing more than alcoholic mirages, but the sound got progressively worse. The slow, faint whispers turned into screams blaming him for his mother’s death. Even when he threw the bottle, the voices would not stop. They got louder and louder, slowly creeping up to him as their influence grew stronger.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">One night, as James began to brush his teeth, he saw them. For the first time, he saw the figure that kept yelling at him about his mother’s death. It was for no more than a split second, just an image in the corner of his eyes, but it was enough. James knew he had to stop them, but how?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">As James pondered deep through his thoughts, he realized only one thing: he had to get out of here. Out of this town and away from all the people that surrounded him; away from the grim sight of his mother's dead corpse as he laid her in the ground for the final time.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">He got into his car and left, riding off as far away from Bridgecare as he could. And the further he got, the quieter the voices became. It was only when he got to London that the voices truly stopped. No more were the hellish beings tormenting and blaming him for his mother’s death. He was finally ready to get his life on the right track.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">In the first two years there, he worked as a busboy, a taxi driver, and even a construction worker at one point. He switched jobs very often, a skill he had perfected, until he found the right one.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">A company named Grahams Co., a real estate selling company, hired him as a ‘house inspector’. His job was to estimate the value of the house, and would try to fix any problems that house had. It was a good job and James loved it. Sure, he might have been just a glorified repair man, but for the 5k that the company was paying him, James was more than pleased.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">In the very first week, he had already inspected five houses, which were all sold at a hefty price, which was in no small part thanks to James' handy work. He was one of the best in his job.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Soon, he even met a girl with whom he had built a beautiful relationship. Her name was Andréa and she had the most beautiful curly hair and caramel skin, James had ever seen. They met during a house call. She wanted her house to be sold at the best possible price and James was more than happy to help her out. They talked and in their conversation James found out they had more in common.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">She too was a child of divorced parents whose father died due to pancreatic cancer. Their tragedies seemed to unite them as they became inseparable after that faithful day. He was able to confide in her his darkest secrets, even telling her about the voices that blamed him. In her kind smile he saw the same light he had seen in his mother and in her warm embrace he felt safe.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">A few years later and the couple had given birth to beautiful twin boys named Derrick and Daniel. In this state James finally felt happy. It was as if the appearances of voices and his alcoholic deadbeat of a father were nothing more than nightmares of a dream long gone. Only the memory of his mother persisted in his mind, but it didn't bother James as much. While he did reminisce about her, James could feel that she was looking down at him, from the heavens above, proud of what he had done with his life.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">They say that the weather is calmest before. The calm stability can be often times more dangerous than a booming thunderstorm, lulling us into a false sense of security. James' case was not any different.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">It was just a week before Christmas and everything seemed like any normal day. James was at work and he had just one last house to inspect before he would reunite with his loving family.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">As he pulled up on Johnston Avenue, James sighed with displeasure. The house seemed to be completely ruined

