One

Where we meet Shae's worst fear.

I was taught to be afraid. I was taught to seek protection from them. The Lurkers.

There used to be a nursery rhyme about them, but I can't remember. All I know is they've been around since I was little, and since I was little I've been told of the horrible things they do. Nanny used to tell me stories when I misbehaved. At first I thought they were monsters. As I grew up and found out about other monsters, like the Bogeyman and clowns, I thought they were a lie. I questioned my parents and Nanny about them, but they were not reliable. Why, they used to tell me Santa was real.

But then, Nanny was gone. She never got to say goodbye. She disappeared in the dark of the night the one time she left our house too late.

My blond hair was never brushed by another Nanny. And I knew the Lurkers were real.

They hide in alleys, bushes, dark corners, tree tops, anywhere shadowy. You never see them coming, except for when their eyes show. Flaming yellow slits that cut through the murky blackness surrounding them. If you see them, though, it's too late. You only stay alive long enough to see the ominous light.

That's what people say, and I believe them. Poor Nanny. Reaped out of our lives by the bodiless creatures.

Since that moment, I've been afraid of the night. I always get home before seven, or six thirty in the winter. Why shouldn't I? Almost everybody does the same, and they seem to be happy. We have lots of sleep-overs. Inside we are protected. I don't trust that so much. But I trust the night officers.

The only ones who see Lurkers and live are the night officers. Strong, agile people, trained for the job since their ability to see in the dark proved above average. I would give anything to be an officer, but I've never been fast enough. I'll probably never even see in the dark like them. They keep us. They can bind Lurkers into small boxes and lock them there forever.

Author's Note

This is going to be changed and extended many times. It's a draft. But I wanted to share it to have some opinions.