The wind howled, whipping Sophie’s hair up into her face. Without slowing her pace, she scrambled to pull stray strands from her eyes and mouth. Distracted by her predicament, she didn’t notice the six-foot, solid wall of a man standing on the sidewalk right in front of her. The consequences of the collision were not equal for all. Sophie was knocked off her feet. She landed in the wet leaves, hands grazed and hair still in her face. The man, however, barely moved. He stood over Sophie smiling and extended a pale hand.
“My apologies.”
The tiny hairs on Sophie’s neck stood to attention. He lifted her with such ease it was like she was made of air. He flashed a charming smile. As her lips parted to apologise, the stranger’s eyes changed from golden amber to inky black. The smile split his cheeks to his temples. Sophie gasped when he tilted his head back to reveal three rows of pointed teeth dripping with saliva. Her every muscle tensed, ready to flee, but she never got the chance. The beast’s gaping mouth covered her face, silencing her screams. Blood dripped from her chin as rows of shark-like teeth ground into her face. The air was sucked from her lungs. She gave up the fight and allowed herself to be pulled into the darkness.
From behind black eyes, Sophie gazed down at the girl on the floor. She yelled until her lungs ached, but the girl couldn’t hear her. Sophie caught a glimpse of the girl’s wide, tear-filled eyes. Against her will, Sophie’s head tilted back.
“No, run!”
the stranger’s malicious laughter erupted from her own mouth. Another voice she didn’t recognise echoed around her.
“You can’t help her. She’ll be trapped in here with us soon.”
By Stacey Potter
StaceyPotterBooks 