《The Forsaken Souls Chronicles》


 My dream house

    As a fairly successful horror writer, owning my very own Victorian house is the dream. With my latest book selling as well as it does it was finally time to put down roots. It was a short search. Only a few months later, I finally found my dream house. It was a small Victorian house but I was alone, introverted and never liked people anyway so small was perfect. Price was right, location was not important and owning a house was¡­ everything I ever hoped for. Even better, it had its own small cul de sac so no close by pesky neighbors to be worried about. It had a lot of furniture already, and the rest I bought. Kitchen was new and shiny, the bathroom had new pipes but the old bath with claw legs and bedroom had a bed that was every horror fans dream. Huge, dark, wooden with a veil. Bedroom also had a reading nook that looked out to the driveway. Perfect location for a ghost to overview the new potential owners. Just being in this house inspired me to write! Truly, who could have asked for more.


    I had groceries delivered once a week, mostly because delivery boys were always cute and scared of the house. Apparently I was the talk of the town. Famous writer in a scary house, barely leaving the house, having most everything delivered. I did not care much about the gossip and  I loved the notoriety. It just made me write more!


    And yet there was something about this house. Maybe it was the sounds it made when I was falling asleep. My mother would say the house is simply settling into cold or hot, and I assumed it was so. Over time I learned all the noises an old house makes and it was a great comfort to me. It was like the house was talking to me. I know, I know¡­ I sound crazy. And yet, I felt less lonely. I made sure the house is taken care of in the best possible way. The best wax for the floors so they were nice and shiny, I dusted the entire house at least once a week, and I polished the silver. It was hard work but rewarding. House has never looked better, and I''ve gotten a lot of writing material for my new novel. Not surprising, my novel was about a haunted mansion and a maid that worked there. I have to say it was definitely one of my best works. I sent it to the publisher and hoped for the best.


    Police sirens are what woke me up in the morning. They sounded so close I was sure they were coming to my house. But there was no knocking. I got out of bed, and looked out of the reading nook. Nothing in the driveway. I went around in the kitchen and looked out of the windows there¡­ also nothing. Well that was odd. I know I heard police sirens. And even if they were gone now, they didn''t slowly go away. It was like they were just¡­ cut off. So where did they go? Of course that''s when I noticed the front door was open. It was very slightly open and the wind was slowly opening it more. I went to the front door, opened it wider and looked around. Nothing. Slight morning fog, cold sun rising and dead silence. I slammed the door closed and went about my morning routine. Today was gardening day. When I moved in, the backyard was in a horrible condition but a few months later it was the most amazing backyard I have ever seen. Roses in full bloom were neatly cut, fountain was clean and sparkly and metal furniture was placed in a shadow. What I loved the most about my backyard was a scary willow tree. It was the main focus of my novel, a place where the maid hangs herself and starts haunting her house. It was an old willow with branches reaching all the way to the floor, allowing for a hiding place under it. As the sun was slowly rising, my love for my house was rising as well.


    Loud boots were stomping in my house. I was jolted awake by the noise. I searched for my cell phone, remembering too late I left it in the kitchen. I got up quietly and searched for anything that might help me with intruders. The only thing I found was a fire poker. I grabbed it and walked to my door. I put my ear to the door and listened. The sound of someone walking seems to be going away. I slowly opened the door, thinking how lucky I was to oil the hinges not so long ago, so they didn''t creak anymore and took a peek. I saw nothing. I waited a few minutes before quietly running to the kitchen. My cellphone was nowhere to be found. Damn it. I went to the dining room and listened again, just to hear if they were coming close. There was not a sound to be heard. Slowly I went around the entire house, fire poker in my hands looking for the intruder. I found nothing and no one. All of the doors were locked and all of the windows were closed. This made no sense. I finally whispered if anyone was there. When no answer came I asked louder. By the end I was yelling in the house asking if someone was there and to come out. By the time my throat got hoarse I¡¯ve had enough. There was clearly no one in my house.


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    I slept uneasy. When I woke up I did another take of the house, making sure everything seemed fine. There was a bag of groceries on my front door so I took those in and put them away. My editor still hasn''t written me back and it seems my cellphone was hopelessly lost. I was thinking of calling the police on a landline but what would I say? Maybe there is a ghost in the house or maybe I imagined it all.


    It was not the end of course. My things were slowly disappearing. At first it was small things, like a ring, a necklace, a robe. I wonder how long it has been going on. I rarely wear jewelry so that might have been gone for a while. But with my cell phone now gone, I noticed a lot more stuff was nowhere to be found. I looked from the attic to the basement in all the nooks and crannies. It could have been mice? I had no other explanation and I finally decided to call the exterminator. I found the phone number online and used a landline to call. No one answered. Line just kept on ringing and ringing. I decided to call my editor. Same thing. My mother. Line just kept ringing. I called the police. Nothing. My heart was beating faster. Something was wrong. I looked for my car keys to drive to the police station but those were gone as well.


    I screamed. It was infuriating. I finally put on my coat and decided to walk to one of my neighbours. It should only be a couple of minutes of walk and all of this will be solved. As soon as the warm sun shined on my face everything melted away. I was being silly. I''ve been cooped up in that house for so long it got me to. Smiling, I walked down the road to my neighbour. Evening fog was coming and it was cold. My closest neighbor lived in his own Victorian mansion, quite bigger than mine. I knocked on the door. No one answered. Well they might be working. So I went to the other side of a big red ranch style house. There was a car upfront and lights inside. As I walked I saw a shadow moving in the window. I smiled more broadly as I rang the doorbell. Doors slowly opened and they creaked. Someone was not taking care of their house as well as I did!


    "Hello?" I said. "Is anyone home?" I walked into an empty hallway. Lights were flickering and my heart took a dive. House was¡­ a mess. Dust everywhere and weird markings. It looked like the wood was moldy and old. I heard a whisper coming from upstairs, but I couldn''t even go upstairs! The stairs were¡­  all rotted away. That''s when I noticed a shadow on the top of the stairs. I gasped and put my hands over my mouth. It was a little boy. Dead little boy. He had no eyes, just gaping black holes. There was a red wound on his neck as if someone tried to cut off his head! His clothes were old and tattered and hanging on him. I turned around and ran. I ran to the other neighbours home and knocked and screamed.


    "Please let me in!" The doors swung wide open and just as I thought I was safe I saw who opened it. A woman, dressed in all black with a black parasol. That was not necessarily that odd but my heart still didn''t calm down. The woman was dressed in very, very old clothes as if from another era. She had no eyes, but only gaping black holes. She extended her hand to touch me and I ran away screaming. She did not follow me. The other neighbor''s house looked like a house from hell. It was burned down and only a skeleton of the house remained. And a bunch of burned bodies were sitting on the floor of the house playing cards. I smelled them before my eyes finally caught on to what I was seeing.


    I ran back home. I should have been tired or in pain because of all the running I did, but all I felt was panic. My doors were wide open as if the house was offering me safety. I did not question the open door, I just ran inside, locked the door and ran all the way to my bed. I crawled under the covers and cried. I don''t know how long I stayed there.


    I wasn''t hungry or thirsty. I wasn''t anything anymore. I didn''t go outside. I stayed inside my house where it was safe from those monsters. I didn''t venture into the backyard  and the rose bushes were starting to overgrow everything once again. I stayed mostly in my room, keeping an eye on the front yard. Occasionally I would see a shadow and I would yell at them to go away. They never stayed long once they noticed me. I once caught a shadow inside my house! I threw some stuff at it and it quickly ran out. I made sure to lock the door and keep a better eye on things.


    I barely sleep. I had to keep the house safe. Dust was starting to gather around the house but I didn''t mind. Occasionally I would catch my reflection in the mirror and I scared myself. My eyes were bloodshot and I was looking thinner and thinner. Clothes hanged on me and they were starting to look ragged as well. I would have changed but by now all my stuff disappeared.


    Occasionally I would venture to the neighborhood again but seeing monsters and ghosts was too much for me. I resigned myself to staying here. Reading nook became my place and I would sleep and watch. Eventually I covered the mirrors with cloth because everytime I looked at myself I looked more and more like those monsters outside.


    Black holes instead of eyes, almost no body and tattered clothes.

 Dear mom and dad

    Dear mom and dad,


    I''m writing this just moments before I die. I want you to know it''s not your fault. I know you never believed me but maybe this letter will convince you that I wasn''t crazy. Or maybe it will.


    I first saw it when I was 10. I was trying on mom''s jewelry in front of that antique mirror that mom wouldn''t let me use. I don''t know if it was the mirror or me¡­ I saw it in a mirror, but it wasn''t there when I turned around. At first I thought it was just a shadow, especially when it wasn''t there when I turned. But I saw it so clearly in the mirror. And once it extended its long arm toward me I screamed and ran. I''m sure you remember that, since you accused me of ruining your anniversary. You made sure I imagined it and made me forget.


