One of Them

This is a story about black-eyed children. All stories I've read about black-eyed children were about them stalking adults. Then one day, I asked myself "what if it were a child they were after?"

I’ve always taught my children to never talk to strangers. You just can’t take people for face value anymore. One day. someone could walk up to your kid, tell them they have candy or a puppy in their car and the next thing you know, they’re gone without a trace. So, I figured, as a parent, it would be in mine and my childrens best interest to teach them such important things.

      My 3 year-old daughter, Lina, and 7 year-old son, Cole, both knew the basics of being careful while playing outside, which was “If something doesn’t seem right, get mommy.” Which worked until Lina and Cole started talking about these two kids who always wanted to play with them, Justin and Marlie. I remember when it all started, when they came into the picture.

The first time I had heard of them, I was cleaning the kitchen while Lina and Cole played outside. The weather was beautiful, the sun shined, it was a day begging to be taken advantage of. I could see them through the screen door, I always made sure I had an eye on them. The kids were playing tag and I could hear the screeching and laughing and rustling of grass from one side of the yard to the other. But then...it stopped...silence. I put the broom that I was using down and listened for a minute. I could faintly hear voices from the yard but I kept still. Just then, Lina screamed. I jumped from being startled and ran to the door, only to be met by my two children, pale and shaking.

Lina, jumped into my arms and buried her small, tear-covered face in my chest. I held her tight and took Coles shaky hand and led them to the kitchen table. I sat the kids down and examined them. No bumps, bruises, cuts or scrapes. I took Linas hand, “Baby, you gotta tell mommy what happened in the yard.” She looked at me and started to whimper. “It’s okay, you can tell mommy anything.” I wiped her tears on my sleeve. She just started shaking and silently crying.

I turned to Cole. “Sweetie, you need to tell momma what scared you and sissy so bad.” I put my hand on his shoulder. “The kids, mommy…” He whispered. He looked up, “The kids, mommy, they’re bad.” I put Lina down and put my other hand on his other shoulder. I looked him dead in the face. “What kids, Cole?” He sat down in the empty chair and looked around as if he were afraid someone might hear what he was about to say. “The kids that came into the yard. They wanted to play with me and Lina. I told them we couldn’t play with them because we didn’t know who they were. They wanted to take us to the park, but I told them no. They got really mad. They started yelling at us and coming closer. Thats when Lina yelled. “Please, momma, I don’t wanna play with them.” He whispered to me with urgency and worry in his eyes.

I hugged him and Lina, “Don’t worry, babies. Everythings gonna be okay.” All I could do was hold them tight.

That night I tucked them into bed and went to take a bath. Things were pretty calm. The kids had calmed down and went to sleep watching a movie. I went into the bathroom and put my hair in a messy bun. I adjusted the water and poured in some white jasmine bubblebath and lavender bath salts. I pulled on my robe and turned to go to the kitchen to make some tea and jumped. Lina stood in the doorway rubbing her eyes and quietly whimpering.  

I kneeled and took her into my arms. “Momma, bad kids are at window. They’re scary.” She whispered. I swept her up and ran to the bedroom. I cautiously flipped the switch and light filled the room. “Mamma, what’s going on?” Cole asked as he got out of bed. I walked swiftly to the window and looked through the blinds. No one was there.  “Nothing, baby.” I replied as he walked over to me. “You and Lina can sleep with mommy tonight.” I took him his hand and took my kids to my room.

This happened for a week. Sometimes, the “bad kids” would be in the closet, other times, outside the window. My kids became terrified to go outside and refused to sleep in their own room. I was getting tired of this. Cole and Lina shouldn’t have to be scared in their own home. But, there was nothing I could do. I had never seen the “bad kids” who now had names according to Cole, Marlie and Justin, and every time I’d try to catch them, they’d disappear, almost like they weren’t real.

I would have thought these children my kids were seeing were mere imaginary friends but imaginary friends don’t terrify kids and they most certainly do not have black eyes like Cole and Lina described. I just didn’t know what to do. My babies were becoming pale and they were tired all the time from lack of sleep. Then that friday,  my kids changed. They were happy and wanted to play outside. I was hesitant to let them go but they were insistent that I let them out so I agreed and opened the door.

They ran out the door excitedly and I smirked. “Maybe they forgot about the “bad kids”.” I told 

myself. But just as I went to get my broom to start cleaning up from lunch, I heard two voices that weren’t

familiar, along with my kids. I walked out the back door and over to my children. They were playing with

two other kids who looked a little older than them, maybe 9 or 10. One was a boy and the other a girl.

They looked alike, so I assumed they were twins. I got this nervousness as I got closer, their stone cold

stare trapping me. “Are you two Marlie and Justin?” I asked. They nodded their heads robotically, 

unnaturally. “Well, then you two get on home and leave us alone. You've been scaring my kids for days

now, so go home and don’t come back!” I pointed down the road. I looked back at Marlie and Justin 

and shrieked. Their eyes turned black as coal. I shook like a leaf. Frozen on the spot, I just stood there.

“We want to play with your kids.” Marlie said in a dead tone. “No! You can’t!” I screamed. Then Cole

and Lina walked in front of me. They looked up into my face. “Babies! Run! Go and hide!” They just 

shook their heads. “But mommy, we can’t. We have to play with them now. We’re one of them.” Cole 

told me in the same dull voice Marlie used. He and Lina looked up at me, their brown eyes turned pitch 

black.