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“It started with the children,” The young man said tiredly as he sat back in the cold steel chair. The four policemen stared at him with a mixture of fear and dark suspicion. They hadn’t used any special police persuasion tricks or threats, he was more than happy to oblige them with an explanation of his actions. His black hair matted and messed up as it rested on his shoulders. His thin long sleeved shirt torn in places while dirt. His blue jeans were streaked with mud. The boots he wore were caked with grime and dirt. He sat there reclining almost relaxing in the chair, his wallet chains clattered quietly against his seat. He wore three rings one was on the left while the two others called his right hand their home. The first was silver and had an intricate pattern reminiscent of the old celtic knots, it was wide and sat on his index finger. The second sat on his thumb and spun around its base whenever the young man flicked it, which when he was nervous, was quite often. It just so happened that he was very nervous at the moment. The ring spun and whirled with nothing but the soft scraping of metal to make itself heard. The last he held on his pointer finger, it was simple no designs, just silver, however it was made from the finest tempered metals around and therefore was exceptionally durable. The cops all stood and stared at him, their brown eyes watched him coldly as if expecting him to leap out at them with some hidden weapon. The two on the far right and left were young, no more than twenty eight at the most, whereas the two in the middle were much older, the one of that pair on the left was rather heavy set with mutton chops.
“Well go on,” The large one prompted.
“I work late at the store sometimes and I don’t get home until midnight sometimes. This was one of those nights. As I put the key in the lock I noticed something that shouldn’t be there. Two children were playing catch with a dodge ball in the middle of the road,” The young man said gravely
“Why was that weird sir?” The younger on the right asked,
“It was midnight, these children were no more that six each,” Young man said slightly surprised the policeman hadn’t understood. He stared at them through weary desperate eyes. They were the eyes of a soul at the breaking point, a soul that couldn’t be quite sure he was sane or insane.
“They stopped playing to watch me walk into my house. As I did this chill went down my back, and I could feel their eyes staring at me. Just those two pale children standing in the moonlight and scared me to death knowing they were watching me,” The young man continued
“I’m sorry but what does this have to do with anything?” The other young policeman asked abruptly.
“We asked for the whole story James, he’s giving it to us let him speak,” The older policeman on the left said calmly.
“At first I ignored it, just went about what I was doing. I was tired from work and didn’t want to think about it. Then around three I went to bed, and I stared out my window because I thought I saw something. There they were, standing in the moonlight of my backyard. One girl one boy just standing there in the middle of winter in my backyard, staring at me,” The young man shuddered.
“Could the see you?” The young one on the right asked.
“At first I didn’t think so, I had my light off, but as I moved around watching them I saw they were watching me, not my window,” The young man answered.
“Did you speak to them or invite them in?” The older on the right who until now had been silent.
“No,”
“Why not?”
“They watched me enter the house, they watched me from the backyard. They knew I was home. If they wanted to come in or to speak to me they would have said something. They didn’t they just watched me with those blank eyes,” Another shudder rose from the young man.
“I have to ask this, Were the children real?” The older one on the left spoke up after a moment of contemplation.
“Sir I don’t know anymore. At the time I thought they were, but after what I’ve been through the last week, I don’t know whether I’m crazy or even if this conversation is happening,” The young man said brokenly.
“I’m sorry son, but I’m afraid this is happening, and I’m afraid you’re looking at a lot of time in jail if we don’t find a way to absolve you,” The older one on the right said gravely.
“Do you remember what happened? I mean were you there when it happened?” The younger on the left asked sincerely.
“I was there. Before I tell you the rest though I gotta tell you something. Those kids, they were afraid of the shadows. They stood in the moonlight but that was it. I slept sometime before dawn. When I woke up they were gone, but when I watched them watch me they would shuffle with the moonlight. They stayed as far from the shadows as possible,” The young man said almost as though this would somehow justify his sanity, or maybe to justify his insanity so as to know this was all a nightmare and nothing more.
