Lisa sighed, having called the nineteenth person this night in a desperate search for her close friend, David. He had gone to pick up some art supplies last week and hadn’t returned or left notice. David just wasn’t the kind to skip school, and he had gone out for the art supplies specifically to help her out with a future project.

As she checked her Facebook page once again, her cell phone rang. After checking the ID she answered the phone with a wildly pumping heart, the screen claimed the caller was David. “We are everywhere.” The words seemed to echo oddly, and the voice which seemed to be David’s was distorted by thousands of whispers. “David? David this isn’t funny. Where are you?” Lisa hurried in a fearful tone, answered only by the sound of David hanging up.

Lisa paused and felt paranoid. Where could he be? A thought struck her mind. Perhaps he was down town? He always loved the scenery there, despite it being rather bland and lifeless.

Lisa spent the rest of the day hunting for David to no avail. She only found other school friends and no one else. It was starting to grow dark when she heard some one whisper, “We are everywhere” Behind her. She turned, to find no one. The street light above her flickered, and a cold shiver of fear ran down her spine. She turned to go the other way, when she saw something out of the corner of her eye.  “David?” Lisa shouted. She was at the alley in between the City’s supply store and an insurance place. Something abnormally black was digging through the right corner at the end of the alleyway. Lisa decided to investigate.

“David, is that you? Your parents have been worried sick..” As she spoke, the being turned around. As though it was a ghost or a spirit, it instantly stood in front of her.

The creature had a silhouette of David in a hooded sweatshirt, but it seemed as though it was made of infinite blackness. No light bounced off of the shade. It stood a little taller then her old friend, too. “Dav-” The creature interrupted her questioning.

“One touch.. is all it takes.” The beast spoke, reaching out with an elongated left hand. “What the hell?! Don’t touch me!” Lisa cried, stepping back. It’s eyes where the most bizarre part. Perfect white circles just glaring at her from David’s hood. “Don’t touch me!” She shouted as the looming beast stepped after her. “But we are not dangerous.” It’s words seemed to echo off everything around Lisa, and in her mind she believed she was having a hallucination. “We are very real, Lisa.” The shadow proclaimed, speaking on a hushed tone, sounding much like David.

“What did you do to my friend, what did you do to Dave!?” Lisa cried, having come out of the alleyway and stepping into the dark night which remained lit only by a nearby street lamp. “He came to us, Lisa. We mean no harm.” Whispered under the thing’s breath where the words “Unless you stand in our way.” Lisa grew pale. The creature seemed to split apart into long and featureless tenticles which enveloped everything around it, the tendrils sliding and gripping everything in their path as the beast drifted out of the Alleyway. “Please, Lisa. Join with us.” A million voices spoke, but the one that was the loudest seemed to practically scream at her. It was David. “No! S-stop! Go away, leave me alone!” Lisa shouted at the being as she scrambled backwards. “Don’t leave us.” It seemed to speak softly, a wide white grin growing as the large black creature swung it’s long tendrils like whips, grasping Lisa’s weak neck, arms, and legs. “Stop! Help! He-” Lisa gasped for breath and struggled against the overwhelming strength of the creature’s cold and powerful grip. She couldn’t move, and she was quickly running out of breath “Ss-top..” She wheezed, before falling unconcious, the black tendrils dragging her toward the beast, who’s form had become a large black cloak. There was a soundless flash of white light, and the allyway was emptied.

Across the street was the town’s best known artist, his rounded glasses reflecting the light given off by the explosion of whiteness given off by Lisa’s rip from reality.

He sighed, and finnished the sketch he had drawn. It was unfortunate he had to sacrifice his closest friend in order to sustain his habit. He just loved  drawing exotic creatures.

Franklin Thornton is a SOSS student on a work program at ODN