Casper barked and Vayda jumped. Her sister was running around the tree, chasing a black dog. The summer air was hot and sticky, and she was ready to go home and find popsicles.
“Let’s go, Seven, it’s too hot,” she said.
“No!” screamed the small blonde girl. She was red in the cheeks from running. She sat on the ground in protest, the little black dog lying beside her, panting.
Vayda glared but said, “I’ll give you the last cherry popsicle.”
A bribe worth taking, but Seven shook her head and fell back on the ground, spreading her arms out in the grass. They had been out there for hours now, arriving right after breakfast and eating apples from the orchard trees.
An older gentleman stepped onto the trail behind the girls. “Well, well, well. I knew I would find you two out here. It’s too hot to be out without sunblock.”
“Please leave us alone,” Vayda said.
“I mean you no harm,” he replied.
Seven chirped in, “What do you want?”
“No, we don’t want to know. Please leave us alone,” Vayda interrupted.
“Now, now, let’s talk, children. I just want to have some fun, play some games. I mean you no harm.” His eyes gleamed with schemes and lies.
The girls held onto each other, Casper standing in front of them. A good boy.
“We’re leaving.”
“But, Vayda.” The older girl shushed her sister with a look and started to walk away backwards, keeping her eyes on the man.
He stood at six-feet-seven hunched over, a hump on his back. His eyes were dark like the night sky, but something darker lay within them. The girls had heard of him—the one of the night, the seeker of stars and dark magic. An ancient one called Nightus. He steals your dreams and weaves them into his cloak, leaving nightmares in his wake.
“Come with me, child, we will play some games.”
The girls broke out into a run, the dog following behind. They just needed to get to the porch. Back home. To Nana.
“Come back here! Why won’t you come back here?” The creature was getting closer and closer, his breath loud and tormenting behind them. Thump. Thump. Thump. The porch was still yards away.
He jumped in front of them. “To the land of night and danger we go, children.”
And they vanished.
