Elisa suddenly sat on a rock in the middle of the leafy green woods, unable to remember the way she came in. It was starting to get darker and she was too far away from Sasha's house to even try to turn back now. "Why didn't I take something to find my way back with?" She sighed, exhausted at walking around the natural maze. Faster than she could realize there was movement across the way in a grouping of trees slightly closer together. Lightly panicking she slowly got up off the rock, backing away before tripping on a branch and falling to the ground. Elisa started noticing a thick fog roll in and was getting closer to her as if it had a mind of it's own. Crawling backwards frantically, she observed a tall, pale figure near the tight grouping of trees. "Where did he come from? I've been watching that area the whole time!" Her mind raced frantically and she felt a wave of terror as the seemingly faceless creature turned to stare her down. Swallowing hard she made one fast move to get up and run away but as she ran she noticed the fog catching up with her and the trees started all looking the same. Making turns here and there Elisa looked like a scared quarterback zigzagging through the never ending grouping of trees. Right as she was about to give in she saw the trees end and the field where she travels across to her house. Rejoicing she pumped her legs faster, hoping to reach the field before the creature reached her. Then faster than she realized her leg was caught in a searing pain, fearing the worse she debated whether to look back, crawling as fast as her young bones would allow. Needing to assess the damage she looked back, hearing no pursuit of her now, and saw her tibia bone poking out of her skin. Feeling sick to her stomach she looked around to see where the faceless man had gone. Feeling relief at not seeing him she hoisted herself up the best she can and started hobbling home. Looking across the forest once more she spotted the man from afar. Panicking extremely, she looked down at her leg, in an instant the man was less than a foot from her. She tried to scream but nothing came out, then the darkness consumed her. Silently.

The place was tacky like only the seventies could do. A building set on a concrete slab that tried to make up for it with copious amounts of wrap-around neon. The sign was supposed to say Flamingo’s, but the O was missing, so now the diner seemed to either be an offensively named gay bar or a giant advertisement for arson.

Paul Jordeen stared at the scenery for a while. His fingers felt arthritic; he’d kept them wrapped around the handle of his briefcase so tightly that his knuckles ached. Looking down, he could see his hand was practically white beneath the sleeve of his pricey suede overcoat. Well, whiter than usual. He’d never been one for tanning in the first place.

“Relax,” he muttered to himself. His feet moved him forward even though the rest of him preferred to stay back. “Close the business deal and you’re a free man. A very RICH man, at that. You’re set for life.”

When he pushed the door open a bell rang. It wasn’t pleasant. It made him think about those obnoxious brass things people sat on top of counters to annoy workers at a grocery store. The sort that mothers let their toddlers beat at until a haggard delicatessen stepped forward before he completely lost his mind.

The waitress/hostess/probably tripling as the cook darted out of the kitchen. She matched her diner perfectly. In effort to draw attention away from her wrinkles, she’d piled her false blonde locks high on her head. Her lips were garishly red, her eyelashes fake, and her dress just short enough to boast her cellulite. A wave of revulsion swept through him as she said brightly,

“Hey there hot stuff! Don’t usually get people in this close to closin’ time around these parts, but I don’t mind! Betty’ll serve you right up, if you’ll just follow me!”

She sashayed away. She had the hip sway down but what once held up nicely had given way to sagging, and the outfit was just tight enough that he could tell. Grimacing, Paul was grateful when he was seated and had a menu that gave him an excuse to look elsewhere.

“You just call Betty over when you’re ready, will you? And take your time, honey. I don’t mind waiting!”

She winked. He smiled painfully and contemplated whether the chicken fried steak would kill him or not.

Minutes ticked by. She wandered by once or twice, took a drink order. He ignored the way she leaned suggestively over the table when she delivered the coke. He would have crossed himself if he’d lost his last sense of social decorum. When she disappeared into the back room, he looked longingly towards the door. If he didn’t show up within the next fifteen, he’d pay the tab and call it quits. Save his arteries the trouble.

Speak of the devil.

