| Breathing heavily, the boy ran with all his might. Never even thinking about stopping for a breath of air. Something was chasing him. This was something that was far beyond human and far beyond even mortal, something that started lurking in the shadows of the subway, but then spotted him walking down the first flight of stairs from the street, trying to get the last train home and hungered. Hungered for something no mortal hungered for. The hunger drove the creature to extremes and would stop at nothing to fulfill his craving. The boy�s brown hair flew back from the speed he obtained. Nervous sweat covered his brow and fell into his jade eyes. He rubbed them roughly and quickly to see where he was running. He cried help in his mind and wanted to scream it, but he knew that no one would hear him and he had to save his breath for running. The boy had never known fear all his life. That word wasn�t in his vocabulary and he didn�t know what it felt like, but this had brought the fearful inside brittle child out of him and fear felt like a thousand knives stabbing at his stomach and twisting in his abdomen. Jumping the turnstile was nothing to him. He had done it many times when no one was down there so he could have a free ride home. The creature was not far behind him and slowly gained on him. It was a game to it, a mere game that it always won, Cat and mouse. He had done this many times and had always gotten the game prey, no matter how fast or how well of a hider he was. For this creature the chase was as good as the prize because there was no stopping him from getting it. Slowing down was not an option for the second flight of stairs. He had to keep his speed, so after touching two steps, he fell down the rest, but stood up, unhurt except for a soon to be bruised knee and a scared heart, and stared to run again. His windbreaker and jeans padded most of his fall, but couldn�t protect his fearful heart that didn�t beat but hummed a cry of fear. The creature flew down the stairs like a streamlined black bullet, not touching the ground for an instant. It seemed like it was floating no more than a foot of the ground. Its black cape flowed behind it and followed it like and wide evil tail. Did he have wings? The boy didn�t want to look back to see if he saw correctly. The station was nearing and so was the creature. It hissed in its throat and sped up for the kill, bearing it�s sharp, blood stained fangs. The boy had no choice but to take the chance to jump over the tracks. The creature wasn�t getting him that easily. With the last once of his strength, he leaped over the tracks� and right into the path of an oncoming train. He slammed onto the windshield of the train with a loud �BAM!� startling all the passengers who were aboard, including the driver. He kicked his foot on the brake and the train started to slow down. The creature jumped on the roof of the train as the passengers stared in awe and could only hear what was on the roof, not knowing what it was. All the passengers could see was it�s hand coming down and claiming it�s victim off the windshield and snatch the mangled body closer to it. No passenger sat down. They couldn�t because they were too scared. They were scared for themselves, for other passengers like their children riding with them, burying their faces into their mother�s shoulders. They needed to know what was up there. When the train finally came to a stop, everyone was pushing and shoving to see what had happened to ease their minds, but they wish they hadn�t looked. All the passengers screamed in panic. They pleaded that they could have never been so curious as to calm their fear for all that was left was a puddle of blood on the top of the train. They knew the boy hadn�t lived wherever he had been taken and whoever took him. This began the legend that came true to the very last detail. The legend of the Night Angels. Mrs. Hatton turned on the T.V. after being instructed by the announcements. The news blared the story. �Young James Derrick Wesley known to his peers as J.D., was found dead in the subway tracks under Lysen Avenue and Filch.� The news lady kept a straight face while saying this, though she looked like she was going to throw up looking at the gruesome scene.. Raymond slept on his desk; Ty finally woke him up after being disturbed by his slight snoring and his concern for him to hear the story. �Yo Ray, wake up man!� he nudged. �What?� he moaned grumpily. �Look at this.� Ray stirred and looked up at the T.V. monitor in the classroom. � Police investigators say he looks like he was hit by a subway train, but other wounds on his neck and chest state he was brutally mauled.� �Didn�t you know him?� �No, now let me sleep! I was up all night watching Doomsday Dogs and Dare to Die last night. Scared the crap out of my sister. She couldn�t go to bed so I had to stay with her. My parents said she could stay up and watch it only if she could stay in her bed and if she couldn�t I would have to stay with her because they weren�t getting up for my mistake. I decided to take the risk because she would nag me if I said no and then she would cry all night and make me feel guilty and-� �I get your point man!� �You woke me up, you get the reason I�m sleeping.� �You sound like your sister. No wonder you two are related.� �I do not. I�m smarter, better looking, and more mature than her.� The news continued. �Witnesses say they were on a subway train when something hit the train. It is still unknown of exactly how he died, but police found a puddle of blood on the top of the train. The subway will be closed until further notice for investigation. He was fifteen.� After the story aired, Ray fell back to sleep almost instantly. Mrs. Hatton saw that he was sleeping and cracked her ruler on his desk, waking him with a startle. �Aah sez man hwo ahow wha.� Ray mumbled. �Raymond Logan, what are earth do you think you are doing by sleeping in my classroom.� Dazed and tired, he blurted out whatever he could. �1967.� And the class burst into laughter until their sides hurt, especially fifteen year old Chris who was sitting in the corner. �Hey Bobby, over here!� whispered Ray through the murky mist of the graveyard. They left their bikes at the gate and grabbed their flashlights. �Help me find the grave and I�ll carve.� Carving things on gravestones was a tradition for them. No one knew it was those two who did it. It happened so many times it was declared a major offense and anyone caught doing it was arrested and heavily fined, minor or adult, but they were never caught because they knew exactly when and how to do it. This time, the undertaker was paid heavily for watching the grave so the boys didn�t do it again and if they tried, they would be caught. �Here it is Ray,� Bobby called his friend over to him looking at the tombstone of J.D. �What do you want it to say? Great In Bed? INcestor?� �Ha Ha good ones, but we need something original. Something we haven�t said before like� My brother�s lover.� They both laughed mischievously and Ray picked up a pointy rock and began to carve, standing right on J.D.�s grave. �We are so bad man!� Bobby claimed. The rock did a pretty good job. �My� was carved and he was about to carve the �t� in brother when a hand came out of the grave and grabbed his arm. �Get off my grave!� the thing shouted as it pulled itself out from the dirt. J.D. opened his eyes after clearing away from the dirt. His pupils were anomaly small and his eyes widened without them. Ray couldn�t move he was so scared. Bobby couldn�t either, but as soon as he pulled himself |
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