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[Introduction] [Introduction] So i will be writing the first paragraph of this story. Use your imagination and get those juices flowing to get this story going. If you want another story genre then you can mail me! The main character is Vermon and he is a young boy. Use your imagination. And I am sorry for those who have already been apart of this group, my membership expired so this got deleted, I saved the original story here and your names claim the part you wrote, Sorry.

[Tessa May] It was a dark and spooky night in Hurlington village. The wind blew on doors like something was trying to enter the houses. The shadows of trees swept across the whistling grass. Hurlington village was small, the people never came out of their houses at night for fear of the ghosts to bring death to them. The windows were boarded up after a terrible accident that happened last Tuesday. A little boy by the name of Vernon was walking along the river at night. He had crept out because his parents were fighting. He sat at the waters edge until the wind blew the leaves on the little path in the forest. He could hear faint screams of horror in the distance. Vernon's eyes grew darker as the wind stopped and the forest grew quiet.

[Larry Linville] Vernon knew he would be in trouble for leaving the house, but his parents usually fought for a long time once they got started. He decided the screams did not come from his house so he breathed easier. But if it wasn't his folks, what was it. It could be coming from any of the houses because the boarded windows would muffle and scream. Suddenly, he saw something floating in the water which chilled him from head to toe. He walked closer so he could get a better look.

[Peewee Punkin Head] Hurlington had seen some strange sights; ghosts taking over herds of cows, fish flying through the air and the more mundane lights flashing etc. But this was more strange, more horrendous than anything they had seen before. Even at his young age, Vernon knew that what he was seeing would scar him for the rest of his life. There, floating through the muddy water of the river, were the spirits of the long dead, reaching toward him.

[Basilides] The river spirits were discernible as the people they once were. Vernon saw a woman from centuries past wearing a bonnet and apron, reaching with bony fingers. A gentleman with tattered coattails beckoned from the depths, his white gloves stained with blood. A teenager wearing a frayed bandanna, curled up his lips to reveal a grey-toothed snarl. Vernon was strangely drawn to their shadowy fellowship. He would be forever free of his father's belt. He would never be frightened again, but would become a thing to be frightened of.

"Do not heed the call of the River Shades," said a thin voice behind Vernon. "They are consumed with the rage of their lost lives, and spend their timelessness nursing grudges that the living no longer remember. Of all the spirits of this town they are most pitiable. They are not your folk."

Vernon turned quickly to see who spoke. An old man stood a few feet away, leaning on a black-handled cane. He was a little portly, bald, white-bearded; and he wore a long green coat that hung down to his ankles.

"Who are you?" asked Vernon, glad that his gaze had been torn from the river.

"My name is Odeen. You should be home, little boy. The spirits of death wander the streets of Hurlington at night."

Something about the way the old man spoke bothered Vernon, and he felt a desire to go home. He asked Odeen to walk him there.

The old man furrowed his brows and bowed his head, and for a moment seemed unsure of himself. When he raised his aged head, his face was very grave.

"I'm afraid not. I am sorry. Almost your innocence made a rebel out of me. But only almost."

Odeen let go his cane, and as it slowly fell the dark handle crept down the wood. And with the darkness, the cane became supple. It transformed to a living, writhing thing.

A jet black snake.

[Pennywise] The snake slithered quickly across the ground and Vermon could do nothing but stare at it in fear, unable to move. Slowly it entwined itself around Vermon's left leg. The boy cried out as it began to climb upwards.

"We have great plans for you child," Odeen's voice resounded inside his head. "Though first, you have to cross over: Become one of us."

Vermon could feel the snake caress his flesh, as it pushed under the hem of his trouser leg. The dark scales scraped at his skin and he felt his blood begin to flow. It passed over his knee, around his thigh, under his buttock and finally popped it's head out of his waistband. Its red eyes found his hazel ones and burned through them into his mind.

"My friend, has so much to show you Master Vermon," Odeen walked calmly behind him, and reassuringly placed his hands on his shoulders. "Just open your mind to the visions and you'll know our story and our plight."