    It didn''t really work. I saw it again when I was 13 at Mary Alice''s party. Mary Alice was putting some makeup on me and she told me to look myself up in the mirror. I saw it more clearly this time as it was quite close. It was tall, at least 6 feet. It had three eyes on its face, but its face was not arranged like ours. Lips were on top of the face, it had no nose and where a nose should be it had one big eye. Two smaller eyes were on the bottom of the face. Body was shadowy, not defined but I caught a glimpse of its several arms. It had no legs, only a shadowy bottom that floated above ground. I couldn''t scream or talk, I was petrified. But I did close my eyes and that''s when it moved closer. As soon as I opened them again it stood right behind me, hands outstretched wanting to touch me. I screamed and ran out of the house, wanting to go home. You gave me quite a lecture on manners and how to not embarrass your family¡­


    I learned quickly how to deal with it, seeing it more frequently in my teenage years. I had to look at it while slowly backing away from the mirror. Every time I saw it, it looked more defined, bigger, taller and it had more eyes. It had eyes on its hands, its chest¡­ always staring at me.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    It first hurt me in my 21st year. I was house sitting for your friend and when I saw it I had enough. I stared at it and slowly blinked. With every blink it was closer and closer until it stood right behind me. I asked what it wanted and why it was haunting me, but it didn''t answer. When it stood right behind me, its outstretched arm just inches away from my shoulder, I turned around. Just like that it was gone. Or so I thought. I turned toward the mirror again and the thing was touching my chest, right between my breasts. At first nothing happened but then I felt the most intensive pain of my life. It was as if I got sliced by a knife and it was going straight for my heart. I passed out. When I woke up I was lying in my own blood from three scratches that were shallow but long and stretched from my collarbone to my belly button.


    After that it got braver and more aggressive. It was as if my blood gave it more sustenance. I started seeing it in every mirror and every reflection. I tried so hard to avoid it but I was just not careful enough. It started to catch me almost every week and I didn''t know what else to do. That was when you noticed my wounds mom. You accused me of being depressed, of cutting myself and once again gave me the lecture that I have no business being depressed. You took me to that doctor trying to convince him that I was crazy and needed to be institutionalized.


    They had no mirrors there that I could have seen and I was released soon after. Of course, I wasn''t cutting myself¡­ it was never me. Not that you would ever believe me.


    It is standing behind me now. I''m so tired. I''m tired of living in fear, I''m tired of running and I''m tired of you, dear mom and dad. I''m sorry because once you find me all cut out you will finally realize that I was not crazy and something did this to me and it was not me harming myself. I''m sorry you will never get a chance to apologize for making my life miserable.


    I''m done. I can see it now. It has grown so big and scary. More than eight feet now, with so many hands and eyes. I knew this would be my last time as it won''t let me go. Luckily I had my phone with me so I can write this last letter to you two.


    Goodbye mom and dad. I''m sorry. It wasn''t your fault. But neither was it mine.


    Your daughter

 A night in the woods

    I was ten when I started my career as a volunteer dog walker at the local shelter. By the time I was fourteen I was an expert at recognizing dog behaviour and I was able to deal with some of the most difficult classes. So when I took a very active dog with small dog aggression issues on a long walk next to the forest no one was questioning my decision. Bradley was an amazing dog and I would adopt him in a heartbeat if we didn''t have an older dog at home. I knew that he had a family meeting tomorrow so I was making sure that if this was our last walk together, I''d make it as special as I can.


    Walking besides the forest always reminded me of the town legend. I heard from a reliable source of course, that many many years ago a group of people came here and settled down. They made friends with the natives and asked them about the forest. The Natives said that the forest was special and sacred and they should not venture inside unless it is absolutely necessary. All was well until a young family went missing. A man of the settlers, his native wife and their young daughter went to the forest and disappeared. The settlers were enraged, especially when natives told them there was nothing to do, that the young family was claimed by the forest and its inhabitants. But the inhabitants had a secret of their own. It is said they summoned their God, an old creature who was forgotten by all except one family. The settlers sacrificed their own blood and walked the trails in the forest to bind their old God into the land itself, to make sure the forest would be safe for them and their descendants. They failed. Legend has it that their God never showed up but something else did and it took the entire settlement with it.


    It was supposed to be an old story about a boogeyman in the forest and how Jesus Christ is the only god we should pray to. Yet, every year at the equinox a bunch of people gather and walk the trails around the forest. They talk and gossip and occasionally lose a drop of blood in some places. The entire town gathers to escort them to their path and the entire town throws a party when they come back. It is one of the most cherished town traditions and it is always a huge party. Other than that, the forest is woefully boring. We have an occasional missing person, an occasional corpse, we had some drowned college kids in the lake, but nothing that would say sacrifice to the old God or nothing in a certain time period. I myself walked the trails several times with my parents or my sister. It was simply a nice tradition to remember all the people who lived here before and will live here after us. Of course when I asked what happened to the natives after the settlers disappeared I was met with a very generic answer. They moved somewhere south and met their end during one of the massacres. I continued to question how we know the legend then, of the summoning of the old God? My own mother shushed me and simply said that maybe someone survived and that I need to stop asking stupid questions. And so I did.


    I loved the forest, especially when walking next to it. It had the most amazing walking path, wide and well taken care of. I could even take rollerblades and run the dogs on the path if I wanted to. I was thinking about just that when Bradley started barking. That''s when I noticed that someone with dogs was walking straight to us. Bradley was especially bad, so instead of making things hard, I decided to make a turn right and walk into the forest. Bradley was so surprised that he didn''t complain and simply followed.


    It was a beautiful autumn afternoon, sunny with a slight wind and the trees were making their swooshing noises. I stopped to pet Bradley telling him what a good dog he was, when I heard singing. I stopped breathing for a second. It was probably some other walker, singing on the walking path. But it was coming from the other direction, deep into the forest. I turned around and the path was actually quite far already. But one of the trails was right there, so I decided to take the trail and follow the voice. For the life of me I could not understand what it was singing. It must not have been in English, because the further I walked down the trail, the louder the singing became.


    The trail led me all the way to the lake. It was not a very big lake, more of a pond if I''m honest, but people love to call it ¡°The Lake¡±. There were a bunch of picnic tables, an old grill, some children''s toys and a rock, where you could jump into the lake from. Everyone goes to the lake once in their life, but it was especially known as a teenage make out spot. Of course being only 14 I knew fairly little about that.


    I sat on the bench under a tree, still not very close to the lake, just barely off trail, when I noticed a man walking down a different trail. He was looking very ragged and not dressed for a hike in the forest at all. He also seemed to be following the same song as me. When he came closer to the lake that''s when I noticed her.


    She was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life. She was also made out of water, see through and I''m pretty sure she was the source of the singing. She appeared in the middle of the lake, slowly ascending from the depths, her hands outstretched and inviting. As soon as I saw her I knew she was singing. I also knew she was not here for me. The song enveloped me as a blanket, poking and prodding until it finally left me as a wind that was blowing one second and then just died out the next. I could not move a muscle or scream or do anything. Bradley cowered under the bench and he was the only thing I felt after the song left me cold and shivering.


    The song was becoming quieter for me, but seemingly not for the man. The woman, now fully erect, walked above the lake to the man, who was walking toward her. They both had their arms stretched out until they finally met on the beach. He was on land and she was on lake, touching each other. She leaned over for a kiss and for that she stopped singing. That''s when the man woke up and screamed. But it was far too late. His hands disappeared into hers, and she slowly dragged him onto the lake. She was still floating above the lake, enveloping the man with her own body. She seemed to have grown enough to fully devour the man who seemed to have been drowning inside her. Stolen novel; please report.


    I was speechless. And absolutely terrified. The whole forest went quiet and I saw the woman turn toward me. At that moment I knew I would die. She would call me. She has called that man and I would drown in her body just as she did. And I couldn''t do anything. My body was not moving and I felt tears streaming down my face. I was terrified and Bradley was whimpering under the bench. She came as close as she could while staying on the lake and smiled at me. Her face was absolutely angelic while her body was drowning the poor guy¡­ she put her fingers on her lips, implying me to be quiet, and slowly descended back underwater.


    I don''t know how long I sat on that bench. When I looked up it was dark and the full moon was reflecting over the lake. My tears were drying on my cheek and I just realized I could move. I ran. I forgot about Bradley and his leash, I just ran. I missed the wandering trail and just ran to what felt like the right direction of home. I could hear Bradley running with me for a while until he ran ahead of me and just disappeared into the darkness. I stopped to catch my breath when I heard talk. I turned around so fast that my neck hurt. I walked toward the chatter and saw a soft glow.


    It could have been a search party. I had been gone for a while and my parents would be worried. But as soon as I saw them I put my hands on my mouth in order to stop myself from screaming.


    Three women dressed in black, a pyre on the side and a fire circle in the middle, they were chanting and dancing. I stood there with my mouth covered, unable to move for the second time today.


    They were absolutely mesmerizing. I have no idea what they were saying but the fire was dancing with them and the land shook when they stopped. They laughed and pointed in the middle of the circle when it started to crack. Steam was rising from the crack and it got bigger and bigger. These women were ecstatic and jumping up and down. I took a step back and hit a tree, but I could not avert my gaze. A long hand appeared from the crack. Long black skinny hand grabbing the earth to pull itself up.


