The Sparrow Flies North for the Summer (Valduggery)

Safe

Something's wrong. You're not alone.

"Hello?" She asked, instantly feeling stupid; she had locked the car doors, no one would be able to get in.

She sighed impatiently. Where was Skulduggery? He should be back by now!

She felt a draught on the back of her neck and shivered, hugging herself to stay warm.

Had he run into trouble? Seriously, how long did it take to buy some petrol? And if it turned out there wasn't a shop, he'd have come back to her. They'd have figured something out.

But no. Here she was, stuck in the middle of nowhere, not able to sleep or read or go on her phone or do anything and that goddam draught and the goddam silence and-

She froze, her body going rigid, her eyes widening.

A draught.
A cold breeze.
From outside.

You'd closed the doors and windows.

Gasping slightly, she turned her head, and looked to the driver's door.

The open drivers door.

She sat there, stock still. Barely breathing. Waiting for whatever was hiding in the dark to pounce.

With a shaking hand, she leaned over and searched for something useful; a torch or a knife. But to no avail.

Quivering all over now, she sat back in her seat, taking deep breathes and not daring to close her eyes. Someone was with her. Something was with her.

Movement from the corner of her eye drew her attention away from not passing out. She looked out over the field.

It was the field with the low wall, the one opposite the moon. The breeze that had chilled her was blowing the grass slightly. The only thing that wasn't moving was the stone wall.

But then, it moved.

As she watched, something came up over the wall. It was long, thin, and a ghostly white, the paleness exaggerating by the full moon. It began to tense, and soon another one came up over the wall.

They were arms.
Pulling something up.

The arms heaved and strained, and eventually, a round head appeared. It was not unlike her own, only it was no way human; it's cheeks were hollowed out completely, it had no nose, and instead of eyes, it had two large, gaping holes of the deepest black. Around it's thin lips were cracks of red, and the mouth was naturally straight.

She watched from her car, now not breathing at all, as it hauled the rest of it's body over the wall, such a distance away that no noise could be heard from it.

It fell over the wall and then stood, a beacon in the night.

It's body was irregular, with a long neck, narrow, hunched shoulders, a pot belly and short stubby legs. It's arms were out of proportion; they started just under its neck, and trailed by its feet.

It stood in the dark. Alone. Looking around in the distance.

And then. It. Looked. Directly. At. Her.