“That is interesting,” The older on the left said gently.
“Please tell us the rest,” The younger on the left said.
“First can I ask your names? You’ve been very kind to me, not like those television policemen.
“This is James,” He motioned to the young man on the right. “Stewart is his partner” The man on the left waved
“They were the ones who found you this morning. This is my partner Thomas, and I am Merry. We were put in charge of the case that we think you may be tied to. They don’t know if your a victim or a suspect yet thats what we’re trying to help find that out,” He finished.
“Well, I’m Dae. It’s short for Daenial. My mother had a weird thing about names,” Dae said apologetically.
“I can honestly say I have never met anyone named Dae,” Merry said lightly.
“Well, can you tell us about what happened to you now?” Thomas asked gently trying to coax him into explaining.
“Yes, of course,” Dae sighed tiredly but without agitation. He rolled his shoulders back and sat more relaxed in his chair. He began to tell his story.

II

The next morning he had woken up stiff. Dae had fallen asleep in his chair as he had watched the children watch him. Several instruments of cutlery lay beside him. Relics of a former life, friends that warmed his empty shell with memories. Dae rubbed his eyes sleepily before catching sight of the time. Just slightly passed noon and he was already late for work. Dae threw on his uniform and dashed out the door. When he arrive his employer Andrew was livid with Dae’s inability to be at work within the time limit. After a fierce verbal reprimand Dae set about his work for the day. He held a job as a stock boy in a large department store. It wasn’t so bad, they gave him a list of things to put on the shelf and move for the day and left him to his own devices. He liked the solitude of it. Dae had been a few hours into his work when a sweet voice sang out softly behind him.
“Hello Dae,” The voice lulled melodiously. Dae grunted his discontent.
“How are you today?” It sang. Dae didn’t bother to turn around he knew exactly who it was.
“It’s fine so far Rose,” Dae grumbled.
“You seem to be grumpy. Are you?” Rose asked innocently.
“I am grumpy.” Dae replied.
“Why is that?” The same innocent facade soaked through her speech.
“Because your here rose thats all,” Dae sighed.
“That’s kind of mean you know,” Rose said genuinely hurt.
“Look it’s not that I don’t like you, and want to hurt your feelings it’s just, I don’t like you,” Dae said
“Why is that?” The young girl asked angrily squeaking slightly.
“Do me a favor and look at that clock.”
“Okay,” And she did so. She watched as the second hand glided smoothly over the tiny silver markers.
“Now tell me what time is it?” Dae asked.
“Oh shut up Dae you know I can’t read those stupid things, thats why they invented cellphones. I don’t understand why you don’t catch up to the rest of us in the-” She broke off suddenly, and put her hand to her chin. “What century is it again?” She asked finally.
“Thirty first,” Dae groaned.
“I don’t need to know it, so I don’t,” She retorted.
“Yes because your such an accomplished font of information already,” Dae said his voice rife with sarcasm.
“Like your so much better than me,” Rose snapped. Not angrily, but hints of agitation began to surface.
“Better than I,” Dae said.
“What?” She asked.
“The correct way to say that sentence was that, better than I, not better than me,”Dae sighed heavily.
“Like anyone cares,” Rose said, her voice a cacophony of notes dripping with teenage attitude. Here he was not even twenty, and he already found the teenage social class to be one of the most aggravating on the planet. Dae thought to himself sadly.
“Your so stuffed up your own ego that it’s no wonder you can’t find yourself a girlfriend,” Rose barked, suddenly angry before she stalked away to shuffle the carts around.
“I’d rather be single than to spend my nights in bed with as many scum bags as you do,” Dae shouted after her. That last insult although probably in earnest had met a very sensitive target.
“Screw you Dae,” She shouted over her shoulder with a rude hand gesture waving in the air.
“At least when the world ends I won’t be the first one wiped out,” Dae answered.
