The Nightmare

     Ricky was your usual nine-year-old boy who loved to build things and watch horror movies. His favorite horror movies were the slasher films where he would call out who was going to die next. His parents thought that he shouldn't watch those movies but they could not stop him because he would wait until they go to sleep at night and get up quietly just to watch them.
     His favorite time to watch horror movies was during the month of October when every one of his favorite movies was aired. Ricky has a younger sister of five years old who he loves to scare. Every time he scares her you can find her running through the house screaming. His parents have told him several times to stop scaring his sister but that does no good because it seems to be his favorite pastime.
     One night Ricky fell asleep watching a slasher movie on the couch in the living room. He had only slept for a short time before waking up and heading to his bed. He climbed in and snuggled up in his blanket and drifted back off to sleep. This night was a normal night of sleep but it would be the last one for a while.
     The next morning when Ricky woke up in his bed he had no recollection of the last movie he watched last night. It was a new day for fun and scaring his sister some more. His parents thought that it was torture to his sister but it would bite him later in life.
     The parents had to work and the kids stayed with a babysitter who pretty much allowed them to do whatever. She stayed on her phone while his little sister ran through the house screaming while Ricky chased her scaring her. It seemed to last all day until he heard his parents pull into the driveway then he would stop and act like he was an angel all day, but they knew differently.
     When they came inside, they found the babysitter watching television while the kids were in their rooms playing. They asked her how things went and she replied that they were good all day which was a lie but she wanted to get paid. After they paid her Ricky's father escorted her to the door and closed it behind her.
     Once the parents settled in, they went to the kids' rooms to check on them and found Ricky reading one of his horror comic books. They could not understand his addiction to horror and gruesome acts. It was his thing, so they accepted it and hoped that he would grow out of it eventually. So, they left him alone and did not try to stop him anymore.
     That night when Ricky went to bed that night he thought everything was fine. He fell into a deep sleep before it happened. About a few hours later, he was awakened by a cold feeling in the room. He reached down and grabbed his blanket which came off of him as he slept. When he laid back down he went back to sleep.
     During the night while everyone slept soundly, Ricky began dreaming. It was no ordinary dream. He felt like he was right there in the dream. It became a virtual reality sort of dream. He was in a garage with others who were hiding from a maniac with a meat cleaver that was wanting to cut them up and cook them for his dinner. The people who were hiding asked him if he was alright? He shook his head yes.
     Ricky asked them what was going on and they told him about the maniac and what he was wanting to do. That frightened Ricky and he ducked down hiding. He could not understand what was going on and how he got there. All of a sudden, he heard the maniac grunting around as he looked for everyone to butcher up.
     He could hear the high pitch of the meat cleaver scraping against the metal laying around. It frightened him even more. Being ten years old he began to tear up and wondered how he could get out this dream. It was terrifying and he wanted out.
     The others began running and scattering and leaving Ricky there in his hiding place. After a few minutes, he looked around the dresser he was hiding behind and saw the maniac with his meat cleaver in hand. The maniac turned to look his direction and Ricky quickly stepped back behind the dresser. He was unaware that the maniac spotted him.
     As he sat tremoring in fear, he heard the steps of the maniac walking closer to his location. The fear in him rose and that is when he bolted out from his hiding place. Just as he ran out, he felt the swipe of the meat cleaver behind him which almost got him but it tore the back of his shirt. The cleaver waving maniac began to follow him yelling out loudly because he missed him.
     After ducking and dodging things around what looked like a junkyard he still heard the man behind him. He kept running until he couldn't hear him following behind. He stopped and looked back wondering where the maniac went?
     Then he heard someone screaming and wondered what was going on? He was afraid to go check, so instead, he just kept running looking for places to hide until he could figure out how to get out of this nightmare. As he was running, he found himself stumbling around everything worried that the maniac will hear him.
     Ricky finally found a car trunk to get into. He climbed inside and pulled the trunk lid down over him with just a little space to breathe and see where everything was. He did everything he could to hide from the monster that wanted to eat him. It seemed like a lifetime, but a few minutes later he looked out the trunk through his little crack and watched in horror as he saw the maniac kill one of the others by decapitation.
     He began to tear up as he watched this person being cut up into pieces and thrown into a potato sack and hauled off. Ricky waited until he thought the coast was clear before he opened the car trunk and climbed out. As he turned around to close the lid, he looked down into the trunk and saw the remains of a human and realized he was laying on it.
     He closed the lid gently and started walking away when he heard a chainsaw in the distance and someone screaming. He was afraid but also curious about what was happening and began following the screams and noise. It led him through the junkyard to what seemed to be a clearing up ahead. He crouched down behind some junk and observed what was going on.