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">The gray, concrete walls were quite bare, except for small patches of moss, slowly creeping up their barren wasteland. The windows were shattered as their pale curtains waved gently in the wind, like the silent specters of the past, trying to escape their eternal prison.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">The eerie appearance of this corpse like building sent shivers down James’ spine, but he had to proceed. After all, there are always paranormal enthusiasts that would love to live in a creepy place such as this one.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">As he unlocked, James braced himself for an onslaught of cobwebs and thick coatings of dust. However, what he saw was the exact opposite.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">The house looked brand new. Lavish furniture and lush carpets surrounded the entire place and the smell of fresh paint still lingered in the air. Plastic sheets kept the dust away from the furniture and a luxurious chandelier hung in every room.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">James walked through the house, mesmerized by the riches this old crypt seemed to have. Everything seemed perfect for sale. Sure, the outside might need some work, but those were easily fixed issues. Just as he was about to leave, James stopped at a locked door.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">He tried to open it with the keys provided to him by the company, but it wouldn’t budge. This was not an uncommon occurrence, especially if the previous resident was a more, secretive person. However, James had picked up a certain tool that allowed him entrance to this locked chamber. He took out small lock pick, and after a minute of fiddling with the keyhole, the door creaked open. James smugly smiled as the door opened a pathway to a black abyss.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Before he entered James could sense a foul odor emitting from the room below. It was pungent, foul odor, similar to road kill that has been left in the warm summer heat. James took in a deep breath to calm down, but instead the odor fully goes through his nostril. Barely managing not to vomit, James descended down the stairs and turned on the light.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">As he the light flickered on, James was mortified by the sight.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">In front of him laid a woman, no older than twenty years old, unmoving and stiff. Her eyes were glazed with a thick, misty white, coating focused on an imaginary spot on the ceiling. Her skin was unnaturally black, almost like she had been burned. The stench combined with the maggots feasting on her rotting carcass indicated that the woman had been dead for quite some time now.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">James could feel the bile rising from his stomach, but he suppressed it. As if by some strange force, he approached the lying corpse and held out his hand to touch hers. As soon as his fingers touched her forearm James felt a slight twitch and could have sworn her arm was trying to grab him. Her head tilted slightly, almost like she was trying to look at him.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">James screamed and began to back away from the corpse as fast as he could.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">In his panicking state, he quickly took out his phone and called the police. He talked quickly and in a panicked manner, barely giving the police the address.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Upon ending the call he looked at his reflection in the mirror. The more he looked in the mirror, the more a faint image standing behind him became clear. At first it was nothing more than a barely noticeable blur, but the more James focused on it, the more it took shape, before finally revealing it’s black, almost human like figure, standing as tall as James was. It reached out to James, almost touching him on the shoulder.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">In complete horror, James swiftly turned around; but, there was nothing. He looked back at the mirror, but only his own reflection greeted him.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">As the police arrived, James explained to them the sight he had seen. They seemed to believe his story and calmed him down. They told him it was nothing more than a suicide and that they would take care of everything. However, James was not convinced.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">He knew they couldn’t see the shadowy figures, slowly creeping up from behind them, before vanishing right about the time they would turn around. He knew they could not see the girl, slowly moving her arms on the concrete floor, as her head slightly turned to face him.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">A week had passed and James’ condition seemed to worsen. The shadows that used to lurk just out of his line of sight now became a prominent figure in his life. They never moved. They just stood there, observing James and his family as they went about their daily routine. The horrible, hellish, light emitting from their eyes seemed to gaze deep into the James’ soul, burning him from the inside. He couldn’t do his job, make love to his wife or even just go out, as he feared what they might do.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Constant nightmares plagued his mind. He dreamed that the shadows would take away his children, in the dead of the night, and lead them into some wicked dimension filled with unimaginable horrors. Another dream presented him with the horror of the shadows pulling him down and tormenting him with the memories of his past and the sins of his neglect. However, tonight, something different happened.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">He dreamt he was in an electric chair in a small, damp, basement. In front of him were the dead bodies of his wife and children. Their necks had been slit open and their blood garnished the floor beneath his feet. As James looked down, he noticed a bloodied butcher’s knife, seated in his lap. He began to sob uncontrollably as everything seemed too real to be a dream.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">As his sobbing stopped, dark shadows began to rise all around him, eventually closing him in. Three came forth from the crowd and took away the bloodied corpses of his wife and children to a secluded place.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">James began to thrash and scream, but it was of no use. The band's only gripped tighter and tighter with each struggle he made. As the sadistic beasts watched they began to chant their unholy mantra,

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">“We know who you are,

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">We know what you are trying to hide,

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">And we cannot be fooled by your bland disguise.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">“In the dark of the night,

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">And in the light of the day,

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">We are forever in control,

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">The shadows of men!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">“We can see your wishes,

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif""> We can see your goals,

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif""> We can see your thoughts,

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif""> And we can hear your moans.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Fear us,

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif""> Believe in us,

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif""> And obey us,

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif""> Or perish by us.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">“In the light of the day,

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif""> And in the darkness of the night,

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif""> Until death do us apart,

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif""> We are bound as one.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">As their chant ended, the creatures moved away, revealing the corpse of the same girl James saw on that faithful day. Her charcoal like skin now seemed more akin to the shadows that surrounded him and her eyes emitted the same glow. She was his executioner.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">James tried to find any emotion on her face as she silently gripped the lever. Sadness, remorse, sadism, all these feelings were wiped away from her being as her hand descended the lever. A wave of electricity was sent rushing through James’ body as he felt a horrifying pain. He embraced his final hour, just as he blacked out.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">James woke up in complete fear. Sweat beads erupted from his forehead as he gasped for air. The nightmare felt all too real, but he was glad it was only that.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif""> As he calmed down, James looked at his clock. It was 10 a.m. James smiled as he remembered that it was finally Christmas. The soothing smell of cooked eggs and bacon, spread through the entire house, easing James’ nerves.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Nothing like a good breakfast to calm the old nerves,” James thought to himself as he descended down the stairs. He could not wait to get to the kitchen and welcome his loving wife and children into his embrace.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">However, when he got down there James screamed. Shadows, those hellish beings, took place where once was his darling Andrea and his beloved children. Instead of appearing behind them, those monsters had become them, replacing his adored family with their twisted image

