The Ancient (Horror story Smackdown round two)

(I used pics 4, 5, 6, and 8.)

She walked as the eery moon dimly lit the cobblestone streets. She knew she shouldn't have waited so long to head home, she shouldn't have met Trevor. Her father had already forbidden her from meeting the boy but she did it anyway, now it seemed as though karma was headed her way. Usually she never minded walking these streets alone, even in the dark. However, children in the area had gone missing recently. The small and ineffective police force had made absolutely no progress and the townsfolk had already decided to take matters into their own hands. All the men in the town took turns staying up all night and prowling the town. Even with all this happening, Susan had still felt safe walking the streets. Tonight, however, she had an overwhelming feeling of dread. As though something awful was about to take place. The dark, empty shops that usually put her mind to ease now appeared to be looming omens of approaching trouble. The town almost seemed dead in the darkness and emptiness. Hearing her own footsteps were making her even more paranoid, she kept expecting to hear a man's heavy and quick pace trailing her. An assailant's feet tap, tap, tapping on the stones behind her. She wished her older brother was home to escort her through the town the way he used to. Instead, David had joined a group of other men aiding the Southern States in the war across the ocean. All she knew about it was that the United States was apparently fighting itself and her brother had decided to aid the Southern part of it by sneaking them supplies. She missed the comfort and happiness her older brother had given her. Immediately she regretted thinking about him as feelings of sadness, loneliness, and more fear consumed her. Her prayers that her parents would be asleep when she returned home twisted into prayers that she would make it home safely instead. This small, isolated English town that had always given her comfort and calmness now had her paranoid. Thinking of all the older men in the town that she trusted for safety her mind immediately turned to her father, her father that her brother took after so much. She knew he'd always keep her safe at all costs, she also knew she was going to be severely punished for having met the young Irishman her father didn't seem to trust. Regardless, she would far rather face her father's wrath than some maniac's lust and or rage. With this in thought, she quickened her pace. Somewhere near her she heard a giggle, a child's giggle. She halted and looked around. Just beyond the dim lighting of the street she could see the outline of a little girl.

"Hello?" she asked toward the outline. The response was merely another giggle. She felt ice cold fear shiver its way up her spine at the giggle which somehow, seemed far from heartwarming.

"Little girl? You shouldn't be out here. Come along, I'll take you to your home." said Susan, willing to accept more thrashings from her father for being later than she already would as long as she got this child to its home safely. What could this girl be doing out here? She must know it's not safe. She had to have sneaked out once her parents were asleep, why? It made no sense and gave Susan a bad feeling in her gut, a feeling of mistrust.

"What's your name?" asked the little girl's high pitched voice, the question was innocent enough but sent even more feelings of fear through Susan. She answered the child regardless, she had to earn the girl's trust if she was to escort her home without drawing attention to each other.

"My name is Susan, what's yours?" asked Susan, approaching the girl. The little girl let Susan get within three yards of her then backed away, keeping that short distance between them. Susan began to become frustrated along with her feelings of mistrust and fear as the child stayed out of arm's reach. She forced her annoyance away, knowing the child must just be wary of strangers due to the recent disappearances. Glancing to the side as she nearly tripped over a loose stone, she saw a faint candle lit in Joseph Wheelwright's book shop. Figuring that must mean he was the one out on watch, she slightly hoped he came across them relatively soon.