Rose rounded the corner, and was lost from sight. Dae sighed with a mixture of satisfaction and disappointment. In actuality Dae really did not mind Rose all that much. Dae spent much of his time making fun of her not only in the hopes of spurring her on to achieve something in life, but also to hide his fondness of her. Dae had a brotherly affection towards her that encroached upon his consciousness every time she entered his company. Rose being four years younger than Dae, to him she was more of a little sister. Although he made fun of her openly, he always looked out for her well being secretly.
Rose was a slim, young woman with slender curves, and a flirtatious acquaintance of life’s grown up pleasures. Standing at about five feet four inches, she was often seen standing at the cash registers bagging groceries. With black hair, and thick black make up encircling her eyes she was a poster child of teenage angst and gothic rebellion against “the system”. Everything about her screamed anger, right down to the death metal band symbol plastered on her t-shirt. Yet in spite of all of this she was a cheerful, even bubbly young woman. Dae often wondered why he felt so protective over her, after all they never spent time together outside of work. He let it slide though, and returned to his work.


That night Dae locked up the shop, and set the alarms. He set off down the back alley of the shop. He failed to see the shadow twist silently as he passed the only UV lamp post within several yards. He didn’t hear the sigh in the breeze that ruffled his hair. He did, however, feel the hair stand up on the back of his neck as the cold fingers of death slid towards his throat. Dae turned sharply letting his fist fly loose. He yelped in pain as his knuckles smashed hard into the stone wall. Almost immediately he was pinned against the wall, his heels kicking pathetically against the stone. He grappled with the iron like grip as it slowly crushed the life out of his lungs. He stared down the pale arm to see a pair of beautiful, feral eyes. He knew those eyes, he knew them well, and had missed them even more.
“Evina?” Dae croaked. The hand that had held him aloft let him down softly.
Still holding him by the throat. Her pitch black hair fell in a curtain over her right eye. That same sweet smile that Dae remembered so well, and missed so much still flitted on her lips ever so lightly. Much like the ghost Dae half expected she was.
“You, remembered me? That means so much,” Her voice lilted from the shadows. It sounded like music to Dae and he suddenly felt all the fear leave him. He felt docile, and slightly foggy headed. A dumb little smile broke over Dae as she let him down, he released a sigh. He could breath now that she had released him, it didn’t even bother him that she still had him pressed against the wall. What mattered was that she was alright, and that she was with him.
“How? You disappeared more than a year ago. They all said that you were dead. Where did you go? Why did you leave us all behind Evina?” Dae asked each question on the heels of one before it.
“Later I just need a hug. Its been so long since I got to see you,” Evina whispered. The sorrow in her voice made his heart weep. Her pain swept him, and stabbed deep into his soul. He wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms forever, and never let anything hurt her again.
She leaned in close as Dae opened his arms. Her breath floated into his face gently. The smell of roses after a spring rain. However Dae could smell something. Small at first, very faint, but pungent at the same time. It was fetid, and rancid. The more Dae thought on it the more Dae noticed the smell of her breath. Suddenly it hit him. Lighting bolted through him as the revelation took hold. The scent that stabbed his glands was blood, rotting blood, from countless victims. Dae stared into Evina’s eyes and white agony ripped through him. Screams without bodies exploded through his mind. They tore through him making his very core shriek in torture. Blood began to drip from his ears as he could do nothing but listen to the death cries of a numberless mass of souls. Flashes of death raced across the screen of his mind. They bombarded his consciousness until he screamed long, and loud. The pain of slaughtered victims was flowing through him shredding his sanity to nothing.
“What is this! What have you done!” Dae screamed as he shoved her hard into the lamp. He screamed with renewed vigor as he fell to his knees hugging his arms to his body. His arms were aflame with murderous pain when he touched her.
Evina screamed in agony as she tumbled out of the light, and back into the cool shadows. The pain subsided, and Dae stood up. He pulled out his box cutter waiting for Evina to return.
“What was that? Who are you really?” Dae shouted shakily.
