The Demon's Game

"Do you have to go?" I ask in my five-year-old voice, tugging at Mommy's pant leg. Nine-year-old Anabelle and seven-year-old Xavier nod their heads in agreement. We give our parents our best puppy dog eyes. "Grandma's no fun when it's dark" Anabelle complains, motioning to Grandma, whose eyes are already rolling into the back of her head. "Plus, it's scary at night! Don't leave us alone!" Xavier chimes in.

Mommy smiles and bends down, giving each of us a kiss on our foreheads. "Don't worry, I promise you'll be safe and sound. Grandma won't let anything happen to you. Now, be good, and we'll be home before you know it" Mommy promises. She straightens as Daddy pulls us in for a big bear hug. "I'll see you, little guys, later, alright?" We all nod sadly as he too stands up. He and Mommy open the door and walk out.

I give them one more sad look and mouth 'come back soon' before the door swings shut. We don't even have to look to know Grandma is asleep when we hear her snoring away behind us. Anabelle sighs in disappointment and leads Xavier and I passed our sleeping Grandma and into the children's playroom.

It was filled with small chairs, a couch, and bookshelves. The floor, littered with random toys and books. Immediately, I run and jump onto the couch, giggling. "What are we gonna do?" I huff, already bored. Anabelle laughs and sits down next to me. "What about a game, Ryder?" she suggests.

 I jump up on the couch, "Yay! Yay! A game! A game! What game are we gonna play?" I ask excitedly. "What about, Hide and Seek?" A familiar voice says. I turn to it and smile at Raven. Raven is my best friend in the entire world and we've been friends for a long time. He rarely leaves my side, which is a bit strange at times. I don't know anything about his personal life either. Plus, Anabelle and Xavier act like they don't even see him. Either way, he's still my best friend. "Yeah! Let's play Hide and Seek!" I yell giddily at my sister.

Anabelle looks at me, confused, then gives an uncertain smile. "Alright, Hide and Seek it is. Who's going to be the seeker?" she asks. "I will. I love to be the seeker" Raven offers. I smile and nod. "Yes! Now we'll hide!" I state. He begins to count down from twenty and we scatter. Anabelle runs back to the living room where the front door is and Xavier runs upstairs. Whenever I follow them, they always get mad so instead, I run into the kitchen. I sit in between the cabinets and the refrigerator where only my small body can fit. I can still hear Raven counting. 

"9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1!" Just as he gets to one, an inhuman scream ripples through the air. At the same time, thunder booms, lightning flashes, and the lights blink off, one, by one.

The hair on my arms stand on end and a cold, unsettling chill runs down my spine. I curl myself into an even tighter, smaller ball and huddle impossibly closer to the wall. "Ready or not, here I come" I hear Raven say as he lets out a malicious laugh. I give into a soft whimper. Something's wrong. Raven isn't scary like this. He's usually like another sibling.

Just then, I hear footsteps thud into the kitchen. My breath hitches as they move past my hiding spot. I catch a glimpse of Raven, but he's barely visible behind the black mist that has infiltrated the room.

He moves out of my view and I hear the door creak open eerily and slam shut. I let my head drop and heave a sigh of relief, but the relief is short-lived. A moment later, I hear a shriek come from the backyard, and it belongs to Anabelle.

I pick my head up and slide out of my hiding spot quickly. After uncurling myself from my ball, I stand up. I rush outside, not knowing what to expect. Stopping when I find the source of her scream. The mist had surrounded the backyard also. I see Anabelle, tangled and wound up in the hammock. It's gradually tightening, leaving her no room to move or breathe. I try to run over to her but the mist keeps me at bay, stinging me every time I attempt to move closer.

"Anabelle!" I scream, but it's no use. She's already passed out. All I can do is stand, and watch. Her face turns blue, then purple, then pale white. The mist separates, allowing me access to her. I run to where the hammock is unwinding. I get there and shake her. She is cold as ice. Tears fall from my eyes when I realize she isn't going to wake up. But instead of mourning over her, my thoughts immediately go to Xavier.

I give Anabelle one last hug before rushing back inside. As the door closes, the black mist envelopes me completely, leaving my vision limited. I cautiously make my way upstairs, stumbling around the hallways. I listen for any movement at all. I hear a door open next to me. Someone grabs my arm and I'm pulled into a room before I even have time to scream. An arm wraps around my waist and a hand clamps over my mouth. I tilt my head up slowly and stare into the same green eyes I have.

 "Xavier" I breathe out from behind his hand. He smiles at me and removes it from my mouth. "Anabelle is... Dead" I say blandly. The smile disappears from his face and it becomes pale as a ghost, although not as pale as Anabelle. I shudder at the thought. A few seconds later, we hear footsteps right outside the door. Xavier's eyes widen and he throws me into a pile of clothes, moving some on top of me so that I'm completely hidden. But that leaves him with nowhere to hide in the sparse room.

The door flings open and the mist follows, showering the room with an eerie chill. Raven walks in and immediately spots Xavier. He glances in the direction of my hiding spot but then returns his attention to Xavier. He walks towards him and with one swift motion, Raven grabs Xavier by the throat and begins to tear his left arm away from the rest of his body.

His screams reverberate throughout the room. Gradually, Raven rips his body apart, limb by limb. Until it was only his head and torso. He hadn't yet died but he's on the verge of it. Raven lets his hand drop to his side. Then, with his other hand, he snaps Xavier's neck, killing him instantly. He drops Xavier into the pile of limbs. Instead of leaving, Raven stays in his spot. I hold my breath when his head turns and his black eyes stare straight at me.

They're like a void, I can't look away. 

"I already found your siblings. I'll give you one more chance. You saw what happened to them, can you hide any better?" His voice resounds in my mind. Quickly, I jump up from the pile of clothes and race out. I run down the stairs, through the living room, playroom, and into the kitchen. I look around wildly for any possibly hiding places. I can still hear Raven counting upstairs and he's already at five.

With little time left, I throw open a cabinet and step in. I close it silently just as he gets to one. Unlike before, nothing disturbing happens. I look around the surprisingly large cabinet, It's much more open than you'd think. I pull my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around them in a protective manner. Every second feels like a minute, and for every minute, an hour.

I hear footsteps every now and then. They come close, so close. For a moment, I think I'm caught. But then they retreat to my relief. It goes on like this for several hours. Where are my parents? Shouldn't they be home by now? How has Grandma not woken up yet? Tears sting my eyes and threaten to fall. I give into it and they fall freely. I think back to Anabelle's death, then Xavier's. Why would Raven do this?

"That's a good question. Maybe you'll find the answer someday." His voice comes from right behind me. My breathing involuntarily stops and my eyes widen when I feel hot breath on my neck. A single tear runs down my cheek.

"I... Found... You"

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If you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading my story! I've work so hard on it. I hope you enjoy!

Bye-Bye My Lovely Bookworms!