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">James quickly grabbed the large butcher’s knife and began swaying him at the shadowed images of his family, like a lunatic. Andrea fled away from James as Derrick and Daniel firmly grasped onto her skirt.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Get away from me,” James gritted through his teeth as he pointed the knife towards Andrea.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">"James, put down the knife,” Andrea began as tears slowly fell from her eyes. Her beloved husband, the man she had adored and shared secrets with, now was a raving lunatic trying to murder her and their children.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">"Back off!" James yelled as Andrea slowly approached him.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Even in this state of lunacy, James was still her husband and Andrea didn’t want to leave him. She took slow steps before she was in a mere arm's reach away from him.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">"I told you to back off!" he growled and threatened Andrea with the knife, swaying it around like a madman.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Suddenly, James fell to the ground, unconscious. As he regained his consciousness James could see Andrea looming over him. Tears welled up in her eyes as she embraced him. The realization hit him like a brick.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">He had almost killed his family due to these awful things. His children looked at him like he was some kind of a monster and Andrea could barely say anything.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif""> As the kids left for school, James packed up his things. He wrote a note for them and prepared to leave. Just as he was about to walk out the door, Andrea waited for him.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">“I am so sorry,” James cried as Andrea just shook her head. She was still visibly stressed and couldn’t even utter a word as he hugged her goodbye.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Just as he was about to get into his car, Andrea took his hand. Even though he tried to kill her, he was still the man she loved. He was still the same repairman that had won her heart so many years ago.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">They both cried for the longest time, before sealing their love with one, final, kiss.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">“If you ever get better,” Andrea spoke somberly “You’ll know where to find us.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">  James nodded his head and drove off, never to return.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">A year has passed since that event and nothing had changed. The shadows began to establish their presence in every human being, James saw on the streets. Everywhere he passed, he felt that their bright white eyes were staring at him, trying to control him.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">James became nothing more than a shut in. He found a small room in a dingy, sleazy, motel that accepted the very scum of the Earth. With the money he had saved up from his previous life, James wanted to live out his final days.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">It didn’t work.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">The nightmares have been still as persistent as ever and their voice never quieted down. They slowly ate away at his mind as he fell into a complete eclipse of the mind.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">As he looked in the mirror James could see what exactly he was becoming. The shadow with bright glowing eyes stared back at him, almost like it was observing him with some twisted interest.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Why don’t you leave me alone!” he screamed and broke the mirror, blood dripping from his broken fist.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">As he did so a voice whispered to him,

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">“We know who you are

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif""> We know what you are trying to hide

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">And we cannot be fooled by your bland disguise”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">As the voices quiet down, a flashing image of two dark piercing eyes appeared in front of James. He couldn’t take this anymore! The constant torment these things put him through (...) It was just too much.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">He was going to do it.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Opening the window, James stepped onto a ledge. The rain was still pouring outside.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">“A fitting end to such a miserable life”, James thought to himself. In his final act of rebellion, James managed to fight off the shadows and take the one thing they could control; his life.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">It seemed that all time slowed down as he fell. It took only five seconds for his head to hit the cold, wet concrete, but to him it seemed like ages. The cold night air mixed with the harsh rain, seemed more like a pleasant breeze welcoming him to Death’s sweet grasp.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">He breathed in deeply and closed his eyes as his body fell violently on the cold pavement below.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif""> A man walked by that alleyway, bearing Christmas presents for his children. The gifts he bore were nothing but a few boxes of toys he could afford. It seemed that yet another Christmas he would have to see his children disappointed at the slim pickings beneath the Christmas tree.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">As he walked by, he noticed the dead body beneath his feet. He shook his head sorrowfully as he saw the dead corpse lying beneath his feet. Too many young people had lost their lives in a similar fashion, so much so that it had become an eerily common occurrence.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">He called the police and notified them of the suicide. He waited there until the police showed and told them what he had known. As far as he was concerned, that was all he could do.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif""> As he began to unlock his house, the man noticed slight movement coming from behind him, almost as if someone was trying to touch his shoulder. He swiftly turned around, but only saw the policemen placing James’ limp, black, corpse in a body bag.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-right:7pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:7.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">  <ac_metadata title="They can see you (edited version)"> </ac_metadata>