     It looked like a small camp where the maniac might live. It was dirty and smelled of smoke as he noticed a huge black pot sitting over a fire. Ricky looked around for the maniac and then he saw him come out of a little shed looking building with his chainsaw in his hand. When he looked at his other hand, he saw him dragging someone who was screaming for help. Their hands and feet were bound by rope as they were drug over to the fire.
     Ricky watched in horror as the maniac lifted the person hooking his feet to a hook high up on a pole near the fire. He watched as the maniac cut off the rope that bound their hands and then the maniac grabbed his chainsaw starting it up. As the maniac revved up the chainsaw the person screamed even louder.
     The maniac took the chainsaw and cut off one of his arms and threw it into the pot. Blood poured from that person's body where their arm used to reside. Ricky quickly covered his mouth to not make a sound. He sat there watching as piece after piece of the person was being cut up and thrown into the pot.
     Once the whole body was inside the pot, the maniac sat by it for several minutes waiting for everything to cook. About fifteen minutes later, Ricky watched as the maniac stirred the pot before reaching in and grabbing a piece of the person and lifting it to his mouth. He watched as the cold-blooded killer began eating the person.
     Ricky thought that this was worse than the horror movies he watches on television. He began to sniffle as a tear fell from his eye and rolled down his cheek. After the maniac finished his last bite of the piece he was eating, he smelled another human nearby and began to get up walking around following the smell.
     Ricky began panicking as he felt something walk up behind him. He turned and there standing in front of him was the maniac with some rope in one hand and a machete in the other. He froze and couldn't even scream from fear. The maniac reached down and grabbed Ricky by his arm and drug him back to his camp.
     He brought him over by the same pole Ricky watched him dismember and cook someone. That's when Ricky began screaming. The maniac knocked Ricky down and began to tie his feet together to place him on the hook. Ricky screamed as loud as he could but no one could help him.
     After hanging him by his feet, the maniac went to sharpen his machete to take care of his meal. Ricky watched in horror as he saw the sparks from the machete as it was being sharpened. Ricky was in trouble and about to be a cannibal's meal. As the maniac began walking near Ricky, all he could do was scream. Just when the maniac raised his machete to take off Ricky's arm, he was back in his bed with his mom standing over him.
     Ricky sat up quickly wrapping his arms around his mom's neck and holding her tight. She asked him what was wrong and he replied that he was having a bad nightmare and was so glad that she woke him up. After that night, Ricky never watched another horror movie or scared his sister ever again.

The Evil Eyes That Follow

     It was a cool breezy day in November when four college students decided to take a camping trip to get away from all the stress of everyday life. There was Kendra, Steven, Allison, and of course Darryl, the geek from school. Everyone kept in touch and met at the local coffee shop to make the plans and preparations. Everyone was on board and contributed to a part of the planning and who was going to bring what.
     They decided that they would use Steven's four wheel drive Chevy truck as transportation and that he would make the arrangements to pick everyone up that morning to leave. It was a difficult decision as to where they wanted to camp with the choices being at a California beach or stay within their state of Oregon and camp in the woods.
     It came down to a vote and with three choosing to camp in the woods, Kendra was the only one who wanted the beach scene. So, it was now time to figure out what part of the state they wanted to go. As they discussed it, Darryl came up with a location that had a folklore behind it. There was supposedly this location where people have gone missing to never be found again, and that people were afraid to go around.
     This did peak everyone's interest and it was set in stone that this would be the place of adventure and fun that they chose. It was also made known that because of the folklore behind this location that everyone made a note to bring and carry a compass so that no one would get lost. It was sure to be the camping experience of a lifetime.
     Once everyone knew what they were doing, they dispersed to their own homes to prepare for the next morning. Steven made sure that he filled the gas tank and took another five-gallon gas can full with them. Everyone packed their sleeping bags and tents, snacks and drinks, and the girls even made sure that food for cooking was taken.
     Everyone went to bed early that night to wake up to a full day of adventure and fun. The sun was shining and it was not that humid so that everyone could enjoy the day. Early that morning, Steven was packing his things into the back of the truck before locking up his house and heading out to pick up everyone else.
     His first stop was to pick up Kendra. She was sitting outside with her stuff waiting on him and they quickly got her things into the truck. Once they were back on the road again, they were headed to Allison's house, who was still dragging and carrying her stuff outside. By the time they got her stuff packed into the truck there wasn't much room left and hoped that Darryl wasn't bringing a whole lot of his stuff being how geeky he was.
     When they pulled up to Darryl's house, he was sitting on what looked to be a suitcase. They were only going camping, what would he need a suitcase for? When Steven got out to help him put his stuff in the truck, he asked Darryl why a suitcase? Darryl told him that he knew there was limited space in the truck so he packed all his gadgets and stuff in a suitcase which wouldn't take up so much room. Steven laughed and told him "good thinking".
     They were finally off to their camping location which would be about a four-hour drive. The girls admired the landscape while the guys were cutting up telling jokes. The conversation came up about the location they were headed for and Darryl had done some research on the folklore attached to it.