[Darkness] Vernon's small face scrunched up as he squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself out of this nightmare. To his horror, images began flashing through his mind. He saw what was once Hurlington, alive with activity. People walked the busy streets, families congregated on porches talking and laughing. The odd behavior stood out to Vernon, not just because of the cheerful demeanor of the crowd, but because these long-ago people were doing these things at night. No one left the safety of their homes at night in Hurlington, everyone knew that, but there they were, laughing and talking and shopping, fearless.

As vernon watched, a dark figure floated across the scene. People quieted as it passed and shivered in apprehension. The creature, for surely no man could float in such a manner, stopped in front of a man. Vernon recognized, just barely, Odeen. He was younger, with a straight, proud back, and his face, though still aged, held the vestiges of great good looks.

"What say you, Mayor of Hurlington?" The figure asked, in a strange whispery voice. "Will you make sacrifice?"

"Go away," Odeen said.

"Surely one will make sacrifice to save the rest? One will give me a child, sweet and pure, to keep the peace of your warm haven?"

"We will not," Odeen said.

"So be it," the creature replied. "Hence forth, the peace within Hurlington is broken, and all present on this day, condemned. To punish your selfishness, your people will be prey to the night, and you, Mayor Odeen, will be my henchman. You will walk Hurlington at night, never to rest until I have what is due me."

The image dissipated and Vernon opened his eyes to find the dark figure before him. "Is the boy willing?"

[Deany] Swallowing hard against the pain in his leg, Vernon closed his eyes tightly and then opened them again, willing himself out of this nightmare. No change.

The boy watched as the black snake slid its way back to Odeen. The chill night air crept its way past the fabric that kept Vernon modestly warm and snapped the boy back to his senses. He took a step back and felt his foot drenched immediately in water. He turned and looked into the water then at the dark figure. Filled with fear he put his other foot into the dark river.

A strange sensation pulled him into the water. He shivered from a cold grip on his ankle. Odeen gave out a chilling laugh, the snake looked at Vernon with piercing red eyes. The boy walked further into the water letting the cold sensation drift under his ears. A shrilling scream came from above making the whole forest sit in silence.

The desperation and horror held within the shrieking voice wrenched Vernon out his fugue. He knew the voice. Looking up through the dark swirls of the river, he saw his mother fall to her knees on the bank, her hands plummeting towards him.

In panic and desperation he fought against the cold grip that held his ankle. As he kicked with his free foot, he reached up to grab his mothers hands, but more bony fingers curled around his feet and legs. His fingers touched the warm living flesh of his mothers hand and held tight.

He started to move towards the surface. More stick like fingers grabbed a hold. In his minds eye, he could see hundreds of fleshless skeletons reaching up for his living flesh, wanting to pick his bones clean.

From somewhere in his mind Odeen said, "No child, you are mine now."

In a far away distance, though, his mothers shrill screams could still be heard.

"Gimme back my baby."
"Gimme back my baby."

Then a blackness swept Vermon's mind and he knew that something was happening to his body, but he could no longer feel any of his previous senses.

It was always going to be like this now. His senses had dulled, lifeless, how would he go on? How did the rest of them do it?

Then once more from the reaches of his mind Vermon heard Odeen, "Use your intuition boy, sense without reasoning. It will become easier over time."

It didn't make sense, all of this. How had his mother known where he was? Why did Odeen want him? A darkness clouded over his mother. The water just below his nose. Something drug him all the way under crushing his ankle in pain. He looked up into the moonlight water to see a dark substance swirl around him. Blood.

Held within the swirls of his life's essence were the myriad faces of those sacrificed before him. As his blood ebbed into the current the faces grew more distinct. Bodies began to form. All of the m held their arms open in welcome.

As the fleshless ones dragged him down, Vernon opened his own arms and welcomed the others touch.

He felt weak entwined within the dark loving hold of his blood. His vision darkened.

