The Demons Mark

Seeing Shadows- The Figure in Black

"Morning everyone" I yawned as I entered the kitchen on Saturday morning. George sat at the kitchen table reading his newspaper and Irina was cooking in her pink frilly apron and her elegant clothes of purple blouse and black pencil skirt. Irina always put together perfectly without a hair out of place.

"Morning Dear, English breakfast?" Irina asked.

"Mmm, ohh go on then but I need to hurray as I'm meeting Maggie this morning in town". I replied.

George said "Morning Kid, good sleep?" I just nodded to him and smiled. Celeb and Sarah said similar things. Today I hoped would be good but in my life nothing good comes without the bad soon following. But I can dream, can't I?

"So sweetie why are you meeting your social worker today?" Irina asked curiously with her creepy smile plastered to her face.

I gave her a weird look, wondering why she was asking. "I'm meeting Maggie today for our two month one-one lunch, why Irina?". I'm wondering what her angle is.

"Oh, Hayden dearie, I was just thinking that maybe after your little one on one chat with Ms. Carter, you, Sarah and I could go shopping? How does that sound sweetie?" Once again she gives me her creepy over cheery smile.

"No!" Sarah and I yelled at the same time. Not that I don't mind shopping in small amounts with anyone else but with Irina it was down right torture and obviously Sarah thought so to.

"Girls! Indoor voices please!" George told us with a pointed look. We apologised to both of them while Celeb silently laughed. I finished my breakfast, grabbed my black leather jacket, phone and keys. Shouted bye and was out the door in five minutes flat. Once the door was closed, I breathed a sigh of relief. Sometimes I think Irina has another agenda.

"Of course she does Hayden, who doesn't on this dreadful planet", a voice said. I jamp and turned with my hand to my heart. Oh it's just IT.

I gave IT a dirty look, "You are not real, go away!" and started down the path then down the street heading for the bus stop.

As I was walking IT appeared beside me, "Let's play a game!" he seemed excited in a creepy sort of way.

I gave IT a disgusted look, "Let's not!" which he replied with a frown and disappeared when the bus turned the corner. As I was getting on the bus I thought I saw a figure in black standing in the middle of the street, but when I looked again when I was on the bus, nobody was there. Strange.

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I miss Maggie's hugs. They reminded me of my mother. We met at a pizza restaurant, since Maggie's favourite was pizza we ate there.

"So how you really doing kiddo?", Maggie asked in the only way she could, with concern.

I gave her a sad smile which I'm sure showed how broken I really am and replied with, "I'm sure Irina is crazy but I'm not too bad". I didn't hear her reply as I saw the figure in black standing across the street through the window. I must have been so engrossed watching him that I didn't see our food being delivered or Maggie calling my name.

"Hayden! Are you okay?" Maggie actually snapped at me with concern, if that's a thing.

"Hmm...", I mumbled lazily as my eyes snapped to her quickly, "Do you see that man over there?" I asked her pointing but as I looked back no one was there.

"Kiddo I think your need you eyes examined again, no one is there, are you Ill?" Maggie frets. Ohh here we go.

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I had just disembarked off the bus a street away from the Uley's home and started my walk there. It had turned dark, but it didn't bother me, I preferred night, it was just something intimate with the blackness and quiet when I saw a shadow in the street light behind me. At first I thought it was another person on the path but I heard no one. I stopped and looked behind me. There was no one there. I shook my head. Great, now I'm making more stuff up. In the next street light, the shadow was there again. I stopped in the light and turned to face whoever it was. But nobody was there but the shadow still was. Now I was frightened and I don't frighten easily. So I ran, up the rest if the street my combat boots slamming as they hit the ground, up the path to the house and I struggled to get the door to open with key. Once in I slammed the door behind me with a bang.

"Don't slam the door!", George shouted out from up stairs. I shouted my apologies and locked the door with numb scared fingers. I breathed out a panicked breath and slouched against the door. What the hell was that?