     He pulled out newspaper clippings of all the people who went missing in these woods. He read out loud how everyone who went into the woods never returned. Law enforcement stated how they only found their camping equipment and back packs but never any remains of bodies and such. It boggled their mind and even posted signs telling campers to beware.
     After reading the clippings, the girls showed some concern about where they were going but Darryl informed them that he was prepared for almost anything like having a compass, a map of the area, and anything else they might need. He was very well prepared and that made the girls a little more at ease.
     Along the way, they spotted a small store and decided to stop for a restroom break and some snacks. While the girls visited the restroom, Steven asked the clerk about the area they were headed to and the clerk had a weird look on his face before telling them that he wouldn't advise them to go camping there that many people have gone missing.
     Darryl informed him that they were prepared for anything and should be okay. The girls finally came out of the restroom and grabbed some snacks which they took to the counter to pay for. The guys headed outside to the truck while the clerk warned the girls about the woods they were going to. They just shrugged it off, paid for their stuff, and headed back outside.
     They all piled back into the truck and began their trip back on the road. It seemed like it took forever before they reached their destination and found a spot off the side of the road to park. As they got out of the truck, they took a good look around at their surroundings. The woods were dense but beautiful. There were tall green trees and the faint sounds of birds chirping from inside.
     They gathered their things and put their backpacks on and headed for the path that led into the woods. As they entered the woods, they began hearing strange noises of all different animals and critters. They walked for about an hour into the woods before finding a space to make camp.
     As they got their tents up, the girls began gathering wood for the fire and for cooking. The sun was beginning to set so they got a roaring fire started and then sat around it eating snacks that they brought along. Darryl also brought along some of his devices like something that would keep animals and critters away.
     As it got darker, they sat around telling stories of legends they had heard before. The forest began to come alive around them with different noises and it made the girls a little uncomfortable. Both guys tried to reassure them that nothing was going to get them.
     As the night wore on, it was getting late and everyone agreed it was time to get some sleep. So, the girls climbed into their tent while the guys put things away and then headed into their own tents. As the girls laid in their tent, they started hearing more noises which made them tenser but they remembered what the guys said and they both laid down to sleep.
     Later on into the night, Darryl was awakened by a loud noise and decided to take a look. It sounded really close and he figured while he was out looking around that he would relieve himself also. He walked outside and off into the forest to locate a spot to relieve himself.
     While he was standing there, he heard a noise that caught his attention. When he looked up, there was a pair of eyes off in the distance that was indescribable. They were staring at him and it startled him at first and the noise seems to come from where the eyes were at. Darryl thought that it was just a forest animal and paid it no mind.
     After he finished relieving himself, he zipped up and began walking back towards camp. As he walked he noticed the eyes were following him. They almost seemed like they were glowing and had an evil appearance to them but he could not see any body to go with them. It was a little frightening to Darryl so he hurried to return to camp.
     There was just one thing that Darryl forgot and that was he forgot to bring a compass or anything that would direct him back to camp and it is so dark and dense he couldn't find his way back. He was out in the middle of a dark forest with a pair of evil eyes following him. He was so fixed on them that he forgot to watch where he was going.
     It was about thirty minutes later when Steven woke up to find that Darryl was missing and became concerned. He woke up the girls and they all became concerned but were afraid to leave the camp site. They began hollering for Darryl but had gotten no response. They started to worry at this point.
     That's when they heard Darryl yelling out in fear. They yelled back for him and all of them started running out into the woods in the direction of Darryl's yelling. They went a good distance out into the woods and lost track of where the camp was for them to return. They ran out there looking for their friend in case he needed help but found nothing.
     They stood together realizing that they were now lost and still did not find Darryl. It wasn't until Kendra felt a drop on her shoulder and when she looked at it there was a blood drop on her arm and then another. They all looked up and in the tree hanging directly above was the remains of Darryl.
     Well, only half of him was there, it was as if he had been chewed in two pieces except the other half was nowhere to be found. The girls both let out a blood-curdling scream while Steven turned to vomit. Their friend was hanging in a tree with half of his body gone and his intestines hanging out. They tried to get their thoughts together to figure out who or what could have done this.
     Then, nearby they heard a noise like they have never heard before and when they looked in the direction of the noise, there were those evil eyes glaring back at them. They could not see a body with them but that was enough to frighten everyone where they all took off running. They tried to stay together but each one looking back to see if they were being followed they lost each other.
     Kendra noticed she was alone and tried calling out for the others and got no response. She kept looking around for those evil looking eyes to see if they were following her. When she turned around she felt something as cold as ice and very sharp go through her and thought it was just a cold chill until she fell to the ground and noticed she had been sliced in half mid waist. She laid there with blood gurgling out of her mouth as she was aspirating it and looked down to see to see her bloody organs falling from her body and oozing out onto the ground. It didn't take long before she had taken her last breath and was gone.
