9 Minutes to Midnight

“Help me,” the child cried, his matted hair sodden from the rain as he ran for his life. “Somebody. Anybody.” Despite his desperation, his voice faltered.

Sweat traced the lines of his sharp cheekbones, dripping from his eyelashes as he panted heavily. Frantically glancing back over his shoulder, he hoped to catch a glimpse of the figure pursuing him. Stalking him. Hunting him!

The figure tracked his every movement, flitting through the shadowed night, evading the flickering street lamps overhead. No matter how fast the child ran, he could feel the figure closing in.

On his third glance back, he tumbled and fell. Scrambling to his feet, he knew his life depended on it. Blood trickled from his grazed palms and ashen trousers. The soles of his feet became damp, lined with dirt and debris. Each new object he stumbled over tore fresh holes in his worn socks. Suddenly, his frantic run came to an abrupt halt.

“No, no, no.”

The boy had hit a crossroads, trapped at the end of a narrow street with no alternative route.

His exasperated gasps began to suffocate him, choking any last semblance of hope. Fragments shattered like crystal dust from the spotlight above, the flickers of light dwindling into a murmur.

He had no choice! The boy frantically threw off his backpack and began rifling through it. Objects slipped from his sweaty palms onto the wet gravel, until a sharp slice tore at his fingers.

“Ugh…” he cried through a stifled shriek.

Within a breath's distance, an avalanche of buzzing sounds swarmed from the mysterious figure, splintering the night air.

The boy collapsed with fear as lightning crashed overhead, his fingers firmly grasping the object inside his bag.

The figure drew nearer.

Terrified, the boy crawled back, seeking refuge in a shallow puddle.

A nauseous exhale shifted into looming dread as the boy’s gaze fell amidst the shadows.

“Stay away!” screamed the boy, tears welling in his eyes, gripping the object tightly—his only hope. Yet, the figure continued to approach. Stifled air suffocated the boy, who froze in place, the object trembling in his hand.

“Back…please…” he pleaded, his words faltering with every breath.

Slowly, the figure unveiled an object of its own, showcasing a luminescent fragment amidst the darkness. The figure grimaced, widening its jaw to reveal a grand set of teeth. An eerie melody chimed as the figure grazed the fragment against each gangling tooth, a shattering screech cranking as the object danced with the symphony. Its mouth grew wider with each skip it made towards the boy, hopping and grimacing, unleashing a primal exhale upon inhaling the metallic tinge of the boy’s blood.

The thundering cracks of lightning whipped overhead. Gusts of coarse wind hurled the gloom away, drawing the malevolent shadows back into the light. The spotlight overhead fluttered and jolted back to life, illuminating the dreary street once more. However, when the shadows scuttled into the darkness, all that remained was a delicate keychain, speckled with blood.