    I had had enough so I turned around to quietly run away but even that was blocked. By yet another sight. Flames were bright enough to illuminate a big monster standing in my way. Eight feet tall, humanoid but wrong looking, like his features were too long to be right. His arms were like ape arms reaching all the way to his knees. It didn''t notice me as it was entranced with the women in front of him. I prayed to the old God, the new God, to the moon and the stars that it wouldn''t notice me. It was entranced by the witches. But as the creature from the crack clawed its way out, steam was pouring out more and more. The monster in front of me got jittery. It turned its head and noticed me. I stayed still. It took a long look at me and then looked at the witches. It turned toward me again as if it was thinking about who was easier prey. It opened its mouth and I saw row after row of sharp teeth. That''s when it uttered a word.


    Hungry¡­


    It jumped. It was so quick it was like it just disappeared. One second it was in front of me and then it was just gone. Screaming was what finally got me looking at the flaming circle again. I only saw two women now screaming and pointing at something in a tree, but it was too far and too dark for me to see exactly what they were pointing at! But the creature in the flame circle did not care. Several hands were out and a circle was half gone, clearly expecting something bigger to appear. But it was also closing fast and hands were disappearing one after the other, until just one very long one remained. The remaining two women weren''t watching, but I was. The long black arm shot out as fast as a snake and grabbed one of the women. It started to pull her through what little of the hole remained and it was pulling her fast. As soon as the last woman noticed she screamed and ran to her rescue. She tried to grab her hands, trying to stop her from being pulled down and I guess it helped a bit. Maybe, just maybe she could be fast enough to stop her friend from going through fully, so only the black hand would be trapped in what was left of the hole. But the black hand grew claws and pierced through the flesh of the first woman''s chest. The screams that followed were horrendous, more of a gurgle than a scream. The second woman fell on her stomach and was now dragged on the forest floor, following the first into the hole. Laughter filled the air. Laughter of creatures that should never walk the Earth, laughter that sounded like a thousand tiny screams, laughter that makes your ears bleed and makes you think of Hell. The second woman finally let go when only the arms of the first were visible. She let go and the first woman disappeared. The hole filled up and nothing but a clear circle remained. The last woman standing was hitting the earth with both hands, crying and pleading half in English, half in a language I did not understand.


    I''d had enough. I turned away from it all and ran away. I had to be careful, half running and half walking in the dead of the night and only the full moon as a light. Though, I was determined to move away from the craziness of that forest.


    It was Bradley''s bark that saved me. It must have been at least a few hours since I last saw him but I heard his bark as clear as the bell and I followed it. Bradley was waiting for me on a clearly marked trail and my math teacher was holding his leash. I cried as I ran into his arms knowing I was finally safe. He picked me up as if I was a child, as emotional as I was. He laughed as I cried and demanded to know if I was okay. I couldn''t answer.


    We walked outside of the forest where the whole town was waiting for us. I was gone the entire afternoon and most of the night. We watched the sunrise together, praising God that I was safe.


    It was several days later before I told my story to my math teacher. He visited me at home to check how I was doing. He was very insistent that I tell him the true story and not what I told everyone else, that I simply got lost. He knew about what I saw. He had names for the creatures. Rusalka, witches, demons and wendigo. He made a joke about how some people never even meet one and that I must truly be special to have seen each of them. I sat there, in silence, wishing that I just had a vivid dream and that my teacher was making an elaborate joke.


    I planned to never step foot in that forest to forget that I was ever in it. It worked for a few months. But just yesterday I got the invitation to participate in the oldest town tradition and to play the role of the bride of the forest during the traditional trail walk.


    I''m scared. I want to run away. But forest surrounds the town and there is no way out.

 A forgotten memory

    So I''ve been having these headaches and bad dreams for the last couple of weeks and today I saw something weird, something wrong. I''m sure it''s just my imagination¡­ seeing two glowing eyes in the dark while walking your dog? I mean, that has to be just my wild imagination. Though, a couple of years ago something happened to my family, an event that I repressed so deeply, I forgot it happened. Until I started dreaming about it.


    You see, every major holiday my family gathers at my grandparents house. My grandparents immigrated to the USA after the second world war, when their families were killed. Having only each other they decided to move and create a new family. They had five kids, all who managed to have their own brood of kids. All in all, I have a big happy family. So big in fact that we have to alternate which families visit for which holiday. My grandmother makes a schedule every year and we all stick to it religiously. For Christmas and Easter several families visit at the same time and it is always a mess. Not just because the adults have their own drama and petty arguments but because something always goes wrong.


    When I was 14 something bad happened. Something so horrible we forgot all about it. We knew it was a bad holiday and we knew it was the kids fault, but no one could pinpoint what exactly. Everyone''s memory was just so foggy. But now¡­ I remembered. I don''t know if it''s the headaches and the medicine I''ve been taking or my dreams. Maybe it was those glowing eyes that jogged my memory¡­ but I need to write it down before I forget again. Because we can''t forget again.


    It was one of the biggest family celebrations of the year. Christmas with ten adults, four children who were considered adult enough to sit at the adult table and eight who sat at the children''s table. I was the oldest at the children''s table and in charge. At 14 I considered myself mature enough to sit with the adults but I also recognized the adult table simply was not big enough. So I gratefully accepted my position of the oldest of the children and took charge. I helped in the kitchen with preparation and then served the children''s table. I made sure everyone got their food and drinks and that everyone was having fun and no one was crying. With only one toddler, my job was not that hard. Especially because the toddler was my own baby sister so she was used to me feeding her and taking care of her.


    It was time for dessert, one day before Christmas. I took some pie to the adult table and nodded to Jacob, my five years old cousin who was sitting in his mothers lap, and proceeded to take a second pie to the children''s table. Most of the kids were either coloring or playing with pencils, stacking them in towers. I didn''t even notice Jacob until he cried in frustration after his pencil pyramid came crashing down.


    "Jacob," I said surprised: "When did you come back?" I just saw him in the adult room, so him being here he was awfully fast to come before me. He shrugged.


    "I''ve been waiting for the pie. I never left." I put the pie down and started to cut it in pieces.


    "I was sure I saw you with your mom just now." His older sister Penny looked at me with more interest.


    "Maybe it was Ian?" I disagreed.


    "No, it was definitely Jacob. Unless your mom has another son that she would hold in her lap?" Penny shook her head. She smiled and offered to go check.


    "I can always go look if you want?" I looked around and counted the heads. Everyone seemed to be present, so I just gave them their pie and let it go.


    In the evening I asked my parents if any of the kids were sitting with them at lunch. They said no, but also that they felt tired and I shouldn''t bother them with stupid questions. Which was odd, because my parents were always very polite and would never say that a question is stupid. Even my brother was surprised. Next day was the big family event. Christmas day. We all gathered together for breakfast and planned to spend the entire day in the house just eating and gossiping and catching up. But everyone seemed¡­ upset. I was making sure that there was an adult table and cookies when I noticed that everyone was short tempered and just plain nasty. Arguments were happening over the littlest things and everyone just looked tired. My grandmother looked the worst. She had aged in a night and instead of a fresh faced 75 year old, she looked ill and tired. I went to sit with her to ask if she was feeling alright.


    "I had a bad dream yesterday my dear. It rattled me."


    "Oh?" I said, "What did you dream about?"


    She looked at her family, who didn''t even notice how sickly she looked and said:


    "My death. I dreamed about my death. And as soon as I woke up I truly did feel like today would be my last day." I was surprised and it showed on my face. She quickly smiled.


    "Don''t worry kid, it was just a bad dream. I''ve been having a lot of those lately." Her mind has started wandering and I knew she wanted some peace. It was so odd though. Everyone was arguing about something small and not important. I mean family dinners were always a bit stressful but this time it felt worse.


    I went to the other room where the kids were sitting. I asked them if they noticed something odd with their parents. Like being short tempered or mad for no reason. Everyone agreed. It was as if no one was in the Christmas spirit. And you have to understand that is not like our family at all. Sara suddenly came running in the room.


    "Grandma collapsed! They are calling an ambulance right now!" We all ran toward the adult room and in that moment I caught sight of Liam''s eyes. He was the last one sitting at the children''s table and when I looked at him I could swear his eyes flashed with glowing yellow. I blinked. He blinked. That''s when the screams interrupted our staring competition and I ran to the adult room.


    Grandma was laying on the floor, but was still breathing. My mom started yelling at the kids to leave and give us space. As soon as she saw me she demanded that I take the kids away and keep them busy. But I was too distracted to care. Liam was on the other side of the room hiding behind his mom eating a donut. Powdered donut was half eaten and you could see smears of powder all over his face and his mom''s pants. Liam was a messy eater. But not a fast one. I knew I saw Liam in the kids room. But I also knew that Liam in the adult room was my cousin. I didn''t have time to think because adults were getting more and more agitated. I gathered the kids and took them outside in the cold air. We went to the backyard as soon as we heard an ambulance. I had all the kids with me, including a very nasty Liam. I turned toward him, while carrying the toddler in my arms.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    "Liam, did you see grandmother collapse?" He looked at me funny, but slowly nodded.