     Steven stopped and began calling out for the girls and then in the distance he heard Allison screaming. He tried running in her direction and finally found her scared and not having her mind about her. They were together and safe and began walking through the woods hoping to find his truck or their campsite where they thought they would be safe.
     They walked for about twenty minutes and stopped to rest and did not see those eyes around them. Steven asked Allison if she was alright and she couldn't stop looking around for those evil eyes and panicking. She started to babble about how they weren't going to make it out of those woods and Steven did everything he could to try and calm her down but it was no use she was in full panic mode.
     Then they heard a noise close by and there were those eyes again and Allison in full panic mode began running and Steven took off to follow her. As they were running, the woods were becoming denser and Allison has tripped on a branch laying on the ground falling on her face. When Steven stopped to help her all of a sudden out of nowhere Allison was beheaded right in front of him. Her head flying right into Steven's arms to which he yelled out dropping it very quickly and then running for his life.
     The eyes followed him and tormented him as if playing with him like a toy. As he ran, he too tripped over something and when he noticed what it was, there lay Kendra's dead, cut in half body. He again yelled out and backed away from it. Then those eyes came closer and before he knew it, his abdomen was sliced open and all of his entrails came gushing out and he took his hands and tried to stuff them back inside but it was doing no good. His hands covered in blood and his yelling was doing nothing for his situation.
     He looked up and those eyes were staring at him and that was the last thing he saw before falling over and taking his last breath of life. The next day, the sun shined brightly through the trees as if nothing ever happened and all of the bodies have disappeared without a trace.
     After several days, law enforcement made a sweep of the woods and all that was found was the campsite with a burned out campfire and all their belongings. No one ever survived to tell the tale of the evil eyes that follow.

The Searcher of Souls The Final Part

     When Kate opened her eyes, there stood the dark shadow over her. She looked down and saw her physical body still laying on her couch. She reached down to touch her body but her hand just went through her. She was in a spiritual sense and not addressed in the living anymore. She stood up in front of the dark shadow as he handed her a hooded robe matching the one it was wearing.
     Kate asked the dark shadow if she was dead, but he still made no response. She took the robe and put it on and then began to feel power course through her body as if she had become immortal and powerful. The dark shadow also brought with it a long wooden staff which it also handed to her. Once Kate took the staff she knew there was no turning back. She was now a grim reaper who took the souls of the living.
     She stood there looking at herself in the long mirror which was attached to her bedroom door and saw the new person she was to become. As she stood there, she began to watch as her body slowly faded from the image in the mirror. She was now a part of the dead and spiritual world. From this moment on no one would ever see her again.
     As she turned to speak to the dark shadow, she couldn't believe her eyes. It began to dissolve into ash falling to the floor. Kate stood there watching until the last part of it was laying in a pile of ash on her living room floor. It was now final. She had taken its place as the searcher of souls. Kate found it complexing because she had no handbook to tell her what to do. As she reached for the front doorknob, her hand seemed to grab right through it not touching it at all.
     She stood there thinking of where to go and as soon as she thought about a place she whisked away and before she knew it she was standing in the exact place she thought of. Kate figured it out that she would have to learn as she goes. She began hearing screaming and what sounded to be people in pain. The more she heard them the thoughts of where they were entered her mind. Once she wondered where they were she soon vanished and then realized she was standing right next to them.
     As she noticed the situation of why they were screaming, she remembered what the dark shadow did while standing over someone. She reached her hand out and placed it over the person screaming while trapped inside her car bleeding from being impaled by a steel pipe. It was a car accident where the woman hit a truck from behind carrying steel pipes which hung out from the end of the truck. It penetrated her windshield and impaled her through the chest and into her seat where she was pinned.
     As Kate drew her hand out over the woman, she saw the woman's soul begin to leave her body and enter into Kate's hand. She could feel the soul penetrate her body giving her more power and then it became an adrenalin rush as she watched the woman go lifeless right in front of her. Once the soul was claimed, Kate began to notice the tingling sensation running through her body. She started to wonder if the souls she claims enter in through her as if she was a portal of some kind. One where the soul travels through her to the other side where they will spend eternity.
     Kate was amazed at how simple and fast it would be even though deep down she hated having to kill people as she looked at it. Once she had claimed the souls at the car accident she began hearing people screaming and yelling in her head. There were no people around her but where could the screams be coming from? The minute she focused on them, she was whisked away to find herself in a burning building where people were trapped and began taking their souls watching through the smokey room as their bodies go limp as they take their final breath. One by one each soul entered her body and the more power she felt.
     Once Kate had collected all the souls in that burning house she stood overlooking as their dead bodies began smoldering and burning. The flames ignited by their bodies rose to two-feet high before she whisked away to another location. The one thing that she noticed was that she didn't smell the aroma of burning flesh nor did she feel the heat of the fire. She really was a ghost so to speak. Kate became aware of the powers she had and another one that stuck out was that she didn't feel tired. She was never going to sleep again.
