A young boy lies quivering under the covers of his bed. Outside his window a storm was raging, lightning flashed, and thunder screamed. He felt helpless, but not because of the storm.

The dream it was back. The one he'd been having since before he could even remember. The one that every time he thought was finally gone came back. The one that haunted him every single time he closed his eyes. The one that even now he could see dancing over his covers. The black cloak that covered his deathly thin frame. The pale skin that he could only see where the creature's cold dead-looking hand with the long claw-like nails peaked out holding the thing that gave him chills. It was a lantern, nothing ornate. The metal was cold obsidian, and nothing separated the fire from the wind as it danced on its wick.

The boy took a deep what he hoped to be calming breath, and asked himself for what felt like the millionth time in his short life why him out of everyone. What made him have these dreams? what was so wrong with him that he was haunted by this nightmare in sleep in his dreams, and then in his mind when he was awake.

All he wanted was for it to stop. A tear slid down the boy's cheek. Why wouldn't it stop? Tears streamed from his eyes like a waterfall, and he let out a soft hiccup.

Suddenly a noise from the window caught his attention, it sounded like a creak followed by a second and a third. There was something in his room making slow deliberate steps towards his bed.

He curled into himself almost forgetting to breathe. His heart thumped in his chest wild and loud, pounding along with the roar of thunder.

As the creaking got closer it became easier to distinguish the distinct pitter-patter of feet hitting the ground. Every ounce of his body told him to run, but he was immobilized.

His heart beat faster and faster by the second, and he was visibly shaking.

Squeezing his eyes he refused to listen to the noise any longer covering his ears.  

A few steps from the bed something was drawing closer, a pale hand outstretched. It lifted the covers of the bed and stared down at its prey.

Unable to stand it any longer the boy peaked opened his eyes letting the surroundings close in around him.

Inches from his face was the creature that always seemed to haunt him. His eyes widened and breathing quickened, there would be no escape now

Pure black charcoal eyes bore into him seeing beyond the timid little boy and looking deep into what seemed his very soul. The cloak the creature wore was soaking wet, water droplets dripping, hitting the floor with soft plops. It clung to him cold and heavy revealing a gaunt skeletal frame.

The creature's hand hovered in the air, and quickly closed the gap between the two. Five claws rested down on his head, causing a shiver to run down his spine.

The creature's claws were cold like a grip of death.

"Wh-who are you?" The boy asked. His voice barely a whisper over the sound of his own beating heart.

The creature didn't answer but instead started chanting in a language the boy couldn't recognize. As he did a burning sensation filled the boy. It started in his eyes and spread like a wildfire. From his eye's it spread to his ears, from there it went up to the top of his head and down to his neck. Then finally to his heart where the pounding slowly faded to almost a stop.

The last thing the boy saw before the darkness crept in was the creature's smile, as it fled out the window, then everything went dark.