    "But you couldn''t have. I was talking to you when she collapsed. You were in the room with me and the kids." Other kids agreed. But he said:


    "You are all silly. I wanted a donut and I went to my mom to get one. She was super mad at me because I messed up her pants. And I don''t know why you are saying this, you were the last one to talk to grandma. I saw you. You talked to her and then she fell. You just¡­ disappeared when she fell. That was very mean. You should have told people grandma wasn''t feeling well." I frowned.


    "Yes, I talked to grandma and then I left for the kids room. I was there for a while before Sara came running to get me." Sara looked confused.


    "Now that you mention it, Liam is right. I saw you there. With the adults. But I also saw you¡­ in the kids room¡­" We got quiet. We all looked at each other.


    "So what you are saying is," I summarized, "That I was in two places at the same time, but I also say that I saw Liam in two places at the same time?" That''s when little Ian chipped in.


    "My dad said it''s been happening to him as well. He is sure uncle Todd was in the room with my aunt at dinner but uncle Todd said he was outside smoking." I was stumped.


    All of the kids suddenly looked at me scared. We were whispering, talking about what is going on. But I was more concerned about the adults. Suddenly I got an idea. I asked if they had any markers with them and my wish was granted. Sara had a black marker. I told them to extend their hand. At first they were tentative but when I drew an x on my palm they suddenly understood. There we were, cousins and siblings, all marked with an x.


    "Ok kids, I have a plan. We are going inside. As far as we can hear, an ambulance came and took grandma away so let''s hope all is well. But we have a mission. Hold each other''s hands. Pick someone to hold on and don''t let go." I hugged the youngest Nala, who was just a toddler and motioned that they should pair up as well.


    "If you see one of us that doesn''t have a mark¡­ scream. Something is inside and it''s using us as a disguise. We need to find them!" They all nodded. They were scared but ready.


    "Why can''t we tell mommy?" Liam suddenly asked. I considered it for a while.


    "Has your mommy been acting strange since you guys came here?" I asked him.


    "Yes¡­ she is so mad all the time. And tired. And sad. And she won''t listen¡­" he stopped talking. he looked at me with tears.


    "I don''t think my mommy would believe me. What if the thing is making her not believe me?" I shrugged.


    "I don''t know. Could be. There is something clearly very wrong with all of them. We never argue like this normally¡­" the kids all nodded.


    "What do we do if we find it? That¡­ thing?" I closed my eyes. Everyone was looking at me expectantly.


    "I don''t know¡­ " I finally said. Sara decided for me.


    "We have to kill it. As my daddy says, pests have to go!" I wanted to roll my eyes, but we didn''t have any other choice. Whatever this thing is, it has to go.


    I was expecting a mess of activity inside. Instead it was eerily quiet. I was first through the door, clutching my baby sister, all the kids following me. Only a few of the adults were inside and they were all¡­ sitting there. Quietly. Staring into the distance. There was a weird mist covering the top of the room and it had a sickly sweet smell.


    "What the hell¡­" I whispered. They all looked dead. Sitting in chairs or sofas, just staring ahead, not moving. Ian wanted to run to his mom, but Sara stopped him. My eyes found my mom and my heart skipped a beat. I was so scared. My mom was holding Nala, my baby sister and I had to go and get her. Poor baby, she had to be scared. That''s when I felt a tug of my hair. I looked to my side and noticed I was holding Nala in my hands! I swallowed and turned toward my mom. She also had Nala in her hands.


    "Sara¡­" I whispered. She came to stand next to me. I motioned toward not Nala.


    "Do you see what I see?" Sara gasped.


    "How could we have forgotten about the baby! Was she here the entire time?!" It''s confirmed now. As soon as you see the thing¡­ it messes with your head. If I wouldn''t have held Nala I wouldn''t have noticed it.


    "Sara!" I said loud enough for her to see me. I put Nala in her hands and she yelped. I quickly said:


    "Take the youngest to the other room. Now!" Sara did as she was bid. Only me, Liam and Ian remained. They also noticed Nala in my mom''s arms.


    "It''s not her boys. It doesn''t have an X on her palm."


    It was as if the lights came on. Not Nala smiled. But I knew it wasn''t my baby sister smiling, it was a nasty little thing. Its mouth was suddenly too big for it''s small face and it had way too many teeth! It''s skin was going pale in front of our eyes and it''s eyes were glowing yellow. It jumped toward us while hissing as some sort of lizard and we screamed and scrambled like cowards. It jumped on the wall behind me and stuck to it! It looked less and less like a toddler and more and more like some frog like creature. It''s neck was melting into the torso, head was bigger and flatter and arms and legs stuck out of it''s short body. It was grotesque to say the least.


    It was apparently not interested in fighting as it ran toward the exit. It was running on walls and after the initial shock I followed. It ran across the hallway to the front door. Luckily we remembered to close the door and locked it. It ran to the ceiling and then behind us to the doors in the kitchen. I hoped like hell the doors were closed. We ran after it just to see it open it''s now much longer hand on the door handle. I grabbed a pie and threw it, hitting the creature. But I was too late and the door opened. The creature did get knocked down and was now scurrying on the floor. I grabbed a knife and I was sure Liam and Ian did as well and we followed it out. Screams was the first thing we heard.


    I ran faster just to see Martha, the eldest of the grandchildren stomping on the creature with full force. Force enough to stop it in its tracks. I didn''t have time to thank her or to explain. I ran toward the still laying creature and I started stabbing. Liam and Ian joined me. Soon we were all covered in sticky icky goo, but the creature stopped moving. We took a step back.


    "What the fuck is going on!" Martha demanded and all we could do was cry. She wanted to ask more questions but a hissing noise interrupted us. We all looked at the dead creature as it''s skin started to melt. Very soon there was nothing but a puddle of goo where the creature remained. We started at it for a long time until Sara came with Nala.


    When we came back inside we opened the windows and waited. As soon as Martha came inside and took a deep breath of the pink mist she sat down and forgot about everything. We were huddled together and watched as our parents slowly woke up from their daze and then pretended that nothing happened. I really think that they forgot. Whatever that pink mist was it altered their memories.


    But we forgot too. I wonder if I would have remembered if I hadn''t seen pale glowing eyes in the forest a couple of days ago. Ever since then I''ve been having headaches and nightmares. But with every nightmare my memory is clearer and I finally remembered what happened all those years ago.


    But something is wrong. I know it. I see an X on my hand. And the dinner is set for two. But I''m alone? I have no memory of anyone coming over. What is going on? Why am I writing this¡­ why is there an X on my hand?


    I think I need help.

 Please just let me die

    I woke up in a daze, wondering why my alarm clock didn''t go off. I slowly checked my phone and realized I had exactly three minutes before the alarm went off. I smiled to myself and wrapped up in my blanket, happy to have extra three minutes.


    I had my morning routine down to a minute and every morning just before I left the apartment I would take a look at myself in the grand mirror and give myself a thumbs up. When I was growing up I was battling with self image and anxiety and my mom told me I have to give myself a thumbs up every morning so you can start a day off on a good vibe, even if no one else thinks so. What you do and you think, it''s more important than anyone else in your life. It''s become sort of a ritual for me, even after I''ve grown up.


    Ever since the new boss started working at my office, I have been dreading work. He was extremely blunt and impolite. He also had an idea that every morning a girl has to bring him coffee and ever since I pointed out how sexist that is, I have become his whipping girl. If anything in the office went wrong it was my fault, if anyone had problems, I was the one who had to solve them. I was getting really tired of everything and was contemplating either reporting him to human resources or just quit and look for a new job.


    I was well liked at my job, because I was a hard worker, but no one stood up for me to the new boss, mostly because the last time someone stood up to him, it was me. Not like anyone is volunteering to be the whipping boy. As soon as the boss came to work he asked for his coffee and I deliberately started working on data entry, looking very busy and not paying attention to anything but my computer.


    "Alicia, where is my coffee?" He suddenly appeared at my cubicle.


    "I don''t know sir, in the kitchen?" I answered as politely as I could while gritting my teeth.


    "You know I don''t like that coffee. I want the special blend they have at the cafe across the street." He was expecting me to jump up and offer to go get it. I did not oblige.


    "You should ask if anyone else wants that coffee." He said after a minute.


    "I''m a bit busy at the moment," I answered. But others quickly chimed in how they would appreciate a cup of special blend.


    "You know you could always go get it," I said to Martha, who was apparently dreaming about a good cup of coffee since early morning, but my boss quickly said:


    "Everyone is so busy, Alicia. I''m sure you can take a few minutes and go get us coffee. I mean data entry can wait."


    His smile made me sick. I got up without a word and left the building. I hated that stupid boss and I was really starting to hate the coworkers. Luckily the cafe knew me by sight by now so as soon as they saw me walking down the street they started preparing the large order. I took it, thanked them and asked them to send the receipt to the office.