     Being that she was now in the spiritual sense, she was not going to feel or sense things as the human flesh would. She would never become hungry, thirsty, or tired again. It was a new way of thinking for Kate. She was now addressed as the dead walking with the job of taking souls. It became her life now and one by one, souls would be sent through her to the other side where they would be judged accordingly.
     Kate found pleasure in taking the souls of criminals like rapist's and murderers, but it bothered her when it came to taking the souls of unborn babies and infants. The one's who were innocent and could do no wrong. Some were of mother's who were addicted to drugs or those unborn babies who had developmental deformities. It was unbearable at times but she knew deep down it was for the best for those children.
     Day in and day out, Kate traveled around the world taking souls. She was now a part of death and every so often was able to see her friends from a distance and how their lives have changed. She was even able to attend her own funeral and saw how much she was loved and admired. That gave her a sense of peace to know that she made the right decision to become the searcher of souls.

The Searcher of Souls Pt 4

     After a good restful nap, Kate woke up feeling a lot better and forgetful of the decision she would have to make in two days. She sat there on the couch staring off into space with the visions of taking the souls from other people. She saw herself dressed in the long, black hooded robe, standing over dying or severely injured people wanting help as she sucked the soul from their body. It was a horrible thought to see their body go lifeless because of her.
     She finally bounced back to reality and got up off of the couch. She went into the kitchen to get something to drink and when she turned around, there was the tall, dark shadow standing in front of her. Kate spoke to it loudly stating that she had two days to give him an answer and then it reached out its hand taking hers as they whisked away and before she knew it, they were standing next to a serious car accident.
     Kate could hear people screaming and yelling out in pain wanting help. She felt so bad for them and wanted to help them but she was not able to. The dark shadow led her around by the hand as he took the souls of the dying. Kate almost broke down in tears as she watched their bodies go lifeless. One by one, he ripped their souls from their injured dying bodies as Kate stood looking in horror.
     Before she knew it, he had taken the last and within a blink of her eye, they were standing back in her kitchen. She kept asking him why he was doing this to her, only to get no response. This started to make Kate frustrated but she had to face the fact that her decision would affect the rest of her life. She had no knowledge that she was being given two days to say her goodbyes and to take care of her final human business.
     After a few minutes, the dark shadow disappeared right before her eyes in a cloud of dark gray smoke. Kate was left standing there with herself almost in tears due to her frustrations of taking another human's life. She has been given the choice of becoming a grim reaper or death and the loss of her own soul. She quickly went into the living room and grabbed her telephone book of numbers. She started skimming through the pages and calling her friends to talk to them which might be the last time she ever hears their voice.
     Kate spent the rest of the day and evening talking to her friends and having a good time. She thought to herself that she will miss a lot of things when she is gone and then she knew the decision she had to make. She was fearful of losing her soul but knew that if she was a grim reaper she would still be able to see her loved one every now and then from a distance.
     When she was done talking to her friends and said her goodbyes, she went into the bathroom to shower and get dressed for bed. Her sleep would bring her no comfort and the nightmares of her experiences with the dark shadow will haunt her mind. She knows what she has to do and which decision to make, but would it be the right one? When she wakes from the night she will have one day remaining and needs to take care of a few last things. With these thoughts in mind, Kate finally fell asleep snug in her bed.
     The next morning, Kate woke up wiping her eyes and thinking about the things she had to do. After laying there in the bed, she got her thoughts together before climbing out and heading for the bathroom. Once she had relieved herself and washed her hands, she left the bathroom heading for the kitchen. She walked in and started a pot of coffee while she cleaned up the kitchen a little.
     When it was ready, she grabbed a cup, a tablet, and headed over to the table. She sat down and made a list of everything she wanted and needed to accomplish today. It wasn't a short list, but it was long enough to fill her day up. She drank her coffee as she thought about the things on her list. Then, she prioritized them in order. Kate found herself being frustrated by her list after many times of crinkling the paper up, tossing it, and starting over. It was becoming monotonous to her.
     She finally got her list completed and prioritized and went ahead and started on the first one. She made her last will and testament to leave all of her earthly belongings to her surviving family and friends. Once that was done, she took it down to the courthouse and had it notarized and then took a copy to her bank to make sure all of her final wishes would be completed. The next thing on her list was to meet her close friends for lunch at an extravagant restaurant.
     After Kate spent an hour or so eating lunch with her friends, she headed off to finish her list before heading home. It took almost the whole day to get her list done but it was completed. When she arrived back home, she was exhausted and her body ached so she ran herself a hot bath to soak in. She placed lit candles and burnt some incense while she soaked in a hot bubble bath. She knew it would be her last night alive.