Thomas Grayson entered with more dignity than Paul had. When the bell jangled and Betty shouted from the kitchen that she’d be there in a minute, he only looked mildly annoyed. Thomas himself had chosen a classier era to mimic. A grey tailored suit, shining leather loafers, and a fedora. The fedora, Paul thought, was a bit much, but he had to admit the guy managed to pull it off.

Tom sat casually across from him in the booth. His eyes slid over the table, rested on the briefcase perched there, and hooked. His tongue flicked out and licked over his lips.

“I see you seem to be upholding your end of the bargain.”

Paul shrugged, nonchalant. “You granted what you promised. I admit I was skeptical at first. But all the cards fell into the right places, and there’s only one way it could have happened. I’m a man of my word.”

Thomas’s lips twitched. He had a 5 o’clock shadow going on, and this close up it made his whole ensemble look askew. It was haggard where everything else was pressed and ironed, complete with a set of bloodshot eyes that hovered shrew-like behind wiry spectacles. “And that’s very wise of you. But just to be clear, you’re satisfied with the…merchandise? You’re willing to fulfill our agreement?”

“What I’m trading for it has never been particularly useful to me anyway. I see no reason to back out now.”

He chuckled. The lips worked again, moving over his teeth as though struggling to hold something inside. “Wise of you. You’re absolutely right, though. You really don’t need it. To be frank, you’re getting the better end of this bargain.” The eyes, hungry eyes, drifted back over to the briefcase, and instinctively Paul placed his hand over it. He hadn’t quite signed the contract yet, and Tom looked like he was about to lung across the table. The tension was thick enough to slice.

“Coffee boys?” Betty came out of the blue, pronouncing it caaaaaw-fee. Paul jumped. Thomas didn’t.

“This late? No thank you, madam.” His fingers touched the brim of his hat as he looked up and smiled at her. “I’ll just be having a malt. Chocolate malt. Hold on the whipped cream, it’s a little too sweet for me.”

Betty batted her faux-lashes and turned them back over to Paul. “And you, sweetie? You look a bit on the thin side. How about a big juicy steak for you, eh?”

Barely managing to hold back a smart remark about the sirloin being the priciest thing on the menu, Paul plastered on a smile of his own. “Yes. Steak please. Thank you. And you can put Mr. Grayson’s bill in with mine, I’ll be paying for him tonight.”

“You got it, gentlemen. I’ll have those orders out in a jiffy!” She vanished again in a cloud of cheap perfume. That was new. She was getting bolder.

“So,” Tom said. His voice commanded attention and Paul’s veered back to him. “Tell me about your satisfaction with the deal. I want to have your verbal review for future customers.”

“Well, you can tell them I give you ten stars. Or whatever the highest ranking is.” Fingers still hovering over the briefcase, Paul leaned back in the booth seat and smirked. “The very first day I signed our contract, well, the strings I never imagined would be pulled got tugged. I was promoted. The next day, I was promoted again. I can’t say I have many friends who get a twenty dollar raise in one week.”

Thomas waved his hand. “Go on.”

“Girls, man.” Just thinking about it made him giddy. “I mean, look at me. Usually all I get is stock like Betty.” He looked up briefly to make sure she was out of earshot, and then looked back, continuing. “But now, oh, geeze. They just love me. Love me in all the right ways, man. Know what I mean? Money, girls…”

“Anything else?” Beneath the shadow of his hat, Tom’s eyes twinkled gleefully.

“Now I don’t know how you arranged this one. But, man. People respect me. And that, that feels good.” Instinctively, Paul straightened his spine, his chest sticking out just the slightest bit. “They treat me like I always knew I should be treated, and I don’t have to run around groveling and kissing ass to get what’s mine. That’s the best part, you tell them. Whoever your next buyer is.”

Thomas reached casually into his own jacket. He pulled out a sheet of paper and smoothed it over the table, nails ghosting lovingly over the words. “As you recall, our week-long trial run was just a basis for your understanding of what we could do. Nothing on your part has been paid, yet. That changes now, Mr. Jordeen, if you want to keep what you’ve been given. And what you trade in return…that can never be given back. One time guarantee. No returns. Is that clear?”

