• Part I.
    The Rise


    1.
    Happy Birthday!

    “Lucas Parson!” Lucas shifted his head in the direction of the sound of his own name. All that showed up in his vision was a dark wooden sign that read:

    Pinpoint Park
    Pinpointed as the #1 park in the state of Florida!

    His first thought was, ‘I find that hard to believe…’ His second thought was, ‘Where did that voice come from? There’s nothing there but that stupid sign.’ Lucas’ deep blue eyes gazed through every detail to find the source of the voice. The voice that had spoken out to him was a very faint and unnoticeable voice, but he could hear it as clear as the water that a little boy was dispensing from a fountain a few paces to his left. He sat there on the park bench with his shoulders slumped over like something in the day had been pretty arduous and noticed that nobody else had heard the strange and raspy noise. ‘Am I going crazy?’ He asked himself. Lucas looked down to the concrete that winded and swiveled through the park’s grassy patch of land, currently being watered by the sprinklers that were turning and spastically shaking water throughout the grass. He was possessed to walk over to the park’s sign.
    From far away, the sign’s wood might’ve seemed real, but up close it was just as fake as the motto written underneath the name of the sign. ‘Number one park my foot,’ He thought. ‘It was only named Pinpoint because of the crazy idiot that decided to stick safety pins in the sandboxes.’ A quick flashback came back to him as he remembered playing in the park about eight years ago; his ball got caught in the sandbox. It was safe to say that it popped pretty easily. There were probably about seven pins sticking out of the ball’s rubber. After seven lawsuits, the owner finally sold the park to be able to pay all of the angry parents that had either had their children hurt or had them lose something in the sand, like Lucas had. The new owner had a sick sense of humor and decided to name the park after the incident and wrote a ‘catchy’ slogan under it that only added to the stupidity of the park as a whole. There were at least five sandboxes in the park before the event, but they were all torn out of the park before it was opened back up to the public. Now that it was open again, Lucas just wished that it wasn’t.
    Lucas stood in front of the sign with a confused look on his face. There was no one around the sign to even call Lucas over. He moved his line of sight from place to place and from person to person, and no one was even close to him. “What are you looking for, Lukey?” said a voice from above Lucas’ spot. He looked up and saw a teenage girl about his age, sixteen, with soft-looking deep black hair that fell over her face and over her left eye in even strands. Her face looked smooth and completely free of bumps and blemishes. “Are you looking for me?” She raised her hand that was covered with a grey fingerless bikers’ glove, her fingernails were the only thing about her that were remotely different. They looked as if she bit her fingernails frequently, a lot like Lucas’ did, but not enough to ruin her good looks.
    “What are you doing up there, Lauryn?” Lucas asked, expecting a typical answer from one of his best friends. They called her ‘Lorin’ Lauryn’ because of all of the rumors she would start and all of the fake excuses that she would give to the teachers and to, well, basically everybody that she knew. Other than the strange, off-the-top, and unpredictable stories that she would usually come up with, she was rather easy to understand. Lucas had always liked her. Ever since the fourth grade, when she first moved into the neighborhood. She seemed to get along with Lucas and his group of friends immediately, but he was afraid that she wouldn’t feel the same way if he tried to ask her out, and that it would ruin their friendship.
    “I’m just hanging around, Lukey.” She sat on top of the sign like she owned the place, sitting straight up and overlooking the park with absolute authority. She kicked her legs back and forth the left foot right after the right foot, over and over, like a child getting ready for a birthday party. It looked as if her sandals were going to fly off and smack somebody in the eye, but she kept them anchored to her feet. “Where’s Brandon at?” She looked around the park quickly before turning back to Lucas. He shook his head in the negative. Her eyes were very light, almost grey. “It’s his birthday, and I wanted to be the first to say”—She shuffled her legs under her until she stood on the sign and she put her hands on her hips while making the most ridiculously funny face—“Happy birthday!” She said in the same voice that Lucas had heard before.