     After her bath, she got out, dried herself off, and put on her favorite fuzzy robe. She went into the kitchen and turned on the stove to brew some hot tea. Kate stood there in the kitchen while waiting for the water to boil and thought about everything that she stood to lose. It was depressing to think about but she knew there was no other way. Her water started to boil and she poured some into her cup with a tea bag and steeped it until ready to drink.
     She took her tea when it was ready and walked into the living room sitting down on her couch. She savored her tea as it relaxed her mind and body. She was now ready for her new life and what would transpire thereafter. She sat calmly on her couch waiting for the dark shadow to appear because he never gave her a set time, just two days. After she finished her tea, she grabbed her soft throw blanket and cuddled up on the couch watching an old movie which was a favorite of hers before falling off to sleep. Kate was unaware that she would never wake up in the physical form, but she slept soundly.

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The Searcher of Souls Part 3

     After Kate had finished reading the parchment, she looked at the shadow and asked, "Don't I have to be dead to be what you are?" and that's when the dark shadowy figure reached out and took Kate's hand. In the blink of an eye, Kate was taken away with the dark figure only to end up standing on the side of the highway was there had been an accident. It was a mess and there was carnage everywhere. It looked to be about eight cars involved in the accident. Kate could see bodies thrown all over the highway, some hanging outside of their cars, but most were screaming for help. She wanted to help them but when she reached out to take someone's hand her hand seemed to just swipe right through the victim's hand.
     Then, Kate could hear the sound of multiple rescue vehicles approaching from down the highway. She stood there helpless and could feel their pain as well. That's when the dark figure took her by the hand and walked around the accident in search of souls to steal. Kate stood next to the figure as if in training while the figure reached out its flesh melting hand and reached into the victim only to remove the soul from the person even while they are still alive causing instant death to the victim. All she could do was stand there with tears rolling down her face as one by one he stole the souls of those injured in the accident.
     When it came to the last victim which was still alive, the figure grabbed Kate's hand and thrust it into the victim's body like it wasn't even there. The dark figure assisted Kate in pulling the soul from the victim while watching the sobbing person collapse instantly becoming lifeless. His eyes were still open and she could see the pupils dilate and become fixed as his life force diminished. Kate had become distraught over what she had done and felt so much remorse and guilt for causing another human being's death. She looked up at the figure and pleaded to be taken back home. They quickly disappeared from the accident and Kate opened her eyes to see her own house.
     Kate began asking the dark figure questions like why is it choosing her and what if she doesn't accept the offer? The dark figure began writing in the air in front of Kate which read "become or perish". She then took a step back in horror as she was being told that her only two choices were to become Death or lose her life and end up God knows where. She informed the dark figure that she would have to think about it and that's when the figure wrote in the air again "two days". She repeated it back to it that she had two days to choose? Then, the figure disappeared into thin air.
     At this point, Kate was not only exhausted but now stressed about the decision she only had two days to make. Could her life get any worse? Then, the phone rang and when she picked it up to answer, it was her mother's voice on the other end checking up on her daughter. By the stress in Kate's voice, her mother could sense something was wrong. She started questioning Kate about what was troubling her and Kate kept stating that there wasn't anything wrong. Her mother, being overbearing as she was, asked her daughter to meet her for lunch which Kate wholeheartedly agreed to. She informed her mother that she would meet downtown at a well-known cafe in about an hour and then hung up the phone.
     Kate walked into her kitchen and grabbed a cold bottle of water from the fridge and began drinking it until it was gone. She grabbed a second one which she took with her into her bedroom to change clothing. Being with her mother was not a sweats or jeans kind of setting. She knew she had to wear a dress with makeup and her hair properly worn. Kate thought to herself as she got dressed that this might be the last time she sees her mother.
     Once she was ready, Kate grabbed her house keys and headed out the door. It was a beautiful day with a very light breeze as she walked down the sidewalk toward downtown. She listened to the birds chirping as she began thinking about her choices. As she got closer to town, she was walking past a big brick church which had it's doors open. She thought to herself for a moment while staring at the open doorway that it couldn't hurt to stop in for a minute. Kate started walking towards the door and was met by the pastor at the door. He looked at Kate and smiled as she walked inside.
     Once she walked down the aisle and sat for a minute in one of the nearby pews staring up at the statue of Jesus Christ. She felt the urge to talk to him and began speaking to it like it was a real person sitting there with her. As she was talking, the pastor came over down the aisle and asked Kate if he could sit with her a moment. She agreed to speak with him and his first words were "are you okay?", and she replied back that she was just a little stressed. She then asked the pastor why he asked her that, his reply was that he sensed something was bothering her by the expression on her face. Kate just shook her head and told him she was fine when in the back of her mind she was not so fine.