Paul cleared his throat nervously. He looked at where his name was signed, and then lower, on a bolder and somehow more severe line where it soon would be again. “Very. But everything you’ve agreed to is true? I’ve read all the fine print. I keep living even without it. My life doesn’t change.”

“You keep living. You keep what you’ve been given.” The motion again of his mouth, the working like something was straining behind his lips. “We’re an organization that keeps our word, Mr. Jordeen. It’s how we’ve lasted all these generations. We go way back, you might say.”

“I don’t have to prick my finger or anything do I?” He half-joked. He felt suddenly cold inside, realizing that Tom had managed to reach over and push his hand just a little ways off the briefcase. Now the other man’s palm took up most of the top of it, caressing the leather. His other hand dipped back into his jacket and he offered a pen with a click.

“Don’t be absurd. This is nothing more than a business transaction. Like any. Sign your name and you will be satisfied in full, I can promise you.”

Bemusedly, he realized he was sweating. A trickle tickled its way behind his collar as he stared down at the paper. His hesitation felt like hours, but it was only a few minutes. Money can’t buy happiness? That was a load of bull. He had all he could ever need, and he was offering mere pennies by comparison. Truth was, it’d never done him any good even when he’d had it, anyway. So why not?

Paul signed. Thomas grabbed the briefcase with barely concealed greed and pulled it towards him. The clasps clicked open. For a brief moment, a glow reflected off the lower half of his face as he peered inside, making his eye sockets look so devoid that it was terrifying. Then he snapped it closed and touched the brim of his hat again.

“It’s been a pleasure, Mr. Jordeen.”

He stood, folded the contract, and with Paul’s payment swinging merrily at his side, he was gone.

“Your buddy leave, honey?”

The voice grated. More than it had before. Now it was accompanied by a giant wad of gum. She merrily smacked it around like the cow she was, going to town on cud laden with filthy bacteria. Paul’s breath quickened for a moment before he relaxed, feeling strangely calm as she set the steak down in front of him.

“Afraid so. We finished our business.”

“Oh, men and their work. They just never stop doing it, do they?”

She leaned over again. As if those sagging breasts were something to boast about. The disgust radiated through Paul, and he was puzzled by it yet oddly unafraid. A distant observer recording but not taking any of it in. Fascinated, even.

Betty set the steak knife beside his plate. “So. Who got the better end of the deal this time? You or him?” Her breath was moist against his ear. Unpleasantly hot, like some mutt panting after eating its own shit. This time the wave of unbridled revulsion became anger, was stronger, and he just accepted it, like breathing. There was nothing standing in its way anymore, nothing to stem it. He couldn’t even remember why there should have been, and that was when he understood.

He picked the knife up and twirled it in his fingers. “You know, Betty. I think he did.”

He reached over and slit her throat.

After an hour of falling asleep at the airport lounge, I could feel myself begun to stir in my sleep. My butt were asleep due to sitting on solid chair for long period of time. My back to tall, thick-glassed window. My legs on 3 hard chairs that were attached to chair I slept on. My arms crossed, as to keep tan colored shoulder-strapped laptop bag to my chest. My eyes fluttered open softly, letting my eyes adjusts to brightness of light that shone through the rows of thick-glassed window all around the airport. I rubbed my eyes, straighten up myself as I planted my shoes-covered feet on the ground and arched my back as I stretched. I didn't noticed anything weird going on because I was deaf, but I sure felt it. A 6th sense flaring up, and that tiny voice inside you wails when something is very, very seriously wrong. A wail that send hairs raising chill down your spine and making every inches of your body to be more alert and aware.