    I was waiting for the green light to cross the street when I heard cars driving way too fast for downtown. Police sirens joined the chorus of noise and I instinctively took a few steps back, just to make sure and avoid cars. I was right to step back because a car came driving out of nowhere and ran across the pedestrian crossing and the sidewalk, right where I was standing, just moments before. Absolutely terrified I backed away until my back hit the building and I still didn''t feel safe. That''s when several cars came racing down the street with at least four police cars following them. I looked in shock when I saw one of the leading cars had a gun out of the window and was shooting behind him at the other cars.


    I heard shots fired. I don''t know why, but I closed my eyes and prayed. Coffee holder that I was holding in my arms was knocked down by a gust of wind and I felt pain in my side. I looked down and saw blood pooling, but there was no pain. I still heard shots but I wasn''t paying attention to that. I slid down the wall because my legs felt weak. My breathing got heavy and I could feel my heart beating slower and slower. I''m dying. I''m really really dying.


    I woke up drenched in sweat. What the fuck is going on¡­ I whispered to myself and looked around. I was in my bed, in my bedroom. I looked at the phone and it was two minutes until my alarm went off. I stared at my phone until it went off wondering what happened. Was it all just an elaborate dream? Did it actually happen? Am I in a Final destination movie? I was listening to my alarm, quietly sobbing in bed.


    I finally got ready and went to work. I was in complete daze and was quite late by the time I arrived. My boss was pissed at me so much he never asked for coffee, just yelled about how I''m disrespectful and that my work performance has been on a steady decline. That''s when we heard the police sirens. I ignored him and walked to the window. I watched the procession of cars driving past the coffee shop and our building, the police sirens and finally gunshots. I stared as people screamed, and I knew. Whether it was a dream or it actually happened¡­ I died. But I''m alive now. I started crying in the boss''s office and crumpled on the floor.


    I was allowed to go home early due to my freak up. I drove slowly, walked slowly and overall was super careful while going home. As I walked in my apartment I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I stared in shock as my reflection had a bloody gaping wound on her side. Exactly where I was shot the day before. I turned around, walked out and sat on the floor. That''s where my neighbour Bill found me. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "You ok darling?" He said with his southern accent and a smile. I nodded, pushed myself up and walked away. He followed me, asking if I''m ok, and that I seemed upset. I ignored him and started walking downstairs. That''s when I felt a push on my back and I missed a step. I fell down the stairs, hit the railing and blacked out.


    I woke up. And screamed. I screamed until the phone alarm went off. Then I huddled under the blanket and stayed there. I''m not going to work, or leaving the apartment. I''m just going to stay in bed and survive the day. I stayed under the blanket until the phone started ringing. My coworkers were calling me. I went to the window, opened it and threw the phone out of it. As I was walking back to the bed I caught a glimpse of me in the mirror. I did not look like myself. There was still a gunshot wound in my side, but now there was more. My neck was broken, there was a big gashing wound on my temple and one of my legs was all wrong. I stared and walked closer to the mirror but the reflection did not move. It just stood there watching me while I was staring at it with dread and horror.


    I stayed there and watched my reflection for what seemed like hours. I touched the mirror but the reflection didn''t touch back. It just stood there. I couldn''t do this anymore. I got dressed and went outside. There was a park not far from the apartment complex and I went there to sit in the sun and enjoy the warmth. I sat on a bench, watching the kids play, the dogs running after the balls and an occasional runner.


    I have no idea what is going on. I think I know what''s going on. It''s groundhog day. Or whatever it''s called. I am repeating this day, because I died. I died twice. So if I survive, maybe it will stop. That''s probably how it goes. So all I have to do is survive.


    While I was having an internal debate with myself I noticed a man in the corner of my eyes. He was hiding behind a tree and watching me. I stared at him and he turned around and walked away. I wanted to say that it was just my imagination but I couldn''t risk it. I quickly started walking back to my apartment. At the entrance I saw Bill. Since I was quite sure he pushed me before, I was wary of him and avoided his eyes.


    "Heya neighbor. How are you doing? Skipping work today?" I nodded and added.


    "Not feeling well today, so I''m just going to go back to sleep." But he blocked me from going inside the complex. That forced me to look into his eyes. I gasped a little when I saw his eyes, my hands covering my mouth in shock. His eyes were black. No iris, no pupil, just pure black eyes.


    "Are you sure you are ok? I can make you tea or soup?" He smiled but it seemed fake. I swallowed and said.


    "Yeah you are right, I''m just going to go to the doctor and get myself checked out." I turned around and walked to my car. He didn''t follow me. I locked myself in the car and hyperventilated. What the fuck was that?!? Why does my neighbour have black eyes!?!


    He was still staring at me, so I started the car and drove away. I drove mindlessly around the block, making sure to be extra careful. When I was waiting for the green light I noticed a black dog following me. Or what I thought was a black dog. As it got closer it became more and more clear it was definitely not a dog. It was bigger and skinnier, with long legs and no tail. Face was too short and it almost looked human. Car behind me honked and scared the shit out of me. The light finally turned green. I drove away to the biggest store around and parked a car. Parking lot has to be safe. I was watching the mirrors closely and that''s when I noticed the black thing again. It was definitely following me.


    I started the car and drove away. I decided to drive all the way to my parents, who lived an hour away. I merged safely and drove behind a truck. I put on some music and relaxed a bit. That''s when I saw the black dog looking creature running alongside my car on the FUCKING highway! It jumped right next to me and I freaked out. I swerved on the next lane¡­ and crashed.


    I woke up. This time I was silent. No screaming. No crying. I did not look in the mirror when I walked past it. I threw on a sweater and walked to the coffee shop next to the apartment complex. I ordered coffee and sat on the little table outside. I was¡­ sad. Mad. Bewildered. Numb. I drank the coffee, but I drank too fast and started coughing because it went down the wrong pipe. It almost felt like something was stuck in my throat. I coughed and tried to get it out! People were gathering around me, asking me if I''m ok. I couldn''t talk, something was stuck in my throat. Someone grabbed me from behind and pushed on my chest. Finally something went loose in my throat and it came flying out of me. I gasped for air, happy that I could breathe. I looked on the floor wanting to see what made me almost choke and it was a live cockroach. I fell on my butt wanting to get away from a roach who was happily crawling toward me. I wanted to scream but there was no time! I felt the need to throw up and I couldn''t stop myself. I rolled over and started throwing up. Roaches were coming out of my mouth as a geyser. Never ending stream of roaches were coming out of me. I couldn''t breathe anymore¡­


    I woke up in my bed over and over again. Sometimes it was an accident, sometimes it was a bizarre occurrence and sometimes it was flat out supernatural. So finally I just stopped fighting.


    I woke up. I didn''t get up. I stayed in bed. My alarm went off. Someone was at the door. Phone rang. But I stayed in bed. It was breakfast time. Lunch time. Finally in the late afternoon I poked from under a blanket. I noticed my neighbor with black eyes, sitting on a chair next to my bed. He looked worse today. His eyes were black, his mouth too big, he had no hair or eyebrows or eyelashes. His skin looks ashen. He said something in a language that I didn''t understand as he walked toward me. He grabbed me by my shoulders and licked my face with a tongue  too long to belong to any human. I screamed but no one came. I died slowly.


    I woke up. I went to the mirror and looked at myself. My body was¡­ broken. My eyes were missing as were some¡­ other body parts. I didn''t even get dressed, I ran out of my apartment keys in hand. I slammed into my neighbour Bill, looking more demonic than ever. I screamed and fought, wanting to escape but he overpowered me. He lifted me and took me back to my apartment. It took him a few hours to kill me. He enjoyed every second of it.


    I woke up. I went to the mirror. I touched the mirror and pleaded with every entity there is.


    Please just let me die.

 Dont let the traditions die or you risk finding out why they were there in the first place

    Every 5th of December evening, dear old Saint Nicholas visited our village. He would come knocking on the door of every house with children, bringing joy and presents. Parents would open the door and call for their offspring to be presented. The sight was always quite magnificent. Saint Nicholas was always tall, strong build with bushy white beard, dressed in white coat with white hat of the local church. In one hand he carried a white staff, decorated with simple carvings but absolutely stunning nonetheless. Next to him were two angels. Angels were always so beautiful, smaller than Saint Nicholas, dressed in white robes, white boots, with a halo above their golden hair and white wings with golden trim on their backs. One angel carried a white book with golden trim, where all the names of good children could be found, while the other carried a black book with red trim, for the bad children.


    Children would watch in awe at the sight. One time per year angels and Saints would come to your house just for you. Saint Nicholas would then inquire about children''s well-being, how school is going, how they are behaving. Parents would either sing praises or not. Occasionally parents would berate their children and angels would lose their smile. They would hide their face behind Saint Nicholas and every child would feel shame. After the introduction Saint Nicholas would ask for a prayer. A child or children would step forward and say whatever prayer they want. Younger children usually pray simpler prayers and older children are expected to show off their knowledge.