     She asked the pastor to pray with her and to ask for insight and wisdom to make the right decisions in her life. The pastor grabbed her crossed hands and began praying with her. Afterward, Kate thanked the pastor before getting up and walking down the aisle back towards the doors. She stepped outside the doors meeting the sun directly in her eyes before heading back down the street for downtown. As she walked, every now and then she would get a glimpse of the dark figure as if he were following her but she tried to pay it no mind.
     Kate reached the cafe and walked inside. She saw her mother seated in the middle of the cafe and headed towards her. As she reached the table, her mother looked up and smiled at her. She sat down and smiled back at her mother before asking her how her day has been going. Her mother was reading her expressions and can tell when something is bothering her daughter. She then starts to pick away at Kate's mind and thoughts. It started to bother Kate and she politely asked her mother to stop to which she did. The waitress had come over to their table to take their order. After her mother ordered her food it was Kate's turn. She ordered something light like a salad and some of the cafe's special chili which Kate loved so much. The waitress smiled at Kate before turning to go back towards the kitchen.
     While they waited for their food they enjoyed a pleasant conversation about current events and then her mother began speaking about the car accident on the highway. Kate became a little unnerved at her mother's choice of current conversation. She thought to herself that maybe her mother spotted her on the television taking those souls with the dark figure but her mother made no comment on the subject. Then, her mother changed the subject and went on to ask her daughter when she plans on dating again. Kate just looked at her mother and told her that dating was the furthest thing from her mind right now. She was more focused on her job and living life than finding some man to tie her down and stress her out.
     The waitress soon brought their food over and they began eating. Kate was cherishing her bowl of chili which her mother despised because of its grease and fat content. She started to tell her daughter how certain foods were bad for her health and she should take heed to what she eats. After that her mother made the comment "men don't find a chubby woman attractive" and that is when Kate looked up at her mother and insisted they change the subject. Again, Kate was feeling stressed out just by her mother's opinions and comments. When hey finished their food, Kate was about ready to head back home with a very full stomach. Her thought about her choices was nowhere in her thoughts at that moment. They had gotten their things together, got up from the table and headed for the cashier.
     Kate started to reach into her purse when her mother told her she would pay for the lunch and Kate said, "thank you" to her. After paying for their meal, they both walked towards the front door when caught out of the corner of her eye, Kate noticed the dark figure again. It was standing outside one of the windows as if watching her. She was almost afraid to walk out the door, but her mother headed out first. Once Kate stepped outside the door, she could no longer see the dark shadowy figure and it put her at ease.
     Kate walked her mother to her car and they hugged each other before her mother got inside. Her mother rolled the window down and told her daughter how much she enjoyed their lunch and that she loved her very much with or without a man in her life which brought a smile to Kate's face. They then said their goodbyes before Kate stood there watching as her mother pulled off and drove down the road. While she headed for home, the thought hit her again that she had two days before she had to make that horrible decision to become a searcher of souls.
     Once she made it to her door, she looked down and there was a piece of parchment paper laying on the floor. Kate reached down and picked up the old paper and there were only four words written on it, "you have two days". It again startled Kate and she hurriedly opened her door and got inside. She locked her door up tight and wanted nothing to do but relax and clear her mind. She put the piece of paper down on the table with her keys and then walked into the living room. She walked over to her cozy looking sofa and gently sat and laid back on it. As she felt every muscle in her body relax into that sofa, Kate drifted off into a somber sleep.

The Searcher of Souls Part 2

     Once Kate regained consciousness and opened her eyes there was no one there. She realized that she was laying flat on her brownish gray carpeted floor with Pearl sitting next to her. She sat up and while her body was leaning forward a small black card fell from her stomach and onto the floor next to her. She picked it up and it looked somewhat like a business card which read, "Welcome to the Club, I'm Coming for YOU". This had freaked Kate out a little as she tried to run things through her mind as to what happened before she blacked out.
     Once Kate was back on her feet she looked around her living room and there was no sign of anyone being there. She even unlocked her door and looked out into the hallway. No sign of anyone, just this card she found. She hesitated for a minute to gather her thoughts before going into her kitchen for a glass of tea. Then, her phone rang which scared her for a minute as she almost jumped out of her skin. She looked over to the phone and watched it as it rang again. She went ahead and walked towards the ringing slim line phone hanging on the wall. It had rung two more times before she actually answered it.
     Once she picked up the phone, before she put it to her ear, she could hear the voice of her best friend Lindsay. It gave Kate a sense of calmness hearing her friends voice on the phone. She finally said, "hello" and Lindsay starting asking her if she was alright. Kate had retained her wits about her and began talking with Lindsay like nothing had happened. Her friend of many years who had since moved away to take a better job was in town and wanted to spend some quality time with her best friend.
     Kate was ecstatic about her friend being in town and was excited about meeting up with her and catching up on old times. Lindsay told Kate where to meet her which was a small little cafe downtown in about an hour. Kate agreed and then got off the phone to get herself ready. She went into her bedroom and changed her clothes to put something more casual and comfortable on before she headed out the door, She again hesitated that something wasn't quite right. She did one final look around the living room before leaving to go meet her friend.