Heart began to pounds while my eyes slowly adjusted to the surrounding as I hazily and warily scanned the spacious airport waiting room. As soon as the surrounding became cleared to my vision; to my shock, the busiest airport lounge stood eerily empty and hauntingly quiet. I looked out to the window, and saw that, there were all airplanes lined up in row with their airstrip walks still attached. I pressed my forehead on the coldness of window, and peered out even further. I gasped and grasped my mouth as I jumped up. There were vehicles everywhere, neatly lined up with all of doors hanged open and there were not one body in the sight. Not even a creature that would scurries across the acre of grass, nor a bird that flies overhead in the skies.

I turned around, seeing a desk where flight attendants should be, stood empty nearby me. I went over to empty desk, and frantically searched for something as to why there's nobody around. Papers scattered around on gray colored desk, I rummaged through the papers and found that they all were information on flight. Out of corner of my eye, I spotted a small black Sony notebook laptop to my right. I went over to it, there were some kind of information on flights on the screen. I hit some letters on keypads, nothing happened. I then moved the mouse, even clicked on it and suddenly window popped up.

"Click me" it read.

I stared at it for good few seconds. -THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD- is all I could hear inside my ears and that was the sound of my heart pounding, hard. I nervously drag the mouse to the 'Click Me' tab slowly and clicked on it. Window disappeared and new one appeared, and it read

"Come to Delta 416, @ B14 lane if you want to know where's everybody has gone to."

*What the fudge?* I thought to myself. I looked up from the notebook screen, and spotted a dark shadow skimmed past by the Bagel Bakery far across the airport lounge. I went around the desk, and scanned the room once again. I stepped onto red carpet that laid out all across charcoal grey titles. I began to walk slowly then picked up my pace as I noticed to my right, a shadow lurking beneath rows of solid navy blue chairs with black painted iron legs. I sprang, running in the full speed as serval stores passed by me. Fear rushing throughout my body, sending me on panic rampage. Upon my arrival of Bagel Bakery, I came to screeching halt, and ducked behind the big, and wide square-shaped pole. I peeked out behind the squared pole as I held my breath to see if anyone was following.

For about a minute or two has passed on, and no one came. I let out a long relief of breath as I stayed down, bending; hands on my knees. As soon as I was done with catching my breath, I started to smell some fresh baked bread. It smell so good, watered my mouth and made my stomach growls with hunger. Forgetting about fear for a moment as hunger overtook the fear. I followed the whiff of fresh baked breads as it overtook my body, beckoning me, not noticing anything weird.

*God! That smells so delicious* I signed to myself.

I grabbed the bag and half dozen of blueberry bagels and half dozen of pizza-made bagels from behind the pantry. I shoved one blueberry bagel into my mouth and grabbed large sized cup of foam and went to distilled soda and filled cup with ice and some sodas. I was feeling as if I'm in heaven, not having to buy food. Airport food are so ridiculously expensive.

All that came crumbling down at the moment I turned and saw strangest thing in world. All of mini tables were lined up in row, neatly and all modern wooden chairs were upturned down on top of mini table, neatly. Napkin holders were next to each other in the rows and on the tops of each other, as if they were built as pyramid on the purpose, neatly and orderly.

A pair of weirdly looking eyes peered right back at me from the reflection of napkin holders. A pairs of weirdly eyes that were attached to weirdly looking head. A head that are so misshapen with a eerily toothy smile and it's looking right at me. I screamed as cup smashes into floor, sodas spilling all over the floor as well as bagels. I sprang into full speed, running. Running as fastest as I can. Passing all numbered signs above me. F16, F15, F14, F13, F12, F11. The signs hanged above me flew by me as I ran faster and faster until numbers became a blur. The white wall with blue stripe became a blur as well as I rushes past by. The wall began to moves around and around, faster and faster until it literally spinning around me. A fear that stalked me was no longer a fear but a pure terror. I ran down the escalator but I couldn't keep up with the spinning room, no matter how hard I tried. I ended up tripping over my own footing and stumbled down the escalator. I hit my head few times, hard. I landed on floor, head down. -THUNKS, CRACKS- was the sound I felt from my skull hitting the hard charcoal grey tilted floor. I tried to lift myself up, but felt so weak as my world was getting darker as the light seemed to dim before abyss of blackness came and washed me away.