    After the prayers are said, Saint Nicholas pats the heads of children, opens up his bag and gives them a toy, a treat, a book or a fruit. Sometimes even coals. Depends on the age of the child, how good he behaves and if he said his prayers well. He then says his goodbyes, warns you to listen to your parents and leaves. Doors close and you go to sleep, only to wake up to a pile of presents the next morning. If you were good.


    There is one thing that is absolutely scary about dear old Saint Nicholas. When he would visit you, you would occasionally hear the rattle of chains from behind him.  As a young child you don''t know what it is and even if you ask, they will tell you that only the bad kids know about it. But as years progress so does the rattling. It comes closer and closer until one day you see a red face behind one of the angels. Red face with black horns, black wild hair, fangs instead of teeth and crazy eyes. The devils, they are called. Chained by the chains forged by the heavens, the Saint would assure you. If parents would say you were bad this year, the devil will come up front replacing one of the angels. They were really a horrifying sight, not just because of the face. They were dressed in animal skins, wrapped around their bodies with rope and they had hooves for feet. Their hands were wrapped by chains and the chain would trail down to their feet, which were also loosely bound. They would often reach for the bad child, making the chains rattle more and more.


    I was seven when I saw my first devil and you can be sure it set me straight for a whole year. At ten I was old enough to realize that Saint Nicholas was our local priest dressed up, the angels were local girls and the devil was one of the altar boys. I still believed in Saint Nicholas, but I knew that he needed help with the presents and our priest was very helpful.


    Older I got, the more I got to participate in other fun traditions that my village had. After the priest would go visit some other villages nearby, taking the angels with him,  the village boys would dress up in devil costumes and chase younger boys and girls who were out in the dark. If they caught anyone they would chain them up by a light pole in the street and demand a prayer. When a prayer was said, the child was released. Of course it was all in good fun. Child would then run away and tease the devil, how slow he is with those chains and that surely this time he would not be able to catch anyone.


    I participated in those games as well. I was caught often and prayed as any good girl would do. As I got older I did not pray, and so I was chained to a pole until my father demanded me home because it was getting late. I then said my prayer and left on my merry way. Oh to be young again.


    Later when I went to high school out of our little town, I told people of these traditions and they mocked me. They called it a silly and catholic invention to make little kids more religious and to make them pray. I didn''t really care. Fifth of December was always one of my favourite nights, even if I stopped participating as I was older. Of course I also learned that boys usually get a bit tipsy during their time as the devils and that''s why they are so eager to catch little children. It''s almost a rite of passage for 16 or 17 year olds to put on scary masks and costumes, take the sip of their first drink and chase or supervise the younglings. We had a clubhouse in the village for young adults, where the alcohol and costumes were kept for several generations. It was a tradition that originated before Christianity ever came to the region and simply adapted to new religions. Not that we cared much. All we wanted was to have some fun and laugh. An occasional drink from forbidden alcohol was a mighty boon as well.


    I lost my faith as I grew up. I look back fondly on those times when I prayed as a child, but as I grew older I saw more and more faults. Not with religion but with the church. We learned about the real Saint Nicholas, were exposed to American Santa Claus and heard about Father Winter from the North. Traditions in my village slowly stopped and by the time I was an adult, there were no more late night chases or rattling of the chains by the local devils. I would look outside on the fifth of December and see nothing. I moved away soon, saddened that my children will never get to experience the joy of being tied up to a pole by chains because you wouldn''t say your prayers.


    My brother had recently had a child and invited me to be his godmother. The christening was on the third of December so I took a whole week off, to visit my friends and family. It was a lovely service and I pledged myself to steer this newborn into the direction of the one true faith. Not that I really believed it anymore, but no one really asked me that. As a present I got my godson a golden necklace with a little lamb, that he can wear as he gets older. It''s a traditional christening present for any newborn and highly appreciated.


    I was staying with my parents for the week. My room on the first floor was transformed into a sewing room, so I was staying in my brother''s bedroom on the ground floor. On the fifth, my parents joked that it''s too bad I don''t go to church every Sunday, because I will most likely only get coals for presents this year. I told them that at my age coals are actually a pretty neat present and that shut them up.


    I loved the view from the window. I had the perfect view of the middle of the village, the grand four way crossroad. Two roads lead to the end of the village and two were main roads connecting my village to the outside world. Right next to the crossroads there was a strong lamp, illuminating everything around it. It''s where the kids would play hide and seek. There was almost no traffic in the village so roads were considered quite safe and children played on them often. I dozed off, watching the crossroads, when something woke me up. I looked at the clock and it was a few minutes past midnight. I decided to just go to bed and get a few hours of sleep, when I heard the noise that woke me up again. It sounded like chains being dragged on the floor.


    I smiled to myself, remembering that it''s only the devils chasing the kids around. But there were no screams of joy or teasing. Also it was quite late to be playing. Rattling of the chains now grew stronger as if someone was running toward the house. I decided that whoever it was, he needed to cool it down. It was late and people were sleeping. I put on my comfy warm slippers and walked outside. But there was nothing there. No boys in costumes, no chains, no children running around. I walked to the mailbox and looked in all directions. That''s when I saw a small child running toward the back of the house into the dark. There was a maniacal laughter coming from that direction and chains being dragged. I heard a scream and started running toward it. It didn''t sound like a fun scream but someone who was scared out of their mind. I saw a little kid, hunched down in the shadows, hands covering his eyes and a devil standing above him. Shadows made it difficult to be seen, but I could have sworn the devil''s tail moved. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "What is going on around here?" I asked loudly. The devil turned toward me and I have to say the mask was¡­ uncomfortably well done. Movie grade. I dismissed my thoughts as it was in the shadows and shadows are always kind to costumes. I walked toward the kid, past the devil and went on my knees to be his height. I put my hand on his shoulders to reassure him.


    "Run along home little guy, and remember for next time, if you pray they leave you alone." Kid moved his hands and looked at me and I gasped. There was just enough light coming from the house next door that it illuminated his face. He had no eyes. Where there should have been eyes there was nothing but empty gaping holes. I fell on my butt in horror as there was no mask that could be this accurate. The kid smiled and it can only be described as evil. It tried to touch me with his hands and I scrambled on my butt away from him. I didn''t go far as I hit something with my back. It was the devil.


    I looked down and saw a hoof. Cold dread made me shiver. Hoof was most definitely real. There were long red hairs sticking out, almost like fur, but they were as hard as needles. So hard they pricked my clothes and I felt them through my skin. I didn''t  look up. It couldn''t have been real. It''s all just an elaborate prank. With some really wicked costumes.


    I felt it''s hands on my shoulders as I was pulled up on my feet. Suddenly I was standing face to chest of the bigger devil. I could see and smell it''s clothes. It smelled foul, rotten and burned at the same time. It took my hands and wrapped them in chains! I started to yank away and tried to scream but I couldn''t! Somehow I managed to get one of my hands free and I kicked the devil, yanking my other hand free. I could feel my skin tearing but I didn''t care. I was free and I hightailed it home. I heard a loud snap but I didn''t look back.


    Something wrapped around my neck. It was so fast and so unexpected it stopped me in my tracks and pulled me back. My hands went to my neck to protect myself but it tightened and I couldn''t breathe. I was laying on my back, trying to get the chain off me. I managed to get to a better lighted area so I was really hoping someone would notice me, but the houses remained silent. The devil went ahead of me into the light, dragging the chain behind. That caused me to be dragged along with it. I was in panic. It was really hard to breathe and when I could take a breath it hurt like hell! I know my neck was badly hurt, I was hit with a fucking chain! Chain loosened just a bit which allowed me to put my fingers up to my neck and get me some breathing room.


    We were in the middle of the crossroads now, under the brightest light. The devil grabbed me and helped me stand. From behind he pulled a pole, extended it and slammed it in the ground. He then pushed me to stand next to the pole and gave the chain to the child. The child laughed but that was no children''s laugh. It was deep and it was more of a cackle than a laugh. The ¡®evil queen¡¯ laugh just in a man''s voice. It ran around me, holding the chains, tightening me to the pole with every step. Once I was properly secured the big devil loosened my neck and allowed me to take some very deep breaths and he pulled my hands somewhat free so they stuck up. I clasped them together in a prayer and that made him smile. I prayed silently, every prayer my adult brain, that had no practice in praying for the past few years could remember.


    It said something to me, but I couldn''t understand. The language was nothing I had ever heard and I knew several languages. The child stepped next to him and translated. His voice was deep and masculine and it matched the laughter, just not the body.


    "Good, you remember! We remember you little girl. We saw you many years ago." I stopped praying. I took a long look at the devil in front. It was as if the costume that the boys in my youth wore came to life. It had dark red skin with scars everywhere, two big black horns on top of his head and a mane of black hair that trailed all the way to his back. His eyes were black with red irises and they were oval shaped. It wore the skin of dead animals, but the skins were not treated. It had specks of blood everywhere and jagged cuts as if the animals were still alive when the skinning took place. Smaller chains were wrapped around him, holding skins in place. The skins were long enough to cover him all the way to the knees as if it was a tunic or a very long shirt. Oddly enough, the little kid looked like a normal kid. Except it had no eyes of course.