On the bank above, his mother fought with an immortal old man while he died

"Bring him back NOW Odeen", Vermon's mother spat at the dead old man.

"Now, Harriett? I dont think that would be such a good idea." Odeen let out a menacing cackle.

Realizing there was no more she could do for her son Harriett collapsed onto the ground at Odeen's feet.

She began to shake violently. While vernon was engulfed in the others arms. His mother's shaking stopped as she looked up at Odeen with a zombie like look in her eyes. She slowly got up and looked into his eyes.

"Now Harriett, you must go back where you came, nothing happened here!" he said in a low but menacing voice.

Harriett turned towards the trail and smiled a cruel smile.

Hurlington, in the warm light of day was a pretty and picturesque village, but when the sun set it became a cold and desolate place. The shutters on every house were bolted tight, all the door locked; crosses, crucifixes, and unnameable charms were hung within and without. The trapped tenants sat quietly, listening to every creak with terror and trepidation.

So nobody noticed the shoddy, unkempt shadow as it trudged tiredly through the villages streets.

Within the trance, Harriet cared nought about the superstitions surrounding her hometown. All that mattered to her was Odeen's command.

Slamming the front door open drew everyones attention to her. The rest of the family had stayed up waiting... Waiting for their mother and little brother to return. Though, Vermon was not with her.

Harriett stalked past the worried faces and strait upstairs to her room, where she pulled the blankets over her head and fell into a deep sleep.

Deep into Harriet's sleep something happened, her mind became taken over by the thoughts of her son. She twitched in her sleep listening to his screams. A dream came to her, Vermon was in the water drowning, but Odeen wasn't there. She was sitting watching her son as if she couldn't do anything about it. A shadow crept behind them. She just sat there unafraid. It was a man, who had been traveling for a long time.

Harriet found herself turning away from watching Vermon, splashing around in the river of blood, to face the shadow man behind her.

Though the moon was full, no light touched his features. "Calm yourself, dear lady." His voice was soft, gentle, and reassuring, "your son is not lost to you, he's just lost. His soul has not crossed over, none of the sacrificial offerings have. I offer you this hope - one day your precious Vermon may come back to you."

Harriet slowly stood up and opened her arms in invitation. The figure floated through the air. As he drew close she saw movement coming from under his dark hood.

Something was peering out of his hood. Two large red eyes burned into her skin. She collapsed not able to let go of his gaze. Something grabbed her by the hair burning her skull. She cried in pain still not able to let go of his gaze.

Harriet opened her eyes, blood was trickling down her scalp. She let out a cry as she ran to Vermons room.

In his room everything was as he'd left it. Toys and clothes were strewn around the place. As her foot crossed the threshold a coldness invaded her flesh and she shivered uncontrollably.

From under the bed she saw a blue & red flash of light ... then another ... another. A wailing sound screeched from the darkness, and her heart nearly stopped.

The toy police car ran from under the bed. In alarm and fear she jumped backward, out of the room. All became silent.

Anxiety took a hold of her and once again she entered the freezing room. On the blackboard, in the corner, magnetic letters shuffled about. She read ...

HELP ME.

That was the last staw of Harriet's sanity. She fell to the ground and released everything with giant sobs. Vermon was still here... Somewhere, waiting for her to help him, and thats what she had to do no matter what the cost. This was her son. Her son who still had a full life ahead of him and she was not going to let that be taken away from him.

"How do I find you" she cried.

Just then the door slammed behind her.

She felt something grasp her shoulder. She slowly looked over to find nothing. On her feet she looked around the room. Where was he? Footsteps were heard upstairs and a great thunk vibrated the ceiling.

She tried the door handle, it was locked from the outside. She hit the door with the palm of her hand screaming and shaking the door knob.

"What have you done with him?" she screamed.

A soft whisper came from the window.

"Help me...Mother"

Could it have been Vermon's voice? She was unsure.

"Mother, please, help me," there was no mistaking it this time, "it's so dark and cold here," it was her son.

