past the cluster of children. Eveline ran ahead and unlocked the gate and then the two of them ran for Noble's car at the curb. The three kids on the front porch were already at the driveway. Noble felt them pulling, pulling, tugging his head and forcing him to look at them.
"Just come over here, Noble," the boy in the lead said. "Just come here and become one with us."
"Jesus, that has never sounded creepier," Noble said, forcing his face away and putting on an extra burst of speed.
Eveline was already at the car. Whatever pull the children were exerting over Noble, they must not have been doing the same to her. Perhaps whatever was behind them could only focus its power on one person at a time. Noble looked behind him and saw the dozen-plus children gathering in the driveway, none of them moving particularly fast.
"We'll see you soon, Noble," they all called in unison. "We'll see you and touch you and make you one with us. Soon."
Noble felt goosebumps run up and down his body, but he forced himself to face front and dug keys from his pocket. He pressed the button and the car beeped and the lights flashed, the doors unlocking. Eveline was inside in a second. Noble had this image in his mind that the back seat would be filled with black-eyed children and that he would see their tiny hands reach around the passenger seat and grab Eveline. There would be an instant of her screaming, her eyes filled with terror, and then she would just vanish.
That did not happen.
Noble was in the driver's seat and started the car. He cast one more look back at Eveline's home. All of the children were now in the driveway. Their black eyes bore through the windshield and into Noble's skull. He shifted into drive, did a three-point-turn, and floored it off of the street. He screeched around the corner and was on a main street moments later. Only then did he start breathing again and relax his grip on the steering wheel. Eveline was crying in the seat beside him.
"How did they know your name?" Eveline asked. "What did they mean? How did they know your name, Noble?"
"I don't know," Noble said. "I don't know, but I am going to goddamn well find out."
They sped off into the night.
***
Fifteen minutes later Eveline and Noble stood outside a hotel room door. It was the kind of extended stay hotel that had studio apartments. Eveline was shaking. She had left her house without clothing, without packing anything. She had been weeping steadily since they left and her terror was palpable.
"I don't know how long you'll have to be here," Noble said. "They seem to only come out at night. Maybe tomorrow you can get back to your house and get some clothes, but I wouldn't recommend going back home until I can get some answers. Maybe if I get some, I can find a solution to this and get it to stop."
"What if you can't?" Eveline asked.
Noble sighed and gave her a hug. "I'm trying to think positive here, Eveline. I don't have any answers yet."
Eveline hugged him back and wept a bit more. Then she let go and started to head toward the hotel. She turned and looked back at Noble.
"Be careful," she said. "Something really bad is happening here and something really evil is behind those kids."
Noble waved. "I will. Take care."
He watched her head into the hotel. When she was gone, Noble immediately felt alone and like he was being watched. He looked around, studying the shadows, looking for men with red eyes and wide-brimmed hats. No shadow men. No children. For some reason that did nothing to alleviate his fear.
He got into the car and headed back onto the road. He wondered what he was going to tell Olivia. Was she a target? Was whoever or whatever was behind all of this insanity the type of person who would go after his family to get to him? Noble felt a headache forming behind his eyes. The sheer volume of questions rolling around in his skull felt like they were going to crush his brain.
Noble drove home without incident. He looked at the clock and
"Just come over here, Noble," the boy in the lead said. "Just come here and become one with us."
"Jesus, that has never sounded creepier," Noble said, forcing his face away and putting on an extra burst of speed.
Eveline was already at the car. Whatever pull the children were exerting over Noble, they must not have been doing the same to her. Perhaps whatever was behind them could only focus its power on one person at a time. Noble looked behind him and saw the dozen-plus children gathering in the driveway, none of them moving particularly fast.
"We'll see you soon, Noble," they all called in unison. "We'll see you and touch you and make you one with us. Soon."
Noble felt goosebumps run up and down his body, but he forced himself to face front and dug keys from his pocket. He pressed the button and the car beeped and the lights flashed, the doors unlocking. Eveline was inside in a second. Noble had this image in his mind that the back seat would be filled with black-eyed children and that he would see their tiny hands reach around the passenger seat and grab Eveline. There would be an instant of her screaming, her eyes filled with terror, and then she would just vanish.
That did not happen.
Noble was in the driver's seat and started the car. He cast one more look back at Eveline's home. All of the children were now in the driveway. Their black eyes bore through the windshield and into Noble's skull. He shifted into drive, did a three-point-turn, and floored it off of the street. He screeched around the corner and was on a main street moments later. Only then did he start breathing again and relax his grip on the steering wheel. Eveline was crying in the seat beside him.
"How did they know your name?" Eveline asked. "What did they mean? How did they know your name, Noble?"
"I don't know," Noble said. "I don't know, but I am going to goddamn well find out."
They sped off into the night.
***
Fifteen minutes later Eveline and Noble stood outside a hotel room door. It was the kind of extended stay hotel that had studio apartments. Eveline was shaking. She had left her house without clothing, without packing anything. She had been weeping steadily since they left and her terror was palpable.
"I don't know how long you'll have to be here," Noble said. "They seem to only come out at night. Maybe tomorrow you can get back to your house and get some clothes, but I wouldn't recommend going back home until I can get some answers. Maybe if I get some, I can find a solution to this and get it to stop."
"What if you can't?" Eveline asked.
Noble sighed and gave her a hug. "I'm trying to think positive here, Eveline. I don't have any answers yet."
Eveline hugged him back and wept a bit more. Then she let go and started to head toward the hotel. She turned and looked back at Noble.
"Be careful," she said. "Something really bad is happening here and something really evil is behind those kids."
Noble waved. "I will. Take care."
He watched her head into the hotel. When she was gone, Noble immediately felt alone and like he was being watched. He looked around, studying the shadows, looking for men with red eyes and wide-brimmed hats. No shadow men. No children. For some reason that did nothing to alleviate his fear.
He got into the car and headed back onto the road. He wondered what he was going to tell Olivia. Was she a target? Was whoever or whatever was behind all of this insanity the type of person who would go after his family to get to him? Noble felt a headache forming behind his eyes. The sheer volume of questions rolling around in his skull felt like they were going to crush his brain.
Noble drove home without incident. He looked at the clock and
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