Couple of hours seemed to be passed on, because as soon as I opened my eyes, it was dark outside already as I can see out of the window from inside the airport. I began to sit up, suddenly room were spinning again and my head throbbed with pain.

*OH! My head!!* I mouthed to myself as I sat up, tried to hold my head as if it would cease the pain.

As if the pain is oblivious to me holding my head, it throbbed even harder. The surrounding around me became distorted. I groaned and pushed myself off the charcoal grey titled floor to sit up, and lift myself up from there. As I brushed dust off myself, the big-leaves artificial plant rustled out of corner of my eyes. I hesitated for a moment before taking any further steps. I then looked out window, noticing it was dark already as I scanned the surrounding; noticing I'm on the ground level floor. I groaned, palmfaced myself. 'Great, I wonder what time it is now?' I thought to myself. I whipped out my iPhone and pressed the home button, expecting the lock screen, but noting happened. I pressed button again, it wouldn't lit up. I pressed several times more before trying the power button. To no avail, it wouldn't turns on. I whipped out a digital watch that I kept in my pocket due to broken wristband. It flashes "4:59 AM". 'What?' I thought weirdly. '4:59 AM? What the fudge?' My inner thought raced. I looked closer to my wristwatch and noticed that tick-tock hand is not moving at all. So that means time has stopped at 4:59 AM. How weird is that?! I looked closer to see where hand of seconds landed at. Yup, sure weirdly enough, it landed at 59th second. I was lost in traces of my thoughts when big-leaves artificial plant rustled once again. That caught my attention. I inched closer to it, reached out to the big-leaves artificial plant. I screamed as I spun and ran meanwhile a boy about my age jumped out from behind the plant, screaming and waving at me.

I ran and I ran and I ran as hard as I could. Heart pounding between my ears and throughout my body. Shoes pounding against the charcoal grey titled floor. Terror pierced my heart as my eyes were filled with tears, blurred my vision. I kept on running till I got to dead-ends. A giant white wall with blue stripe blocking me from going any further. I banged into the wall as I cried.

"No, no, no! I can't!" I cried out.

I don't use my voice, ever for any reason. Not just because I talk funny, but also because people says I sound funny, like Donald Duck. This is the first in longest time since I was small kid to use my voice box. I pounded on the wall, crying. I climbed up the wall frantically. Once again, to no avail, my nails broke and bled. You could see scratches and blood on the wall. I gave up and collapsed down, tears streaked down my face, wetting my neon pink sweats jacket.

I lay there, sobbing for good half hour before I felt a hand grabbing my shoulder. I bolted upright, screamed.

"Please, please, p-pl-please don't hurt me!" I whimpered.

His puppy-like brown eyes just looked at me quizzically and he shook his head. He began to speak. His mouth moved so fast that I could barely keep up, plus the fact that I just bawled my eyes out making things more blurry and harder to see straight. I didn't know what else to do so I rose my arms up to my face as I'm trying to defend myself.

"Please, I don't know what going on, I don't want to die." I pleaded, hoping he could at least understand not to hurt me.

He seemed to catch the hint, so trying not to scare me any more further, he took a step backward and shook his head, as he waved his outreached palms in horizontally direction as in someone would say no in gesturing way all while he was saying something, I couldn't understand due to him shaking his head. I calmed down a bit, understanding that he's not trying to hurt me. I finally stopped crying, but got stuck with hiccuping. He walked over to my side and sat down next to me as I lowered my arms. He gave me some time to calm myself down, and tried once again to talk to me. This time I could understand him because he was facing to me, and didn't move his head around. On the bonus side, the way he move his mouth as he spoke was very clear.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

I shook my head, tears welled up in my eyes, stinging and burning my eyes.

"Don't cry, just calm down. You are okay right now, are you hurt?" He seemed to be saying.

I nodded my head twice.

"Where?" He asked, eyeing me cautiously.