Slowly she moved towards the window. The darkness outside turning the glass into an obsidian mirror. She looked pale, frail and scared. As she drew closer she saw movement on the panes. Dark shapes danced. They were fingers; hundreds upon hundreds of fingers were touching the glass. Their pads ran across it in blind abandon: Were they looking for an entry back into the world of the living.

"Help me."

"Help me."

"Help me."

A thousand voices rang out in fear and sad desperation.

Slowly she reached out towards the window with her hand ...

Suesen

Closer, closer Harriet's slender fingers stretched to find the latch on the window and all she could do was watch in horror.

It was as if her body was not her own. Someone, or something, had taken over the controls. It had entered Harriet's brain leaving her a mere bystander to her own thoughts and movements, she wasn't really there. But she was, she was watching.

"Help me."

"Help me."

It was Vermon. Her head was swimming, every movement, every sound was dizzying. The voices, the screams, the pain, "oh the pain," Harriet thought, what was this horrible pain? It ripped through her head and seemed to explode behind her frantic eyes.

The world stopped, the lights turned off the wind and air was still. She stood looking through the window. A dark figure was gliding towards her, she tried to leave but her hands and feet were stuck. She tried not to look at the piercing red eyes but they were so....they were almost hypnotic. She managed to glance away at the last minute. Her hands and feet came unglued. She slammed the window and locked it. She ran to the door. Locked. She rattled the handle in a panic. She could see the dark figure seep through the window pane. A cool air filled the room, it chilled her body, numbed her hands.

"Help." it screamed at her. "Damn it Help me!"
She looked into the eyes once more, they were brown then suddenly red. She could of sworn that they were brown. Vermons eye's in that split second. Her heart told her he was in that wretched body, but how?

The voice that emitted from the wretched figure before her shook the room with its unbridled power.

"Because they are my sustenance," the dark rich tones vibrated through her very being. "You see, oh sweet mother," there was movement under the thing's skin, as though it's bones were alive. As she watched in horror, her beloved son's face shifted onto the entity's skull, "these undead and lost souls keep me alive." The creature's features undulated and slipped. Face-upon-face: Mask-upon-mask.

The constant movement made her stomach restless and she could feel the dizziness and nausea grow.

"But why?" She stammered. "Why, take them? If they keep you alive; why do you need to be alive?"

Suesen

"Don't we all want to be alive?" asked the creature. Saliva foamed at it's smiling mouth. Grotesque streams of spit and blood lashed out toward Harriet with every word it spoke. Its shifting and moving continued to be slow and callous as it slowly crept closer to Harriet's seemingly frozen body. It's hypnotic gaze never left her terrified eyes.

"I mean, sweet mother" sounding as sincere as a smiling evil thing could, "don't you want to be alive?" The bloody spit dripped down Its chin and darkened Its shirt underneath Its cloak.

"I...I don't know what you mean" Harriet stuttered. Her mind was racing, her stomach turned, nausea over taking her...

She threw up blood as a cold air gripped her throat making her choke. She tried to get away from the grasp but she couldn't grab onto anything. The creature was standing there watching her as an invisible force gripped her to the wall. He didn't speak. His mind peeled into her brain searching for something he needed.

He smiled a cursed smile. Satisfied the force dropped her making her scream. Her throat ached, a tight burn bubbled on her throat. She could hear glass shattering and the wind howling. Then she was out cold.

Her eyes would not open. Panic started in as she raised her hands to her face, searching for the resistance, fearing the worst. They were covered in crud. With the whites of her nails she scratched way the darkness. As her eyelids fluttered open, everything was covered by a white haze. As her vision fought to focus her mind replayed her last conscious thoughts.

She had passed out.

How long ago? She asked herself. The room was bright so it must be daytime. She had been out all night. The palm of her hands flopped exasperated to her sides, only to land on soft covers and not the hard wooden floor.

Somebody had found her, her husband more likely than not, and put her to bed. With a dry scratchy voice she called out, "Jebadiah," and coughed sharply.

