[ WP ] the monster in the closet finally lures the child into the darkness , only to realize something is very very wrong

*will he be the next? * 
 *he must join us! * 
 *absorb his being! * 
 
 The shades were getting restless. On the eve of absorbing a new prey, they'd always get a little excited, pushing me to snuff out that tiny life's flame. Funny, how that which once trembled in fear of meeting its demise, would now be so eager to end the next. 
 `` Soon, lovelies, soon. Let him sleep. Let him bathe in his innocence. When the time is right, we will create a beautiful dream for him. You will be having a new friend soon. Yesss...'' 
 
 The child was soon asleep. Easy, peacefully... In a matter of seconds, I had bridged the gap between the closet and his bed. With the subtlety of a wild rhinoceros chasing its prey, I slammed a tentacle into his forehead, ready to taste whatever it was that the child would be dreaming about. The nicest castles in the sky, the grimmest of horrors... it mattered not. All was good. Twisting whatever he was dreaming into something I could use would be easy. 
 
 Wait. Why these multiple dreams? Multiple images at once? 
 
 `` Well well well, what have we here?'' 
 
 *Sever the connection! * 
 *Foulness! * 
 *Abomination* 
 
 The shades were going crazy in my head. What was happening? Wait... Was that the *child* who had spoken to me? 
 `` For something as old as you are, you're not quick to get the hint, are you? You should've listened to your beloved shades...'' 
 Images filled my being. The shades were wailing. This... This was n't possible! 
 `` Oh, believe me, it is. You know, it took us quite some time to find you. It's only because you made a mistake with your last victim that we were sure where to find you next. Next time, if I were you I'd leave the kid of a Snarer alone. If there ever would be a next time, of course. Which there wo n't. Now, sit still while I extract dear Gloria from your being...'' 
 
 The shades were in turmoil now. How could a pathetic human child... no, it was n't a child. Willing my essence to look at the being, it appeared I had fallen into a trap. It was just a small man. Not a child GRRAAAARRR WHAT ARE YOU DOING! MY MIND IS SPLINTERING! STOP IT! STOP! 
 `` No, Rath, the time for pleading is long gone. In your greed you became arrogant. And that arrogance... will be your downfall.'' 
 
 As I looked into the milky white eyes in front of me, I saw only holy hatred. He was a Soul Snarer. A human sent by forces opposing my and my kin's actions. Surprisingly, he knew my name. And now, I looked on as a ribbon of gold flowed out of my body and into an amber amulet... 
 `` Snarer,'' I spat out. `` You dare interrupt with the order of the natural world? I need not even curse you. My kin will find your loved ones soon enough. You yourself will never sleep again, slowly turning insane. And when that time comes, one of my kin will be there, absorbing your pathetic little body, and in the blink of your eyes, you will be just another voice amongst thousands, demanding new sacrifiIIIAAAARRR!'' The flow of gold had stopped, but now a red substance was entering my being. 
 
 Burning. 
 
 *Pain! * 
 
 `` Nah, I do n't think so. Do n't you think it weird that you had so many delicious children to choose from, without contest? Did n't you realize that the others are all practically gone? My oh my, you really are a slow learner...'' 
 I felt how my being began to dissipate. This was not how it should be. I should feel my consciousness float away, rearranging somewhere else! I was... Dying? 
 `` Yes, Rath, you are dying. You're one of the last shadow-spawns left. In case you did n't notice, your boss actually sold you guys out because he wanted to keep the souls of little kids to himself, instead of them being lost into some non-descript shape which was slithering over the world. You know, had you guys been a little more conservative in how many prey you took, it would've been fine. But, you got greedy. Seems that's a sin even your boss down there does n't like to be confronted with. But do n't worry about me. I'll find something else to hunt; after all, there's worse on this world than kid-devouring boogeymen...'' 
 
 -- - 
 
 Michaël rang the bell and took a step backward. In his right hand, he held a small box. 
 As the door opened, he was greeted by two people who'd obviously been grieving. 
 
 `` You got him?'' 
 
 Michaël bowed and handed over the package. `` Yes sir. Rath was so bloated, he was not much of a fight. Before I dissipated him, however, I got what you asked for.'' He held out the small box. The woman took it from him and hurried inside. 
 
 `` Thank you, Michaël, thank you! May the Lord's protection be ever on your side! Thank you!'' 
 `` Of course sir. It was my pleasure. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to.'' He bowed a little ( with his length, it was n't really necessary at all ), turned around and walked away. 
 The man watched him leave for a few seconds before closing the door. 
 
 As soon as the door closed he fell to the ground, the threads of well hidden shadow released from his dead body. Ker, First to Defile, emerged from the shadows with the amber amulet in his hand. It took some willpower not to burst into a menacing laughter ( he knew that the Soul Snarer could hear him from ten miles away ), but he was satisfied, to say the least. With this amulet, he could start making new shadow-spawns. And the best always came from a pure-hearted soul, like the one he was holding in his hand right now. Slowly, around him, the illusion started to dissipate; there was no need in keeping the appearance of a well maintained building up. The Van der Bilts had been dead for over three months now, not long after Rath had absorbed the girl Gloria, and he had personally sewn the intricate shadow strings to make sure he could use one of those wretched Soul Snarers for his own good. His corrosive presence meant that the building was practically falling apart already, but his shadow had kept it all together. Just in case someone came by. But now that it had fulfilled its purpose, he could n't care less what would happen to it. He melted back into the shadows, grinning. He had work to do... 
 
 -- - 
 
 From a distance, Michaël observed the house. Sunken in thought, he morphed into a shape that he was more comfortable with: taller yet slimmer, with his muscles adapting to his new posture. In his right hand, he held an amulet: a polished piece of amber, the insides pulsing with the speed of a child's heartbeat. 
 
 *You really are a fool, Ker. Seems Rath was n't the only slow learner around here... * 
 
 Seeing through the illusion Ker had strewn around the mansion was n't that hard. Seeing his old friend being used as a puppet however... that was another story. 
 
 *Rest in peace, old friend. We'll see each other soon and you'll be seeing your daughter soon enough too... * 
 
 With a snap of his fingers, the amulet he'd given `` Moraine Van der Bilt'' leveled the complete building, creating a cross-shaped Holy Flame that would probably be seen miles and miles away. Heck, perhaps it would even be seen in one of the bigger cities! Actually, no, that would n't be so great. It'd mean a long sit on crisis management duty, thinking up stuff the mortals were going to believe without so much of a second thought. 
 With a last glance upon the remains of the cursed dwelling, Michaël spread his wings and shot upward. He hoped the old man would n't be too upset with his grand fireworks show...
