It was incredibly likely that the moment the door closed she was dead.
The squeak of unoiled hinges echoed throughout the dark room and the open door provided the only source of light. It was like a large rock in the middle of a rushing river, protecting anything on top of it from the waters around her that could easily drown them. It was the only thing stopping whatever was in the room from getting to her.Â
She could feel them in the darkness. Creatures that despised the light and thrived in darkness. Creatures that she had only heard about in stories. She had thought that they were a myth, something that mothers tell their children to keep them on the straight and narrow. She had been foolish and had forgotten even the most outlandish stories were based in some form of truth.
You could not see them outright. It was not like they were steam coming off a cup of tea in a sun beam. But she could still see their movement. It was like their darkness was different against the shadows and they blended in until they moved.
She had been able to avoid the same fate as her friends so far by sticking to the light. The first two to be taken had been done in complete secrecy, as if They were trying their hardest not to be found. Then they seem to have gotten bored and turned to terrifying their prey. The group had watched as the third stood with his back to the shadows, a large hand emerging from nothing and he didnât know. Not even with the scared looks of his friends in front of him. It was only in the last seconds, as the hand slid through his blonde hair, that he realised why they all looked so scared. He didnât even get a chance to scream or utter a sound before he was pulled back into the darkness and a crunching of bones was heard.
What followed was hours or maybe even just minutes of pure terror. Four and five were dragged by wrists and ankles from the sides of their friends. Six and seven got separated from the group. She did not know how long it took for them to be taken; if they were taken one by one or together. She just knew they were gone.
For the briefest moments they thought they had a way to save themselves when they discovered the Creatureâs dislike for light. They had believed that with that knowledge they were able to get to freedom. They stayed in the light and managed to make it to the entrance of the building only to discover that there was no escape. The door would not open. No mater what they tried, the door knob turned but didnât unlatch. They then tried smashing the glass in a nearby window, only to find it was unbreakable.
Panic set in as they heard this hissing laughter coming from the darkness, followed by a muffled scream as Eight was taken.
She and Nine had managed to stay alive for hours after that. Lingering in the light of a window, discussing plans in a hush. They thought they would be fine so long as they stayed in the light. Then the sun started to set.
Nine was taken during a dash to another light source, grabbed mid air and swung into the shadows like a lasso. It did not hit her that she was on her own until she made it into the room and heard the creaking of the door. It was then she realised that they hearded her into the room, knowing that they could cut her off from the last thing that could save her life.
Through the darkness, she could see a long, clawed finger slowly pushing the door closed and if she looked closely, she was sure she could see a smile as well. She stayed in the beam of light even turning herself sideways as it thinned, hoping against everything that something would happen that would save her. But nothing came.
As the beam got too thin to stand in, she turned so she was facing the door and felt around in her pockets for anything that might help her. Her fingers hit cold metal and she pulled out a lighter. The light would not be enough, she knew, but maybe it would allow her to see what she was facing.
The sound of the latch sliding into place made her close her eyes and she brought the lighter up in front of her face. She whispered a prayer as she brought her thumb over the igniter one, two, three times before she heard the sound of a flame. She started a count down, deciding after one she would open her eyes.
Three⊠Her heart was pounding in her chest and she felt like something heavy was sitting on her chest.
Two⊠She could hear movement around her. They werenât making any other sound, but she could hear they shuffling.
One⊠She took a shuddering deep breath and opened her eyes.
Just as a hand threaded itself through her hair and pulled her head back so all she could see was red eyes.