I pointed to my head on right, feeling bruised in are as I pointed to it. I then rubbed on it, I felt a size of goose egg bump swelling on my head. I jumped back as he tried to reaches out to me, startled. He was taken aback by that. I studied him closely as he sat there quietly, my hand still on goose egg bump. He looked at me with his sad puppy-like brown eyes as if he's hurt. He got this cute curly/wavy hair down to his shoulder length, but hiding underneath the white handkerchief. He wore light olive green small v-neck t shirt which brings out his smooth, and dark complex. The v-neck t shirt seem to be little tight on him as it shows his muscular arms and chest. Wow, I thought to myself. If we met under any other circumstances, I'd be drooling over him. He reaches out to me then paused to see if I'd withdraw again, but I didn't. I lowered my hand from my throbbing head. He then reached out to touch my head as I lowered my head, so he could feel the bump. He pulled back after few moment. I lifted my head up and brought my eyes to his lips.

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" He asked.

I shook my head then began to open my mouth to speak, but I remembered he didn't understand me so I shut my mouth closed quickly and pointed to both of my ears and gestured in body language as someone would snap a stick, "broken".

"What, you can't hear?" He asked.

I shook my head no. I signed "broken" again. For about few moments, things were awkwardly quiet between us, because I wasn't sure if he understood me or not, and he wasn't sure what or how to say.

"So, your ears doesn't work at all. That mean you are deaf, am I correct?" He finally asked.

My eyes lit up, I nodded my head vigorously, excited that he understood. Mind you, I've always had difficulty time connecting with anyone because of my deafness, and my Aspergers Autism Syndrome just make it worse.

*How come you could understand me and my friend don't?* he asked once again but this time in sign language.

I was shocked, it's not common that hearing knows sign language. It took me few moments to get over my shock and I bursted out laughing.

*Is nice finally to see you laugh* he signed.

*Haha, yeah thanks. I needed that.* I replied in signs.

*You didn't answer my question?* Said he.

*What question? Oh, that question. Well, I'm the only deaf child in my family. My mother is the only one who knows signs fully well, and as for rest of them. They don't know, so lip reading came in handy.* I answered.

*Oh, neat! How did you hurt your head? I saw you sped down and I was trying to call you to stop you. I didn't understand why you won't stop, but now I do.* He said in signs.

*Oh, sorry. Fear sometimes get the best of me, I tripped over myself and fell down the escalator. I must have been knocked out cold cause it was daylight when I ran down there.* I answered once again.

*Ow, that must've hurt. Next time, look and watch where you are going. I thought deaf have sharper and keen eyes?* He replied.

*That is so stereotype!* I huffed and puffed, feeling insulted.

*Hey, take it easy I'm just joking* he laughed.

I shook my head and humped. As I tried to get up, he got up and helped me up. I thanked him as I looked up to him, realizing he is very tall. Another bonus point for me, I thought to myself. As soon we both got up, I asked him.

*Do you know where everyone went?*

*No, I woke up and everyone was gone, you were the only one I found so far.*

*You fell asleep?*

*Yes, why?*

*ME TOO!! I fell asleep, and by the time I woke up, everyone was gone, well except for you.*

*Interesting, well that's the clue we can start with.*

*What clue? If you talking about clue to everyone's missing, then we should start with B14 Lane for Delta 416 flight.*

*What? Why should we go there?*

I explained to him what happened to me from the beginning when I woke up, to the message I got off Sony notebook laptop to the dark shadow lurking and Bagel Bakery to the incident that caused the goose egg sized bump that swelled on my head. He looked at me for a long moment, deep in his thought.

*Okay, let's start with that first. It's better than spending the whole day searching for somebody.* He finally said after giving it a long thought.

*Okay, let's go then.* I said cheerily, glad that I'm not left alone as the last person in this area, or for that matter as being left alone as last person on this earth.

As we walked around, looking for Lane B14 for hours, we seemed to be lost. We went around twice, and passed few same stores but found no lane of B14. Our hope of ever finding lane B14 for a clue began to diminished as we kept on looking. This airport is so HUGE, there's no way we can ever find lane B14. Finally, I came up to center of airport where all tables with chairs turned upside down were, and stores all around it. I grabbed one from table and set it on floor. I then plopped in chair, down low as I was feeling hopeless. He came over to me and pulled chair down beside me.

