The salt was supposed to be safe. It was supposed to protect them. But they were dead, they were all dead. Ashley sobbed as she laid her head on her knees. Hearing a creak emitting from the stairs in front of her newest hiding spot, she lifted her head to check her circle for the tenth time. The salt was still in its circular form, and complete from all angles. Looking back to the stairs, Ashley screamed in fright, finding the demon himself directly in front of her. Her eyes flicked to the ground, and she felt a small amount of her fear ease away. He was still held back by the salt.
"Little bird, flitting to and fro, won't you let me in?" The demon cooed as he crouched to her level on the ground. Ashley could see and smell the fresh blood of her boyfriend and brother on this monster, could still see their mangled corpses on the foyer floor. She shook her head as she tried to ignore the evil before her, placing her head back on her knees.
Such cute prey he thought to himself as he watched the girl cry into her knees. He had quite enjoyed this nights game, and the foolishness of the two boys she played with. She seemed to be the only one to really read the rules, the only one whos fear he did not yet know. The younger boy was scared of clowns, an easy one to do, the older one though, was harder. He had a fear of failure. Not easy, but doable, considering all he had to do was make him believe he failed in saving his friends. But while he did indeed enjoy his latest game, the time to finish it was soon. Three thirty three was approaching. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, The Midnight Man looked back to his prey. She was so close to the edge of the circle he could smell her fear. With a smirk to match that of Jeff, he vanished as she looked up.
"Boo!" Ashley spun around and scooted away from the monster, startled from his sudden appearance behind her. She clenched her fists when she noticed his smirk, and felt the grains shift in her hand. With wide eyes she looked down quickly to see she had slid herself through the circle, rendering it useless. The demon's smirk grew as he lifted one of his clawed hands, and placed it over the line. Ashley's heart started to beat like a hummingbird as the demon moved closer. SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT! Ashley screamed in her head as she turned to scramble away, only to come face to face with the creature they had foolishly invited in. His clawed hand shot out and wrapped around her neck, lifting her bodily from the ground. Her fingers useless pried against his in an attempt to get free. Ashley shrieked when he moved his head closer and she felt his tongue slide along her cheek to lick up her tears.
"Please! Please don't!" She cried harder, tears flew free as her sight dimmed.
"Oh, how rare," The Midnight Man teased, before his clawed hand not holding her up, slowly dragged along one of her arms. Ashleys eyes widened as small holes that started to weep blood followed his path. Shaking violently, she could do nothing as the holes started to appear on her other arm as well, and she could feel them appear on her legs. The demon released his hold on her neck, allowing her to fall to the ground in a heap. Ashley frantically rubbed her arms in a vain hope the holes would disappear.
"It's not real… It's not real…" She mumbled to herself, trying to scooch herself away while trying to rid herself of the nightmare on her skin. The midnight man simply chuckled as his hand reached out and wrapped around her ankle, stopping her progressing backwards. Looking down the stairs at the other bodies, he smirked as he stood, and started to drag the weak little bird in his claw down the stairs. Each of the steps are met with a grunt of pain that came from Ashley. Each step a painful reminder of how little time she had left on the planet. The demon stopped at the bottom step, then heaved and threw Ashley to the body pile he made with the two boys. She landed with a crunch on her boyfriend, and when she opened her eyes to look at his own eyeless gaze, she screamed. She tried to scramble away from him, only for her hand to hit another warm body. She fearfully looked and saw her hand on the shoulder of a teen body. Without a head. She could just make out her brother's pained expression farther down the room, glazed eyes open in what had to be terror.
"Your game, is over" She heard whispered in her ear, before a searing pain bloomed in her chest. "Good night, little bird" Was the last thing she heard as she saw her heart, wrapped in the demon's deadly claws, emerge from its rightful spot in her body.