Continental Calendar:
July 14th, 1908
Just as the sun lowered past the mountains on the horizon, he ran.
He didn't know where he was going, or why he was even running in the first place, but his emotions were currently ruling him, a usually logical young boy. Tears he did not feel were falling from his eyes, and flying behind him as he gained speed and practically flew past the markets, the streets, and even people. He bumped into a few but nevertheless he did not stop running, even when people swore or shouted at him to watch where he was going.
Aimlessly, blindly, he turned several corners, went down a few alleyways, crossed dozens of streets, and then, somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized the farther he went, the less people and buildings there were.
And yet he continued running. He didn't care.
The woman that haunted him flashed through his mind repeatedly, driving him mad and making him so desperate to run from her--the memory of her pale, lifeless body.
He ran; he continued running and running--until he couldn't see her anymore. When he stopped, he ended up collapsing onto his knees, chest heaving and eyes red from tears already shed.
His tiny hands weakly grasped the dark yellow sand beneath him. He sobbed a few more dry sobs, and then he was silent. The only sound that emerged was a vicious wind, blowing sand into his eyes.
"Dammit!" he knew it was bad to swear, but nevertheless he did so anyway, raising both hands to his eyes and viciously rubbing them, trying to quell the terrible sting. It was then he realized his hands were in the sand, and his eyes burned more than before. He used his clean arms to rub the sting away.
Just when he regained sight, he looked around, blinking several times due to the sand still etched into his vision. What he saw was unusual. Empty buildings with no windows and no doors--the paint was peeling on the walls, and there was a low humming sound.
It was then he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He froze suddenly, feeling very cold.
One...
Quickly, he shut his eyes and covered his ears, trying so hard not to be scared. Where was he?
Two...
"Go away!" he yelled at nothing in particular, "Leave me alone!"
Three...
"I mean it!" he tried to sound braver than he felt, and he rose to his feet and uncovered his ears.
Four...
His eyes flew open and he ran again, further into the tattered ruins of wherever he was.
Five...
He didn't dare look behind him, he was too scared to. For some reason, he was too scared to.
Six...
Why was he scared? He was angry with himself, feeling stupid for being scared of an abandoned town, feeling stupid for running, but he didn't stop. Something in his gut was telling him not to.
Seven...
Although he didn't hear footsteps behind him, he ran faster and faster.
Eight...
And then, he turned and headed straight into a building, ran until he saw an old mahogany table, not dusted for ages.
Nine...
He turned the table sideways, and ducked behind the table, curling up into a ball and covering his eyes and ears again.
Ten!
He tried to be as quiet as possible. For some reason he felt as if something was looming over him.
Ready or not...
And then, he felt the hand slam onto his shoulder. His eyes widened, but it was too late.
The last thing he heard was a low rasp, a hiss, similar to a snake,
"You're it."
...Here I come!!
Once upon a time, there was a bustling, peaceful city named Xerxes.
It had everything everyone wanted: food, job opportunities, residential areasand places of amusement or interest. There was something in Xerxes for everyone.
And one night, in just one night, the entire population of Xerxes disappeared.
Everyone was baffled; no one could explain why. Then, rumors began in the small towns, then spread to the bigger cities (though the bigger cities laughed at the rumor).
It was them.
The four major demons of Amestrian and Xingian folklore.
The Heartless, which took the form of a wrinkly old man, the demon that ripped out the hearts of mortals.
The Soul Reaper, which took the form of a young brunette woman with ivory skin and coal-black eyes, the demon that seduced her way to your soul.
The Face Stealer, which could vary in forms, from the tiniest insect to the most innocent child, the demon that could steal your face.
And then, the Oni, which took the form of an ogre. The most evil of all demons.
Now, Xerxes lies abandoned, the proclaimed 'haunted' border between Amestris and Xing. It's quite the magnet for children, of both Amestrian and Xingian blood, who dared to explore the abandoned remains, and perhaps even play games there. Some children disappear, which causes quite some tension among the Xingians and the Amestrians. However, there is no time for war--instead they must focus on finding the lost children.
That is if the four demons have not found them first.
If you think you've heard of the Face Stealer before, you have. That is, if you've watched Avatar. XD Many, many thanks to beta reader Lychee Green Tea, who (duh) edited this.