Hush Little Baby

Chapter 3: The Circle

Fear was still running ramped through Scott's body as minutes passed before he finally lowered the gun to his side, once again feeling Anna's blood as it caught his hand. His breathing remained heavy as he continued to stare up at the moon. It was over, only a few hours ago they had pulled off their biggest score yet, and now they were being tormented by a demonic little girl. Scott couldn't believe it as he laid there in the cold silence when suddenly he heard the sound of subtle footsteps in the distance, coming toward him at a rapid pace.

Not hesitating to react Scott sat up and pointed the gun directly in front of him as the footsteps stopped instantly. The darkness clouded Scott's vision as he saw something approaching him, slower now with their hands in the air.

"Stay back, or I'll shoot."

"Bro calm down, It's me."

"Reggie?"

"Yea man, I heard you shoot, so I rushed up here to see if you needed back up."

"Did you see her?"

"Who?"

"The little girl, she has to be right there, I just shot her."

"Dude there's no one here."

Scott lowered the gun letting Reggie approach him, as he looked around for any sign of the little girl, but Reggie was right there was no sign of her. No blood, not even a body. Getting to Scott, Reggie took the gun out of his grasp and put it at his side.

"Man, I'm telling you she was right here I watched the bullet's hit her."

Reggie ejected the clip out of Scott's gun and counted the bullets, they were all still loaded, not a single shot had been fired.

"You didn't shoot any."

"Bullshit let me see."

Handing him the magazine, Scott stared at the bullets, unable to make sense of what was going on around him. Taking a second, he gave the gun's magazine back to Reggie as he reloaded it into the pistol, before putting it next to his in the back of his pants.

"C'mon let's get you outta here."

"Okay."

Extending his hand to help Scott up. Reggie was met with a bloody grasp from his friend as he pulled him up. While getting to his feet, Scott stumbled to the side a bit unable to get his balance.

"What's wrong?"

"My leg. It wont move."

"Jeez, now I got to take care of you and Anna."

"Oh shit man, Anna. Who's watching her?"

"She seemed stable enough when I heard the gunshots so I got here as fast as I can."

The thought of Anna being alone, concerned Scott as adrenaline flowed through his veins, giving him newfound strength. Managing to shuffle his leg forward he was on the move with Reggie hot on his heels to get back to Anna. It wasn't quick, but it wasn't slow either as the two of them rushed back to the building. When only a few shops away, a bright flash of red light shot out from the building Anna was in, illuminating the entire main street, and was then followed by a scream that undoubtedly came from Anna.

The boys struggled to move faster as they finally got to the city hall building where the flash of light had come from, in hopes to save their friend. Getting to the outside of the building, Scott looked through the boards that covered the window only to see the little girl on the other side still covered in blood, In her hand, she had Anna's hoodie collar in her grasp, while Anna's body hung limp and dangling beside the little girl. She gave Scott a devilish look before he hurried to bust down the front door in an unbridled rage.

Not bothering to use the door handle, he felt immense power in his damaged leg and swung it forward. The kick broke the hinges cleanly off the threshold, as the door flew into the shop splitting in half as it hit the floor.

Shocked by Scott's incredible feat of strength, Reggie stopped for a moment as he watched his best friend rush into the building. Taking a second to shake off his trance, Reggie joined him inside seconds later. However as he walked in, Scott had already dropped to his knees in defeat. Anna was gone.

In the center of the room where Scott had just seen the girl, there was now no sign of her ever being there. On the ground, laid the two halves of the hoodie that the boys had used to patch up her hands. In unison, they both picked up a piece of it as blood covered glass fell out and shattered on the ground around them. It didn't make any sense, where was Anna, and more importantly was she okay?

Scott began to tear up as he sat back staring at the hoodie half in his hand. While Reggie put his down at his side and sat beside Scott. Both of them looked at the hoodie fragments when suddenly Reggie started to squeeze his half.

"What are you doing?"

"Dude, look."

Reggie tried to wring the hoodie to get the blood out, but there was nothing. The hoodie that was once soaked with Anna's blood was now perfectly dry. Scott did the same, only to be met with the same results.

"What the hell is going on man?"

"I don't know, but it's not good. Whatever IT is."

Looking up from the hoodie. Reggie noticed a weird black drawing underneath some of the rotted boards and the busted door. Getting back to his feet he moved the boards aside and pushed the door over as a small fire was still lit underneath. Reggie took a step back when he realized that the black marks formed an image and had just recently been burned into the wooden floor.

"Dude, you need to see this."

"What is it?"

"Just come here."

Scott got up and walked over to Reggie to observe what he saw when his eyes suddenly lit up just like Reggie's as they stared at the drawing.

"Is that?"

"Yea."