Within seconds he was there cradling her in his strong arms, stroking her hair in gentle circular motions, and uttering sweet lamentations.

"I thought I'd lost ya' there lass."

"Sorry Jeb, I didn't mean ta' frighten ya' but I saw our Vermon. He's still alive."

"It was a dream," his touch hesitated, "nought, but a dream."

"But Jeb, his captor came to me last night," her anger rose in her voice,"braggin'."

"If it were last night, it were a dream," his sigh was deep and sorrowful, "you've been asleep for two weeks now."

Suesen

Harriet's mind was racing. "Asleep" she thought, "for two weeks!" She tried to lift her head, but the pain behind her eyes was unbearable. She lay there, her mind throbbing and confused.

"Jeb...where is Vermon" she managed to say, panic starting to overwhelm her. "Where is Vermon?" she demanded.

Jeb gently patted her hand, a look of sincere pitty washed over his sullen face. "There, there. Just lie down for a wee bit more. It'll all come back to ya soon lass."

"Jeb, I...I don't understand." tears streamed down her blackened cheeks.

"I know, there, there," Jeb continued to pat Harriet's hand. "It'll be ok. You'll be just fine... soon."

"What do you mean... 'soon', Why do you keep sayin' that Jeb? What's happening...what goin' on! Where's Vermon!"

Jeb stood up, his six foot frame seemed to shadow Harriet like she was a small child. "I recon' you need the Doc., he's down stairs been waitin' for you to wake. I think it's time." Jeb smiled reassuringly.

As he turned toward the bedroom door Harriet thought she seen something else on Jeb's sullen face, she wasn't sure, but it looked like a grin.

Harriet looked around the room. The window was open bright and breezy. She slowly got up and walked towards the window. The floor boards screeched under her feet. She fell to her knees screaming in pain. She could hear footsteps coming up the stairs. Jeb came into the room with the doc. He smiled sympathetically.

"Now Harriet sit still this might hurt" the doctor said.
Harriet didn't know what to do. Her mind was racing, the needle was filling with drugs from the bottle.
"Jeb, go get me water" Harriet said breathlessly.
As Jeb walked down the stairs he could hear a 'thud'. He ran back up to the room to see nothing.
Harriet was gone, the doctor lay there stiff. His neck was impaled with the needle. The drugs oozed out with the blood. Jeb yelled and ran to the window. She was gone.
"You have to be here somewhere dear" Jeb's voice became cruel and harsh. His eyes turned the color of coal.

Harriet's legs throbbed in pain as she ran over roots and under the large trees of the forest. She knew that he would find her if she didn't get to the river before sundown.

The river was calm. Glacial reflections hid the dark nature and the lost souls below. Harriet's heartbeat slowed to a normal pace as the unreal daylight beauty of the river took hold of her. Her nightmares unraveled on its surface. She knew exactly what was required to save her son from the monster's grasp.

Without hesitation she walked to the bank and into the flowing water. Icy cold bit through her flesh, straight down to her bones, trying to keep her on dry land. Onward she continued.

Angrily Jeb screamed for her to get out.

Harriet carried on forward, the water was rougher under the surface and she fought for balance.

"Mommy," Vermon anxiously called, "Come back, I love you,."

It broke her heart, though both heart and mind were screaming, "it's not Vermon, it's that Monster." Only hesitating slightly, never looking back, she continued on.

As her head went under, she heard the horrendous and ugly true voice of the beast. "GET BACK HERE, YOU FU..." She was grateful the black water cut off all sound from above.

Now in the daylight hours, the skeletons and bony hands were nowhere to be seen, though she felt them watching her, staying in the shadows.

She breathed deep, inhaling water. She fought with her body to die. Another deep breath and smoky swirls swam in her head, Heavy splashing from behind caused the water to push her forward, she was dead before she hit the riverbed; Dead a full minute before the monster lifted her free of the cruel wetness.

