Chapter 1

The screams. I hear them. Every minute. Of every day. They haunt my dreams, they bring me nightmares, they make every waking hour of my life a desperate struggle for freedom.

It all started a couple of months ago on a normal day when my life was normal, it was all a mistake, it shouldn't have happened, if only the day had have gone as planned I wouldn't be on the verge of breaking down right now! Just walking to town, by myself, everyone had plans and once again I was left out. They do this to me all the time, sometimes I think they wouldn't care if I died.

When I go to town with my mates we take a short cut down this alley at the back of some abandoned houses but I'm a complete wimp and find it hard to watch a normal film in the dark never mind a thriller. So i decided to take the main road it may be busy and long but it sure wasn't dark and scary. The main road was just round the corner then I'd be almost at town with crowds of people i hate being alone, I rounded the corner and to make my lonely day worse - ROAD CLOSED!

There was no other way to town apart from the alley and I knew I had to take that route but I searched and searched for a way round anyway to save me the despair of facing my fears and entering the alley. After a wasted half hour i found myself at the entrance to the alley literally facing my fear...

I didn't know quite what I was afraid of, there was plenty of people around but no one crossing through the alley. There were people either side but not in, then it crossed my mind - how was everyone else getting to town.

"Hey, excuse me do you know a different way to town? It's just the main road seems to be …" My voice trailed off into the distance and I noticed the passer by was completely ignoring me. I tried again but nobody seemed to want to listen to me, it seemed I was more alone than I first thought.

I knew she had to cross through the alley, 'what's that's the worst that could happen' I thought to myself. But that thought just freaked me out even more I imagined all the things that could possibly happen down that lonely alley but not once the thought popped into my head that what was about to happen could happen.

I still believed people where ignoring me because I was just a scraggy teenager so I kept on shouting to passers by

"Excuse me," and "can you help?" Still nobody answered and I didn't have a clue what was going on…

"You know they can't hear you," I jumped out of her skin, the lad had appeared out of nowhere. I didn't know the lad but he looked about the same age as me if not a bit older with a mohican and a large leather jacket bundled around him. The lad had a warm friendly smile but a look of warning on his face.

"I wouldn't go down that alley if I was you," the lad started speaking in a serious voice but continued in a mocking voice,

"It's dark and scaaaaary, too scary for a wimp like you." The lad burst out laughing and my face reddened and I was almost shaking. The lad saw this and tried to save himself,

"Look whatever your name is…"

"It's Meera!"

"Ok. Look Meera, I was only joking you know, truth is I wouldn't dare to go down there it's all, well, trampy." At that the pair of them burst out laughing and I had forgotten about all my fears, and bravely stepped into the alley.

"Well I'll see you around err… I didn't catch your name,"

"That's because I didn't throw it," smirked the lad, "They call me the whirling Dervish. I'll see you around… hopefully."

"See you 'whirling Dervish'." With that the joyful lad was gone and I was halfway through the alley already.

I was reflecting on what had just happened, this whirling Dervish was a nice lad shame I didn't get his number but hopefully he lived near and I'd see him around quite often anyway. Thinking about their conversation had taken my mind completely off my surroundings but now I realised where I was, the one place I feared most!

I went completely into shock and froze it wasn't the alley itself, deep down I knew the alley itself was safe it's what lurked in it that froze me to the bone.

Whilst I had been thinking about the recent conversation the alley had transformed into a world of death.

A creature with no legs that seemed to float in the air stood before me. The wild fantasy creature looked out of this world (which it was) it had cracks in its body from which blood poured constantly and where it's heart should be was a hole I could only describe as deeply disturbing and grotesque! The hole was filled with snake creatures all slithering around each other and the monstrous creature itself only had a look of sadness and regret upon his face.

I felt myself being drawn towards the creature yet I didn't resist as deep down I felt slightly sorry for the creature, I felt a sort of connection. Just like me the 'demon' looked sad but most of all lonely and like he wanted a friend just like me.