“I’m still Evina, but in a few minutes I am going to be your new god,” She giggled.
Dae saw the teeth before he saw anything else. He watched them grow large and vicious. Each one becoming a dagger. Suddenly as she swept out from the blackness of that moonless night, Dae knew what was going on. All of the stories he had heard as a child, the research and information he poured over as a child locked away in his room so as not to get caught with the restricted texts. It all came into focus. Dae knew that he was going to die, and that he was going to die soon.
“Noooo!” Dae screamed and slashed wildly at the night. A deep and bloodless gash drew itself across Evina’s throat as she giggled. Which carried a slight whistling tune too it as air escaped the gash.
“You see how desperate my situation is,” She said softly. The wound knit itself shut, and she advanced on him. Suddenly everything fell into place. Like the tumblers of a safe slamming home in Dae’s mind Unleashing a torrent of pure terror from his soul. All the stories he had listened to in class. The lessons and autopsy reports from centuries passed. He knew what she was, and he knew that his time as a living creature was about to end. The cold hand of death gripped his heart, and his breathing became sporadic.
“You’ll be alright, I won’t let anyone hurt you anymore,” Evina whispered like a mother to her frightened child. Her soft full lips parting to reveal the destruction of Dae’s soul.
“These things are their bane. These sacred tools will purge the darkness out of the night. If ever you should find yourself at the hands of these creatures, you must end them or yourself, lest you become someone else’s demon. If there is still any left God help us all,” The ancient voice of Dae’s professor tolled in his mind. All the theories he had poured over as a small child. What had he thought he was preparing for? He never actually expected to come face to face with this. His mind raced. Am I seriously going to die? What else is there for me?
“No” A voice deep inside said to him. What?
“No, I am not going to die,” It repeated.
“We’re, I’m, stronger than this,” Dae answered to the voice inside.
“Yes, I am,” The voice deep inside comforted.


“I refuse to die,” Dae whispered.
“What was that?” Evina asked as her lips hovered from the base of his neck.
“I won’t die Evina, not for you and not for anyone,” Dae repeated stronger now. His voice was like gravel being ground under hard leather boots.
“But, I need you, I need to feed so bad. I’ve always wanted to be yours Dae. Now you can be mine, and we can be together forever now,” Evina whimpered.
“Show me your tears Evina,” Dae said coldly.
“I can’t,” She whispered collapsing into his arms. He wrapped a hand around her, and held her close.
“Devils can’t cry,” Dae croaked as tears welled into his own eyes. Evina’s body jerked back.
“Devils don’t need to cry. We take and glut ourselves on the souls of those foolish enough to be trapped by love and guilt,” She shrieked as she pulled herself from the arms of Dae.
“Fools like you will never be anything more than sheep awaiting the slaughter of your new gods,” She raged as she readied to strike. Dae was first. He plunged the tiny blade into the throat of this demon before him. With a fierce explosion of strength he wrenched the blade across the jugular and the aortas.
“You really are pathetic,” Evina wheezed. Without warning Dae plunged his fingers into the wound before it could seal itself. He quickly worked his fingers deep into the tissue, feeling the flesh as he dug deeper into her throat. Dae dropped the box cutter. He risked everything for this one chance, if he failed it was over, but he had to be willing to go all the way or it would never succeed. He struck her throat with his other hand on top of his left. Dae worked his fingers upwards into her throat until he had a good grip. His fingers clamped down inside of her, and he began his grisly task. With adrenaline spawned strength and a cold resolve began to rend Evina’s head from her body. Evina tried to scream, and at first she howled in agony, but soon all that could be heard was the whistling of air escaping her lungs. Dae grit his teeth as the cold flesh slipped and popped through his fingers. He clawed at veins and arteries as he continued to tear her skull apart from her spine. Evina’s arms flailed violently, but without any strength behind them. Dae circled to her right still holding his death grip on her. Evina’s legs seemed to lose their strength as Dae wrestled her to the ground as she continued to spasm violently. Evina’s head rest in Dae’s lap as her body kicked and bounced silently. Her arms wrapping weakly around Dae’s tight muscles firing strength into his fingers as he dug ever deeper into her throat. Tears streamed down his face as he worked steadily. The dead flesh squeezed under his fingers slick with the oils of another being, choking out tiny droplets of blood that stained his fingers and collected under his nails with the shreds of flesh. Something glinted in the off cast light of the lamp. It shown bright white in her. Dae reached in, and wrapped his fingers around it. The base of her spine felt hard in his palm. Yet it was thick and strong. She began to fight more violently as she realized what he held in his hands.
