The car hummed low and quiet. The headlights were dim. Rain soaked the vehicle as it crept like a preying beast down an empty road. It approached a bright diner, and as it did, it slowed to a stop near the curb.
But it didn't turn off. Not yet. The driver clicked the key back once, turned off the radio, and pulled the E-Brake. He leaned back in his seat, fingering something in the glovebox as he observed the back entrance of the diner.
Tap
Tap
Tap
The rain gently fell on the car's roof and windshield, creating an oddly serene aura... not exactly fitting for what was coming, but the driver appreciated its calming energy. The man pulled back his cuff sleeve to examine his watch. It was getting quite late. She had to come soon, or he would miss his chance.
He looked back out as the window-wipers cleared away the water on the windshield. Ah. There she was. He watched as a dark-haired girl was pushed out of the restaurant's back door into a muddy puddle in the alley. The doors slammed tight. The driver could just barely see a stack of gifts on top of the security puppet's box inside. It was time.
He turned the key, starting the car. Releasing the brake and shifting into second gear, he started down the road towards the diner, making a turn into the alley-way where the girl was. She was standing at the window, trying to look in. She was too preoccupied to notice the car a few yards behind her. The rain was too loud. It was too dark. And the lights and attractions inside were too enticing.
The driver left the car running as he stepped outside, the item from the glovebox clutched firmly in his hand. He didn't even have to try being stealthy. The darkness was all he needed. As he moved, the girl became more visible. Her dark hair was plaited back into a braid with a purple bow tied neatly at its end. The man cocked his head to the side a little as he noticed this. Henry's wife always liked to do things like that with Charlotte's hair. Henry always remarked how she looked like a little angel.
As he approached, he almost felt a sense of regret for what he was about to do. In all honesty, the child had become almost like one of his own kids to him. And she developed parental trust for the man.
Their families always spent so much time together... until more recent events. But it didn't matter, the man thought.
...
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...
Charlie tried to look through the fogged windows, but it was practically impossible. The most she could see were blurred figures and the moon glinting in spaces of clouds. She sighed, feeling tears gather around her eyes. She just wanted to be inside like everyone else... it was so magical in there. She didn't understand her father's sudden aversiveness to her being at the restaurant, which led to her disobedient night visits when he was away. But kids are jerks, so here she was, out in the cold and wet. Alone.
As she stood there, a sudden sense of panic and fear seized her. Something was telling her to leave, leave now, get away. Charlie felt confused, turning down these strange thoughts. She stayed rooted as a whisper in her mind hysterically begged her to run. She didn't understand.
As she tried to process what was happening, a sharp, piercing cold penetrated her abdomen. She coughed as pain spread up to her chest. A hand was tightly clutching her shoulder... she didn't even have to look down to see scarlet metal protruding from her stomach.
Her vision began to blur, coming in and out of focus as she stared on the window in front of her. If she could gasp, she would have. There, reflected in the rain-soaked glass was... William. No, it couldn't be...
She felt the knife roughly pull away from her, intensifying the growing pain spreading through her body. The hand left her and she crumpled to the ground, allowing her to get a better view of her torso. All she could see was a violent red expanding, soaking her shirt. A black mark, like a gaping mouth, lay where the pain was coming from. She gurgled and choked as blood ran up her throat and out of her mouth. The bitter taste of iron burned her tongue as car-lights shone brightly at her.
She watched as William climbed into his car and calmly drove past her, leaving her in the rain... which was becoming less cold the longer she stayed there. In fact, her stomach didn't even hurt that much now. She could barely hear the back door opening as a puppet crawled out. It made its way towards her as the rain fell harder.
Charlie felt her chest become very warm for a moment, barely able to see the puppet before it disappeared, along with the warmth. She could hardly see anything now.
...
Another car pulled up in the alley. It didn't stop completely before the driver jumped out, running to the girl laying on the cold ground. Charlie could hear her father frantically speaking, almost shouting before she felt him picking her up. She heard him crying. She didn't completely understand. He was there, so everything was going to be okay. Right?
She couldn't see anything. All there was was darkness. She couldn't even feel him anymore. His sobs and whimpers were growing more quiet, almost like the sound was distancing itself from her. Everything was gone...
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...
Suddenly, every sensation returned. Charlie blinked, looking around. Her stomach felt oddly cold. Her eyes darted. She could see her father... holding... her? Charlie's eyebrows narrowed in confusion. She couldn't feel the rain. She couldn't feel the ground. She looked down to find herself levitating a few inches from the concrete. Her clothes... weren't what her body was wearing.
She was clothed in all black with three large white buttons on her chest, a number of white stripes on her arms and legs, her hair now down. She looked at the diner window to see an almost glitching, see-through reflection of herself. Her cheeks had cherry red circles, purple streaks fell from her eyes to her jaw. Her skin was three shades whiter.
Charlie felt her face with one hand, beginning to understand. She looked back at her father and approached him, putting one hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I have to go now. I have to find William... I have to stop him. For you."
Her lip trembled as she tried to suppress real tears falling down her cheeks. She wrapped her small arms around her father, giving him a squeeze as she let out a small sob. He didn't make any movement to recognize her presence. She released him, giving him a small kiss on his forehead.
"I love you," she said through her tears, voice wavering. "Be happy for me, okay?"
She sniffled as she turned to face the restaurant. "William... I'm coming for you."
She felt her sadness harden into intense fury as her face drew into a scowl.
"I'm coming for you."