It was 4:00 in the morning when Jada felt a shadow cross her sleeping face. When something woke her in the night, tucked in her bed. Tore her away from dreams of dark hair and soft lips and beautiful eyes that gleamed at her. Tore her from fantasies of hands and love and thrust her into something frightening. It shouldn't have been frightening. It was only a thunderstorm, and her family's property was enclosed in a thick brick wall that covered the entire property. The only way in was a gate, with a guard. And Kinjo, her little brother's dog, wasn't barking in that way he did whenever someone came unwelcome onto their property. He barked for everything; pizza men, gardeners, girl scouts, squirrels, stray cats, their father getting a midnight snack and even the maids.
But the entire house was quiet, and the only sounds from outside were the sounds of branches scraping over the roof, the sounds of the trees blowing in a rough wind, and the rain pattering on the balcony outside her window and the roof above her head. Still, something felt wrong. Jada buried herself under her blanket, hiding her face as though if she couldn't see it, it couldn't see her. Whatever -it- was. She clutched at the pen she kept under her pillow, panic making her throat close.
Something scratched at her balcony door.
She froze.
The scratch came again, slow, steady.
There weren't any trees at her balcony door.
The sound of shattering, and Jada jerked bolt upright in her bed, staring at her balcony door. A figure was staring at her, but it didn't look... human. It didn't look like her stalker, thank god.
Why hadn't Kinjo barked?
The figure looked hesitant, again, as though surprised to see her paying it any mind. What else could she do? It saw her, she couldn't hide to turn into Scylla and scare off her own bogeyman. So what else was there to do? The jaws opened wide, the creature stepped for her, reaching out its hands. She screamed.
And she screamed.
And still screaming she woke, bolt upright, into the sound of howling wind, her balcony doors wide open, her bedroom door wide open, and Kinjo barking and yowling into the darkness. Her mother rushed in,covered in a gauzy blue robe and in a lavender negligee, collecting Jada into her arms, eyes going wide at something she'd noticed that Jada obviously hadn't. She was followed by Jada's father, in black silk night pants, chest covered in curling matted grey hair that looked like a bear.
Jada thought she saw a shadow slipping past her bedroom door.
Her hand shook.
Next to her bed a white rose, dripping blood. Fresh, wet blood. Not from her, was it... the smell was metallic. Footprints moved from balcony to floor, bare human footprints, painting the white carpets in dark, wet dirt. Her father was ranting something, raving something. She could see her brother and sisters coming towards the bed; Szelem shifted herself and Jada over to make room for Zora, Kayley, and Lucas. The five of them piled on the bed while Michael and Kinjo howled curses into the dark.
But the entire house was quiet, and the only sounds from outside were the sounds of branches scraping over the roof, the sounds of the trees blowing in a rough wind, and the rain pattering on the balcony outside her window and the roof above her head. Still, something felt wrong. Jada buried herself under her blanket, hiding her face as though if she couldn't see it, it couldn't see her. Whatever -it- was. She clutched at the pen she kept under her pillow, panic making her throat close.
Something scratched at her balcony door.
She froze.
The scratch came again, slow, steady.
There weren't any trees at her balcony door.
The sound of shattering, and Jada jerked bolt upright in her bed, staring at her balcony door. A figure was staring at her, but it didn't look... human. It didn't look like her stalker, thank god.
Why hadn't Kinjo barked?
The figure looked hesitant, again, as though surprised to see her paying it any mind. What else could she do? It saw her, she couldn't hide to turn into Scylla and scare off her own bogeyman. So what else was there to do? The jaws opened wide, the creature stepped for her, reaching out its hands. She screamed.
And she screamed.
And still screaming she woke, bolt upright, into the sound of howling wind, her balcony doors wide open, her bedroom door wide open, and Kinjo barking and yowling into the darkness. Her mother rushed in,covered in a gauzy blue robe and in a lavender negligee, collecting Jada into her arms, eyes going wide at something she'd noticed that Jada obviously hadn't. She was followed by Jada's father, in black silk night pants, chest covered in curling matted grey hair that looked like a bear.
Jada thought she saw a shadow slipping past her bedroom door.
Her hand shook.
Next to her bed a white rose, dripping blood. Fresh, wet blood. Not from her, was it... the smell was metallic. Footprints moved from balcony to floor, bare human footprints, painting the white carpets in dark, wet dirt. Her father was ranting something, raving something. She could see her brother and sisters coming towards the bed; Szelem shifted herself and Jada over to make room for Zora, Kayley, and Lucas. The five of them piled on the bed while Michael and Kinjo howled curses into the dark.