    "I don''t understand." I said as loud as I could. But my throat was badly hurt and I could barely talk. It said something to me again and pointed around. The child translated again.


    "Every year our master Krampus would tell me to come here and make sure that the children behave themself. We like the bad kids. They taste the most delicious! But every year I would come and there would be others. Others like me, chasing children. And children would pray and light enveloped them and we knew all the children were good and we found no bad children here. So I would watch and then leave. But in the past few years there were no devils! No devils running around catching children to see who was bad and who was good! Without our master we are not allowed in people''s houses so all we can do here is wait all night to see if children would come."


    I stared. This was kind of funny. Funny and horrifying. Was this real? Krampus?! The evil Saint Nicholas who takes the bad children away and eats them? The devil continued his tale of woe.


    "So I asked the little devil to come with me this year to help me get the children out." The little devil gave me an angelic smile and if he had eyes he would be a very cute kid. Now he just looked creepy.


    "But what has that got to do with me?" I whispered.


    "I''m not a child. And I''ve been good!" I added! But the devil laughs.


    "I''ve seen you before. You were captured by a little devil and you prayed and you ran. But the light is gone now. Only children get the light¡­ and you are no child" I swallowed. The big devil came closer and dragged a claw on my cheek.


    "You may be big but I''m sure you will still taste nice?" It hurt. It was as if there was a burn on my cheek. I could feel tears fall from my eyes and I remembered. I was scared shitless, but my grandma would always say that the devils can''t hurt you if you pray and that you can always gamble with one. Problem is, I have no idea what games I could play and win, but this was the sixth of December now and prayer should work. Hopefully.


    "You can''t take me." I said confidently.


    "Even if I no longer believe in my prayers, I am a good person. You can only take bad children or bad people with you. And I am not bad!" I almost screamed during the last part. The devil laughed. The child laughed. I shivered. There was one prayer I knew by heart. It was a prayer to the angels and a prayer that the youngest children are taught to pray every night before going to bed.


    Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God''s love, commits me here, ever this day, be at my side, to light and guard, rule and guide. Amen.


    I didn''t believe in the church. The organization of it sickened me. But I am Catholic, raised and baptized. I had a guardian angel that was with me from the day I was born to the day I die. That is what I was raised to believe in and it shouldn''t matter what I believe now. I closed my eyes and prayed. I didn''t listen to the devil or the child, I just prayed. I prayed until the chains loosened and I repeated the same prayer until I was numb. Slowly I opened my eyes, still praying, and looked around. I was alone.


    I ran as fast as my legs would take me to go back home, crying, shivering. I locked the doors and collapsed. That''s where my parents found me in the early morning. I had a massive bruise on my neck and I tried to explain what happened. They laughed and said that local kids haven''t done the devils in years. I must have dreamed it. Once they saw the bruises they conceded that maybe someone was outside, playing the devil and they went too far.


    I left the village that day and returned home. I''m writing to the local priest, what a shame it is that local traditions are going out of style and that we should really do something about that. I would be glad to donate money if that was the issue. He assured me that we can work something out and by next year the kids will be visited by Saint Nicholas at their home, praying to the angels.


    Don''t let the traditions die or you risk finding out why they were there in the first place.

 The life under the witchs mountain part 1

    I have lived in a small town my whole life and I never knew just how odd my little town is. I never thought it was a very special town, but it does have quite an interesting beginning.


    Once upon a time, the mountain S was known to be a gathering place of witches. There are many local legends about it, how every third full moon witches would be seen flying around on their brooms, changing people into pigs, cursing the crops, just overall being evil. That was not all they were known for. These witches would come from all corners of the world and they would get bored while flying, so to pass the time they would sing. It was said that each witch had a different song and different people got attracted to different  songs. Some witches sang about first loves and men and women who only knew their first love would follow, some sang about heartbreak and those who knew heartbreak would follow. Some sang about murder and mayhem, and those who know murder would follow. So not only did the witches gather on the mountain every third full moon, sometimes they would bring wanderers with them. Those wanderers would try and go up the mountains to follow the song, and if they would succeed they would never be heard from again. They were usually killed on the way by animals or thieves or other wanderers, but sometimes they would make it up the mountain just to be eaten by the witches. Or so the legend goes. It was a cruel world, but witches made it even worse.


    The town was founded by a family looking for their father. A brave young woman packed up her kids and all their belongings and went looking for her man, who got seduced by a song. When she arrived at the foot of the mountain she could not cross the forest to reach the mountain. She set up camp, thinking about what to do. That''s when a wanderer came into her camp, confused and in search of the song he had been hearing. She talked to him and somehow she broke the spell, made the wanderer see reason and he returned to his family. The woman whose name is lost to history made it her life goal to save as many people as she can from the witches'' songs. She and her children would start building a village at the foot of the mountain, right at the edge of the dark forest.


    Many wanderers had nothing in their life and they felt obligated to the woman and her family, so they stayed in the village and helped others. The woman never found her husband and she died of heartache only a few years after building the first house in the village. Upon her death they made a statue of her, looking toward the mountain with stretched hands as if she was still waiting for her beloved to come down to her. It would seem that her children had inherited whatever helped the woman break a song curse, so they continued her work, helping more and more people. The village grew into a town and soon more people would leave the town than wander into it. The founding family grew as well and they would buy up the land around the mountains and build more and more towns until the whole mountain was surrounded by forest and towns. It was a way to make sure that no wanderer would get lost.


    I was born in one of the founding families. I did not watch Disney cartoons or read fairy tales, I would rather listen to the family stories about witches and their curses. My family had a library of stories, real life stories of encounters and meetings. And we also had rules. You are told about the rules on your day of birth and you are reminded of them every day until you know them by heart and you live and breathe the rules. Whether you want to or not, as a child in the founding family, rules are everything.


    The very first rule is, know your neighbours. We would have parties for entire neighborhoods, getting to know every family that moves close to us. My aunt''s entire branch of the family was involved in real estate and they made very sure who they were selling the house to. Not only that, being a large family there was an aunt or cousin in almost every part of the town, making sure everything is alright. I know, I know, it''s almost like the mob. It sure felt that way sometimes¡­ but we made sure we knew the people on our street, their history and all. It was very important not to be tricked by someone pretending to be your neighbour.


    The second rule was, no homeless people. This one was always weird to me. Like what if homeless people from Seattle would come here, would we still take care of them? We had a system in place for the homeless people. First of all, the police were basically in my grandfather''s pocket and every time they would encounter someone who looked remotely homeless they would escort them to a shelter. The shelter was designed in such a way that it helped you get on your feet. They found you a job, a small apartment, and made sure you have everything you need to stay off the street. If someone was insistent on staying homeless or was such a menace that there was no way they could be a part of society¡­ they weren''t a problem. See, every few months, they would just disappear. Like I said, my family does their best to avoid the problems, but when we can''t, problems tend to disappear. One way or the other. There also aren''t a lot of drug problems in our town. I''m guessing it''s because drug dealers deal a lot at night, and like I said, nights don''t really belong to us and we can''t protect you during the dark.


    The third rule is one of the most important rules. You are always polite to your elders especially to older women. If you are walking down the street and you see an older lady walking, you go to her and ask if she needs assistance. If you see an older lady crossing the road, you offer your assistance. We are, from a very young age, taught to be extremely polite and helpful. Especially during the week of the full moon. If you see an older lady that you don''t recognize you will help her at any cost. Nothing is as important as making sure older ladies have everything they want and need. Especially if they have any kind of mark on their face, but are otherwise good looking. You always go out of your way to help. Always.


    The fourth rule is enforced for us, founding families, but I am not sure if it''s enforced through the whole town. I''m not even sure how you would go and enforce it? Anyway, the fourth rule is, you are never out during the full moon. The full moon means you hide yourself away in your house, you lock the door, you lock the windows, you make sure every curtain is drawn maybe even board up the windows. No one goes close to the windows, no one peeks. If you have a basement, you go into that basement and stay there. Sometimes grandma would enforce the rule for the entire three nights of the full moon, and sometimes just for the one night. She and grandfather rule our family with iron fists and we all listen to them. Even if it seems crazy.


    The fifth rule is, you never go alone in the forest. You never camp in the forest. If you want to take a walk, you take family members or just someone with you.


    The sixth rule can be very hard. It is a very general rule if you ask me. Don''t do anything that would make you easy to curse. No stealing, no lying, no wanting for things out of reach (at least out loud), no wishing, no secrets. Are you in love with someone who seems unreachable? Tell them. There is no unrequited love in my family. Are you ashamed of something? Tell someone. There is nothing to be ashamed of, and if you are¡­ My grandma will make sure you find a job very far away from this town. My grandma always says that her family is either beyond reproach or they are gone.


    The seventh rule is another one of the weird ones. If you see a random animal that doesn''t look like it belongs, you let it be. Is there a pig walking down the street? You turn away. Is there a dog crying and it sounds like a human? You go the other direction. Is a cat following you? You make sure you feed it and try to hide from it. Just like my family likes to make sure there are no homeless people, we are also making sure there are no strays. Or as close as we can get. So if you do see a random animal in the streets, your best course of action is avoidance.