Opening her eyes the oppressive darkness, illuminated slightly by large fires, pushed in, looking for an entry. In the murkiness she saw objects, people, things; all to vague to define and name.

Somewhere here was her beloved son. There was only a short time before the monster and his daemons came to hunt her down.

She got up feeling a slight chill in the air. She shivered as she looked about her surroundings. The people here were dark and gloomy. Bags sagged under their eyes from lack of sleep, their clothing black as the night, their was no color in their faces no color of the buildings. Everything was dull. Except the blazing fires on the streets and the small little creatures that poked at rotting people.

She had to find somewhere safe where the wretched creature Odeen would not find her. In her hurry for safety she didn't notice the young man in a dark outfit following her. He was bobbing his head this way and that making sure he wouldn't lose her. He knew something that she wanted or maybe didn't want to hear.

Harriet looked in every open door, one door a man threw a bottle at her. It flew past her head and into a young man's hand. "Good, evening mam" he bowed to her. You would have seen Harriet blush if it wasn't for the lack of color. "Lets get out of this part of town shall we?" he nodded towards the dump behind them.

Harriet followed close behind, panicking within her mind. She knew Odeen would enter death sooner or later. The young man raced among the streets of rotting people until he reached the top of the hill. The buildings were much better kept, but the people were no where to be found.
"We must go in here for now, they won't think to check here" the young man weaved into a slender Grey building. He closed the door and introduced himself.
"Hi I am-" before he could finish Harriet had a few choice words for him.

"WHERE AM I?" She screamed anxiously at the man, barely out of his teens, before her, "am I dead?" Her words flowed quick and fast, "is this hell, 'cause it ain't my idea of heaven?" Her head jittered from side to side, "and why did you drag me away from that place?" Her hands gripped hard to his muscular shoulders, "that was awful rude?"

With slight force the young man broke away from her grip and took two strides back away from her grasp.

"SHUT UP." He yelled and lunged forward with an open palm across her cheek.

Stunned, Harriet's tongue stopped flapping.

"My name is Daniel, and this is not hell, and it ain't heaven either. What it is Miss, is a larder." He waited for the information to sink in then continued, "next time you're out among the missing take a close look at 'em. Everybody here is havin' the life sucked right out of 'em. And every once in a while, when the Master wants a special treat he'll pull in' another depressed soul to suck on. He likes his fresh food does the Master."

"This doesn't look like any larder I've seen; I mean, look there's building, and food, and cars..."

"Yeah, Miss there's everythin' that's familiar to us. Helps to keep us weak, unable to fight back. I've been tryin', but I'm only one person. I try to recruit the newbies, that's why I pulled you away. They still have some strength in 'em."

"I'm not a fighter, I'm here to find my son and get out."

"To find ya' son and get out, you'll have to be a fighter. Or die!"

Daniel opened the door a crack and looked outside. Nothing. He closed the door again and put a finger to Harriet's lips. "Don't make a sound" he whispered.
He looked at the house carefully, there was only one way out other than the front door. He bolted the door and slowly walked up the stairs with Harriet close behind. At the top were several doors, only one which had a faint glowing light. He opened the door revealing a study with a huge window. He quickly locked several locks on the door and closed the curtains.
"This is where we'll be spendin' the night" he said motioning to the two small sofas. "Early in the mornin' we shall go meet the others"
"The others?" Harriet asked exhausted.
Daniel smiled, "The other fighters if ya will"
Harriet groaned thinking of the last time she ever laid a hand on any sort of weapon. She looked at Daniel and something just didn't feel right. She didn't know what it was, it just made her heart ache.

"Now miss," Daniel started.
"Please call me Harriet" she frowned at the thought of her husband.
"Ok Harriet then, I need to tell ya one thing and one thing only" he paused taking a breath, "With here newbies, they tend to follow the master. A few have followed me but thats it. I am tellin' ya do not follow the master, he will just use your strength to keep ya boy prisoned. Just trust me ok?"
Harriet's heart raced. "Prisoned?"