SWNOVELS chapter 10
Standing in the rain.
Across the street in the rain.
The black figure appeared across the street, standing in the rain. It had no distinct face. It was hard to tell what it was exactly. Only that it was shaped like a person and dressed in black. Alison turned to look at it, the rain falling over her wet face and hair. They stood at a crosswalk, waiting for the signal to go and for the traffic to stop.
"What’re you looking at?” Linda asked.
"That guy over there. He’s looking at you.”
Linda followed her gaze. “I don’t see anyone.”
Furrowing her brows, Alison said again. “He’s looking at you. Don’t you see him? He’s right there.”
"Alison, I have no idea what you’re talking about. There’s no one there.”
Was her sister joking? How could she not see someone so obvious? The traffic slowed to a stop at the red light. The crosswalk’s symbol of a red hand disappeared, changing to the lit figure of a person in mid-step. Alison and Linda began crossing the street. It almost felt uncomfortable going to the side where the strange dark figure was staring at them.
Her eyes moved to the figure once more. Just as she thought, it was still watching them. Even now it watched them carefully from the other side. Its face stayed hidden in shadows. Its head following their movements was her only indicator that it could see them. She saw as it lifted a hand, turned its fingers and snapping them loudly.
A car came careening forward.
Alison turned. Linda was a few steps behind her. She barely caught sight of her sister as the car crashed right into her, throwing the girl across the road. There was a flash of movement then. The dark figure swooped forward, diving in unnatural movements toward her sister’s body. It fell over her, engulfing her in a black blanket of shadow. Then it slowly began to sink into her, disappearing within her body.
Alison began running. When she reached her sister, Linda was already dead. Her pale face was covered in blood, her eyes staring lifelessly at the sky.