*Don't worry, we will find it.* He assured me.

*How?! We have been walking around this HUGE airport for hours and found nothing! Not to mention we still have 2 more east wings and 1 more of west wing to check out!!* I spat.

*Chill girl, we will find it.* He laughed.

*Thats not funny! This is not funny! What if we are really last people in this world?* I demanded.

*Well, seeing that you are female and I'm male, we can always make more.* he grinned playfully.

I had to hide my smile and tried to take this seriously, but by God, he is far too adorable and gorgeous.

*This isn't funny, come on* I snickered.

*I know, and I'm sorry.* He pouted playfully.

I laughed and swat him playfully. He looked into my eyes, deeply. Woah! Don't even go there! I thought to myself. I just met him and he's using this move on me?!

*On serious note, what if we really are the last people on earth?* I asked, trying to avoid awkward situation before it happens.

*I don't know, but what do I know is this we will figure it out somehow together, okay. Since we are supposedly the two last people on earth so we gotta stick close together, okay?* He said with the most sincere expression.

*Okay?* He signed again as I nodded.

*Okay, come on. Let's go and find this lane B14 or whatever it is* He beckoned me up as he hopped up.

As I stood up, I looked up and couldn't believe what I saw. The handsome boy must've seen the surprised plastered on my face, because he asked me what was wrong, I couldn't believe my eyes and was too shocked to say anything so I simply lifted my arms and pointed my finger to the area that are far across from us. There were a huge sign, gently waving in midair as it was hanged from the celiling. There were so many people sitting in the chair in the rows. Everyone were sitting up straight, so perfectly still. All of their backs to us. He must have seen same thing because he just jumped back, startled by what we both saw. We both ducked down under the table, behind the solid chairs because we saw some kind of dark shadow lurking about those people in the rows. I tapped the boy on shoulder, he shushed at me. I was too terrified even to say anything, so I kept quiet.

As soon as the shadows entered in airway walk and out of our sights, we waited for 10 good minutes before we go any closer. Finally, 10 minutes has passed on, we gently tip-toes our way over to lane B14. The closer we got to them, the louder and harder my heart pounded. I passed the first person in the row, a man. I turned to the man, and screamed.

The boy grasped my mouth and knocked me down to floor. He held on to me as we rolled to under small desk against the wall in the corner from where man was sitting. He shushed me.

*Do not scream! What if they can hear?* He spat.

Sure enough, dark shadows poked their head out of airway walk, two of them came out, paused in the middle of room as they scanned the room. We held our breathes and stayed ever so still, watching them from the opening at the bottom of desk, waiting. Waiting for them to leave once again. Shadows lurked about and searched for any signs of any movement. A small grey mouse scurried across my hands, I yelped. The boy grasped my mouth even tighter as the lurker shadow spun it's head to our way. The mouse made it's way out, lurker open it's ghostly mouth wide and dissipated into mist and went into the man body. The man fell into the floor and his whole body shook with a spasm then fell silently still. Few moments passed on before the man grunted and lifted himself up. I looked away in disgust, nearly gagged as soon as I saw the man's face. It was so ugly and misshapen. I looked at him once more. I had to know what's happening. The mouse scurried once again, across the man's shoes. He stepped on the mouse's tail. The mouse squeaked loudly as the man picked the mouse up by it's tail. No! I thought to myself. I'm an animals lover. Please, no, no, no. He went back to his seat, holding the mouse up high and open his mouth wide. The mouse wriggled is his hand, trying to break free. The black mist smoked out of the man's mouth and to the mouse. As soon as the mist floated to the mouse, it's body went limp so suddenly as if it's dead. The man then lifted his other finger, pointing to the mouse. Long, and nasty-looking nail popped out of the fingertip. He poked the finger into the mouse brain and the mouse squirmed. OH! That poor mouse! I thought to myself silently as tears dwelled up in my eyes. I began to sob silently. The boy must've felt my shoulder shaking, he held me tightly, and rubs his hand on my arm as he kept his other hand on my mouth. The man dropped the mouse, and it hit the floor with a soft thud right next to desk. I could see the mouse's lifeless eyes staring at me. I had to turn and bury my head into the boy's neck to stop myself from crying out loud or screaming. He held on to me, as the mist floated out of the man's mouth and went back to airway walk strip.