     As she walked downstairs and out the front door of her building, she still had that eerie feeling something wasn't right. Kate shrugged it off and began walking towards downtown to meet her friend. She noticed how beautifully blue the sky was, all the bird flying around, and that the sun quenched her skin with vitamin K. It was so beautiful to be outside where the air was fresh. As she was admiring the scenery, she happened to notice a group of people standing around up ahead of her and staring upwards. As Kate approached the group, she noticed everyone was staring up as a female was standing on the ledge of her building. People were yelling up at her and her boyfriend was sticking his head outside of a window two windows over. He was trying to get her to come back in but she stood there crying and yelling at him. Then, as everyone gazed up she jumped from her ledge and fell four stories to her death on the concrete sidewalk.
     Everyone began feeling upset and crazed that they had just witnessed a woman committing suicide. Everyone surrounded her lifeless body and some were trying to revive her, while other's were on cell phones calling the police. As Kate moved closer to where the woman's body lay on the concrete, she looked around as everyone scrambled, and some were even crying. Then, it appeared almost out of nowhere, the dark shadowy figure, standing over the woman's body. He stood there for a minute looking down at her before waving his fleshy skeletal hand over her. I watched as he plucked her soul right from her body.
     Kate could see the soul rise up from the body screaming and fighting to stay. Once he had a good grip on her, he looked up at Kate who was standing there in disbelief. She could not see any eyes, just darkness under his cloak. He was there for what seemed forever but disappeared in the blink of an eye. Kate jumped out of her stillness as the people around her were busy screaming, talking, and crying with one another. She politely asked the man next to her if he saw that, and he replied with "yes, I saw her jump from the overhead ledge", but that was not was Kate was referring too, She wondered how it came to be that she could see this dark figure and no one else could.
     After standing there for a few minutes she remembered that she was supposed to be meeting her friend Lindsay and turned to walk down the sidewalk past the group of onlookers. As she got closer to the little cafe, she spotted Lindsay getting out of her car. Kate caught up to her as Lindsay was opening the door. They gave each other a big hug once inside the door and walked toward a table in the corner of the cafe to sit. The waitress came over and asked them if they were ready to order and both of the women just asked for a latte for the moment.
     Kate was just so excited to see her friend especially with what has been going on lately. It seemed as if Kate could not go anywhere without someone dying in front of her. She was more concerned with why this dark figure was only seeable by her and why it chose her. What did it want? These were questions that only Kate could find the answers too, but she was done thinking about it for now and wanted to gossip with her friend for a bit.
     Kate and Lindsay chatted and laughed for a bit about what has been going on in their lives. Kate had nothing to worry about while she was with her friend. They sat and drank their latte without a care in the world. They had missed each other so much since Lindsay went away two years ago. They had kept in contact through email, letters, and photos. Kate was just so happy to see Lindsay again that she couldn't keep from smiling.
     As Kate and Lindsay traded life stories, Kate had looked over and noticed the dark figure standing in the window. It stood there watching her as if it had a purpose for her. Kate tried to ignore it and began listening and making eye contact with Lindsay. Lindsay could see Kate was distracted and asked her what was wrong and if she was okay. Kate just smiled and told her everything was fine when it really wasn't.
     Once their time was up and Lindsay had to go, Kate walked her outside after paying the ticket for the latte's. They went outside the door and gave each other a huge hug and said they would keep in touch. Kate watched as Lindsay walked away before she headed back towards her house. She still had that eerie feeling as if someone was watching her. She tried to shrug it off but it just kept bothering her.
     When she made it home and got inside her door she felt strange as if someone had been in her house. When she closed the door and turned around there was this dark shadowy figure standing before her. It startled her and she took a step back being pinned up against her door. The dark figure just stood there until Kate asked in in a demanding voice what it wanted. The figure just stood there staring at her.
     Finally, the figure reached out and grabbed Kate's hand and before she knew it she was seeing through his eyes. All of the souls trapped in Hell. She could feel their pain and hear their screaming. It was giving Kate such a terrible feeling. She didn't understand why he was showing her this. She could feel the heat from the brimstone and smell the sulfur. It was such a horrifying experience and she wanted to return to her house. When she let go of his hand she realized she was still standing in the same spot against her door.
     As she stood there staring at what she believed now to be the searcher of souls, it reached inside its cloak and pulled out a piece of paper and Kate could see how old the parchment was. It reached out as if to hand it to her. Kate was hesitant at first but it seemed that it wanted Kate to read it. She took the parchment from its hand and began opening it. Once she had it opened she gazed upon the old creepy handwriting to read it. It was written almost like an invitation but was more demanding of her to become a messenger of death. It wanted her to be the next searcher of souls.