    You see, I am telling you these rules and you might think we are batshit crazy. I mean you would say, how can you make an entire family stay inside for the whole three nights or even in a basement?!? It''s very simple. You either listen to the rules, you live the rules or you disappear. Maybe not your first full moon or even the second. Maybe you move away far far from this cursed mountain. But sooner or later, you disappear from this Earth and no one ever finds you. There is always a rebel in every generation, someone who doesn''t conform to the rules, someone who will go out at midnight, be mean to the old lady down the street, go camping in the woods, and they are always the one who disappears. So yeah. We might be crazy and weird, but we survive. Not only that, we help others survive. My grandma would always say that only those not of pure heart or pure intention can get cursed. Witches curse people who upset them, who insult them or slight them in any way. The best way to avoid getting cursed is to be so nice that you cannot be cursed.


    Our town is very good with random strangers who find themselves around. Several times a month, the police would call someone from our family that they are needed at the station. That would usually mean they found someone acting¡­ strange, and they need the special touch. I don''t fully understand what that means. I assume it has something to do with breaking the curse of the song? We did have some distant cousins on the police force, but maybe they didn''t have the touch. That''s how my grandma calls it¡­ the special touch. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    You also have to understand, my family doesn''t keep the rules to themself. We are not some exclusive club with limited access. Everytime there is a new family moving in, my grandma bakes cookies and invites them over for BBQ. We either go to them or they come to us, and we talk. At first we like to see how they appreciate helpful suggestions, but sooner or later someone tells them not to go out during the full moon, no matter what they hear. The kids hear the same at school. The teacher would give a long weekend or just a week long vacation every few months and that would always fall on the full moon. Stores, movie theaters and diners would all close for the full moon. Some families thrive and if they don''t, they either move or something happens. We are not new to tragedy in this town.


    Every year we have a celebration for the Mother of the town. It happens on the longest day of the year and we throw a big celebration with town fairs and everything that goes with that. We make sure everyone knows how important the community is, that it is the only way to survive in this world and especially in this town. We need to help each other, make sure we are all taken care of, treat your neighbor like your family and so on and so forth.


    Even if we are considered quite rich, we do not live rich. My family spends a lot of money making sure the town will survive, that the homeless people always have some place to go and that everyone who does get involved in any kind of tragedy can leave town and move on if they wish.


    I was just getting ready to go to sleep, when my cousin called me to help him. The full moon was last week and apparently it was bad. We had two murders in town and still didn''t know who could have done it. Grandma was saying that either we have someone new in town or someone went crazy.


    "Look Alicia, I called grandmother and she told me to call you. It''s time you help the family!" He said. It was late at night and I was just getting ready to go to sleep. But when family calls you answer. With a sigh I said:


    "I''ll be right there."


    "I already sent a car to your apartment and they should be there soon." I hung up and got dressed. I knew the day was coming, the day I''ll have to prove if I have the touch or not. Grandma was sure I was one of the chosen but I wasn''t so sure. I guess it''s time for a trial by fire.


    Police station was nearly empty. You would have thought that during these trying times everyone would work double or triple shifts, since there aren''t that many murders around these parts, but no. Usually nights are quiet. My cousin escorted me to the holding room.


    "Do I get any information on the guy?" I whispered, trying to not be overheard by other officers.


    "We are pretty sure we got our guy, but he isn''t talking. That''s why I think he has to have been cursed, there is no motive behind the killings. If it is a curse we need to break it before we can sentence him, otherwise he will keep on killing." I sighed.


    "So he still gets sentenced? Even if it was a curse that got him to kill?" My cousin shrugged.


    "Curses don''t just stick to random good people, the desire was already in him. Sooner or later he would have snapped. Or he might have never. We will never know now¡­"


    I prepared myself mentally and walked in. The man in front of me was Henry from the Little Henry bakery. I didn''t expect it to be someone I knew. He was shackled to the table and the floor, so I sat across him with no worries. Just a lot of sadness.


    "Hello Henry," I said.


    "Hey Alicia. What are you doing here?" He sounded surprised. I clasped my hands in front of me on the table and tried to look brave. But I wasn''t. I was sad and scared. No matter how many stories you hear or how much your family can prepare you, this in front of me was a real person. If my cousin is right he killed in cold blood, at least two people.


    "Why did you do it Henry?" I whispered. The only training I had for this was watching cop shows. I was a librarian and woefully unprepared for interrogation. But this was all a part of the family plan. Trial by fire, as my family would call it. Only way to find out if you can help the cursed and nothing but actually doing it can prepare you for it.


    Henry smiled. He was a small man, but had some muscles. Olive complexion with dark brown hair and green eyes, he was quite handsome. I think he was of Mediterranean descent, Italian or maybe Greek.


    "I don''t know what you are talking about." But there was something about him. He seemed very uncomfortable as if my presence unnerved him.


    "Henry I am here to listen. You won''t talk to the police and they have evidence you did it. So we know it was you. But we don''t know why, Henry. Why did you kill those two men?"


    The air in the room got heavier. It was getting harder to breathe and I got a little bit dizzy. I rubbed my eyes and I wanted to leave but I couldn''t move. I heard chains rattling and I thought that was it. Henry will get loose somehow and kill me too. But he didn''t. He slumped over the table as if he was unconscious.


    "Henry?" I said. Too late I realized that I should have called for help and not worry about a murderer in the room. Something was wrong here and my brain was too slow to realize. There was a melody coming from somewhere, but also nowhere. It was all around me, like chains, but invisible. I could hear it and feel it as a wind, wrapping around my body, trying to suffocate me.


    "You can not harm me, witch." I said. There was a surprised gasp coming from Henry. The man in front of me hasn''t changed in appearance but I knew I was no longer looking at Henry. The fuzziness in my vision made me see double and Henry was one, and a woman was in second. If I concentrated they would merge into one body but that was too weird, so I let the fuzziness take over.


    "Well well, what do we have here?" She whispered. She would move as if she had no body at all. She glided over the floor as a ghost and moved so fast that one second she was sitting where Henry was and the next she was caressing my cheek.


    "Aye I was warned about playing in the town, but I never expected to see someone like you. So curious." As soon as I felt her touch I could see her real image. When I first saw her she looked beautiful. Dark red hair, silky and smooth, skin as white as porcelain, eyes as blue as the sky and body of a dancer in her prime. But as she touched me I glimpsed her real self. She was a woman of immense ugliness. Her hair was a matted red mess, her skin was dark and full of scars, her nose was too big and it had a big black mole on the middle, her mouth was crooked and she was missing a few teeth. She was small and lumpy, with arms that were just too long. I recoiled from her touch.


    She laughed. I froze in my horror as she became more and more solid, realizing she wasn''t here before but as soon as I really saw her, she became more real.


    "Oh this is so fun. I was thinking of eating the little man, but you will taste so much better!" She came closer and turned my chair toward her so that she could pull me up and see me up close. When she grabbed my hands to pull me up, all I could feel was fire. If I could scream I would, but I was paralyzed. I don''t know if it was terror or a curse, but I could do nothing. She twirled me around like a little doll.


    "You are a plump one, aren''t ya? Not as nice as others, but it will suffice. I am hungry you see¡­ I called and called but no one came! My sister warned me that the spells won''t work around the mountain but I thought they were joking! Who would have thought that people in this town were so protected against curses." She was muttering to herself, while touching me. Everywhere she touched I burned. I could smell my flesh and burn marks appeared all around my body. Pain was so immense that even though I couldn''t scream, I cried. I felt tears streaming down my face. Will I really die here? Can she kill me like this?


    That''s when I noticed a knife in her hands. She put a knife to my neck and did a little slice on my collarbone. I cried out in pain, realizing I could move! I jumped away from her, but she wasn''t even paying attention to me. She was looking at the blood on the knife in glee, giggling like a little girl. She licked the knife with her long and apparently forked tongue. I yelled at my cousin to open the door, begging to be let out, but to no avail. The door stayed closed and I was alone with the monster.


    "You aren''t human," she suddenly said. Her appearance went back to her beautiful self and she merged with Henry once more. She talks now through Henry.


    "I thought your kind went extinct, white witch. Curiouser and curiouser. How many are there? Is that why our meals are no longer coming through the forest? How many do you take from us?" I stared in surprise, not knowing what to say. Did she just call me a white witch?


    "This ends now, little one. We have awoken our queen and she will destroy your little white clan. We are taking our mountain back." With those words she cackled and disappeared.


    When my cousin came into the room it was as if the whole incident never happened. I yelled at him why he let me face the damn witch alone. He said that on his side we, Henry and I, just stared at each other for five minutes and then I started screaming and crying. He noticed the wounds asking me what happened. I told him he needs to drive me to my grandmother immediately. As we were leaving Henry confessed to everything, crying in despair.


    The reason why I''m telling you all this is because I want to warn you. Listen to the rules! Don''t give the witches an excuse to curse you in the first place.


    I don''t know what my grandma will tell me, but I need to know more about the white witches. And the queen. Who is the queen?!?