We stayed there for good 20 minutes before we dug ourselves out of under desk. I was already hysterically, hiccuping even harder. The boy tried all his best to soothes my terror. His charms worked on my little bit as I calmed down a bit. After we gathered ourselves together, we scanned the room. There were like hundreds and hundreds of people, sitting in the rows, like a dead dolls. Their skin were grayish green, ghoulish blue and purple with ugly hue of yellowish. There were small holes in every person's head. All of their face, were misshapen and so ugly. Some eyes were so droopy, down to cheeks, while others were bulged out. Their hands on the top of each other, in their laps. Disfigured and ugly as if they were broken in multiples way.

I felt a hand grasped my shoulder, I jumped and spun around, startled.

*Shh, it's just me* The handsome boy signed.

I let out a sigh of relief as soon as I saw it was just this handsome boy.

*Don't you ever sneak up on me like that! Ever!* I spatted.

*Sorry* He replied.

*Thats okay. Just next time let me know you are coming to me.* I signed. *Come to think of it, we never formally introduced ourselves. My name is Adila, what's yours?* I signed as I took a step back.

He just stood there, smiled at me. It was perplexing to me as why was he smiling like that. Malicious smile, the knowing smile. His puppy-like brown eyes shone and twinkled gleefully as he looked at something past me. I took a step backward once again, and turned to see what he was smiling about. A tremendous chill ran down my spine, sending hair all over me standing up. I took a step backward again, and turned to handsome boy.

*You won't need to know my name, our name.* He said gleefully.

*But why?* I whimpered in signs, feeling my legs going weak.

He sped and caught me before I could collapse as his face began to form into misshapen shape.

*Because, we all are hungry. We ran out of flesh to take in our world, so we came here to look for more.* He said all too cheerily.

I took one last look at him, and sucked in big piece of air, felt myself pushing for a voice box, and from my diaphragm, I bellowed and screamed a bloodcurdling screams before abyss of blackness overtook me from the mist that foamed out of his mouth.

The city changes after dark. Mark knows this very well, for he has a rare skin disorder that causes him to have to stay away from the sun, like a vampire you might say. He works an average job at a security company, it's not the best job but it pays rather well.

The job he can live with, it's easy to once you learn how, but seeing the city at it's absolute worst, well that's not so easy to live with. Seeing man kind at it's worst is a rare thing for everyday people, Mark however sees it everyday. Murder, rape, armed robbery, you name it and he's probably seen it.

He set off to work one day, or should I say night, but due to a road block he had to take a different route, one that leads through the part of the city where the cops don't even want to go in after dark. He takes the route after a few moments of uncertainty, and as he drives he thinks it's not so bad, not better than anywhere else, but not hell on earth, as the police call it.

He turns the corner of the street to see a figure, not exactly a person but rather a figure in a black cloak with a hood on it's head. Yet Mark saw that there was no face, then his confusion turned to terror. He slammed on the breaks so he wouldn't hit...whatever was in the road. But then suddenly the cloaked and hooded figure vanished, like a vapor. He looked around the car without rolling down any windows, but he saw nothing. Nervously he continued to drive, constantly checking his rear view mirror and every surrounding. Yet nothing happened.

As he pulled up to his work he again checked the read view mirror, and there it was: the cloaked figure with no face, was sitting in the back seat. Mark opened his mouth to yell, scream, holler, whatever but before he could the figure struck.

Blood splattered onto the windshields and all was quiet. The phantom disappeared, moving on to it's next victim.