“Sleep now Evina. It’s time to go to sleep,” He choked as he wrenched his fist out of her, still clutching her spine. Her body stopped suddenly. It was like watching a giant marionette as the puppet master drops the strings.
Dae set about sundering the rest of her neck in silent agony as her limp body lay there in his lap. Finally it was over and her head rolled into his lap. Dae leaned over and retched violently two or three times still clutching the severed head by its hair.
“Dae,” A voice whispered. Dae looked down at the head in his lap and nearly passed out as the head stared back at him.
“Dae, you have to make a choice,” It whispered weakly.
“I’ve gone insane. This can’t be happening. There is no way your talking you have no air to talk with. No your dead, finally your dead. Don’t do this too me, please just stay dead,” Dae cried.
“Dae I am dead. That is all you need to know. Now you have to make a choice. In my hand there is blood. My blood. My life blood. If you drink it you will be taking me into yourself, and I will be apart of you forever. You will become stronger. You will be immortal. Dae I came to you because In my mortality you were the only one who cared for me,” She spoke softly her voice like a sigh of wind.
Dae looked at the frail hand that lay beside him and pumping slowly out of her wrist was crimson trails. In her palm lay a tiny ruby pool.
“I had wanted to be with you forever, but I knew you could never be mine. I swear you would have been my closest pet. I would have cared for you,” She confessed,
“Evina, you and I both know those are false promises,” Dae said sadly.
“The blood will make you stronger than you ever imagined. It will make you a being beyond godhood. This blood will make you a lord. This blood will bring you power, respect, riches, you will be feared for centuries,” She whispered.
“Your not making sense Evina,” Dae said coldly.
“The blood is a gift, with it you can achieve any thing you wish. You can overcome any enemy. Either take it or don’t the choice is yours,” With that the whispering head fell silent. Dae hoped forever.
Dae stared into the palm one more time apprehensively. He knew what had to be done. Dae placed the head on the chest of the corpse and jogged back to the store. He unlocked the door and turned off the alarm. Inside he ransacked the camping section for its logs and coal, anything Dae could find that would burn. He also grabbed a small vial from the glassware’s department. It was crystal, very sturdy. It boasted that it was next to impossible to break. If the mood had been anything lighter he might have scoffed at the price they were asking. He made several more stops on his way out with a shopping cart full of flammables. He stopped by the phone on his way out the door, and picked it up to call the police.
“Of course the line is dead. If everything turned out the way she wanted this would have been a campy horror scene,” Dae grumbled as he threw the phone over his shoulder. He grabbed a baseball bat quickly and walked out with his ‘discounted’ items. He calmly re-armed the alarms and locked the door. He stared at the building quietly before walking away into the shadows. An hour later a blaze of arcane flame reached to the heavens, the only signal to the funeral pyre that had been erected by Dae. Dae walked back to the shop the sturdy baseball bat held firmly in his hand. In the other he held the small vial filled to the brim with deep crimson blood. The fire alone wouldn’t be enough to attract attention, so Dae walked to the front of the store, breathed a sigh of despair, and set about smashing all the windows and ransacking the displays. The alarms sounded, and Dae walked back to the alley, he sat next to the fierce blaze, and waited. Within minutes the police had shown up, and soon after the fire officials. The flames were put out, Dae was handcuffed, and the body was taken away almost as fast as Dae was.