    “You called me over…” Lucas looked disappointed, like he had expected an agent to pick him up for a secret mission or something.
    “Of course I did silly!” Lauryn forced her palm down onto the top of the sign and vaulted over herself and landed next to Lucas, giving him her famous grin. “So,” she continued. Lucas listened attentively. “What’s this I hear about you and Lisa?”
    Lucas turned away as if he had no idea what she was talking about. “Uhm… Lisa who?” He scratched the back of his head. Lauryn did this every time some girl that Lucas didn’t like tried to ask him out. She would quiz him about it and constantly ask why he would turn the offer down and he couldn’t just tell her ‘Because I’m kind of waiting for you.’ Lucas looked back to Lauryn, getting his courage back.
    “What the heck is wrong with you, Lukey?!” She got a little red in the face, which only added to her cuteness, but Lucas understood the seriousness of the expression too much to say anything about it. “I know Lisa and she’s a good girl for you. Why do you turn down all these girls that just want to see if they have a shot with you?” Lauryn looked upset, as if there was no point in trying to talk to Lucas about it. “You’re always saying how you’re lonely and want to get a girlfriend. Why don’t you say yes?”
    Lucas looked down to his left. “Well… it’s just that.” He stopped there, in fear of telling her how he really felt about her. Then, all he could hear was frantic shouting coming from behind him, Lauryn looked happier already.
    “Holy crap guys, it’s my freaking birthday!” shouted a very, very familiar voice to both Lucas and Lauryn. It was Brandon. Brandon was a little different from most kids in our school, not so much more than anyone else in their group of friends, but in the school altogether. “I’m sixteen years old, guys!” He immediately ran to Lauryn who gave him a quick little hug and congratulated him on the special day. She shot a look at Lucas that said, ‘We’ll talk about what’s wrong later.’
    “What are you going to do first, Brandon?” Lucas asked.
    “Well first, I’m going to spend a little time with you guys,” he responded. “But I’m not sticking around for very long, sadly, because I have many more things to do!”
    “Like what?” Lauryn asked.
    “I’ve got a date!”
    “With who?!” Lauryn and Lucas chimed in unison.
    Brandon gave a nice big smile. “Not who… What.”
    “Oh…” They both said again, a little disappointed in Brandon’s choice of words.
    “I’m going to be spending my day inside, playing my new Xbox.” He continued. A while ago, Brandon’s Xbox was stolen from his own room while he was sleeping. The thing about Brandon is that when he sleeps, the world follows his rules and he gets up on his own manmade schedule. It turns out that the man sold his Xbox to a pawnshop downtown, the pawnshop later sold it to another person that came in just a day later. The man dropped it and it broke, right outside Brandon’s house. He’s been wanting a new one ever since then.
    “We’ll play something when I get home man, alright?” Lucas said as he reached his fist out and it was responded to with Brandon reaching his fist out to tap Lucas’ fist. “Right now, Lauryn and I are going to check out the old Hemmings’ place. There’s some talk that someone’s moved in.”
    “Whoa, that’s sick dude.” Brandon checked his watch and he started to step in the other direction like he was late for an appointment. “Fill me in later about it. I’ll be at my house.” He turned and walked back the way he came.
    “Lukey,” Lauryn said after Brandon was out of sight. Lucas turned his attention to her to see what she wanted. “What if someone has moved in? What are we going to tell them?” Lucas scratched his head in thought.
    “We can’t just tell them what happened to that place.” Lucas kicked the ground nervously. “All we can do is get in there and see what’s going on.” Lauryn nodded her head and they continued to the house.

    About ten minutes later, the two of them were coming up to the driveway of the old Hemmings’ place. Lauryn pushed down the lump in her throat and gestured for Lucas to walk ahead of her. He stepped forward, trudging through the path that led to the door. Lucas brought his hand up to the door and knocked on it three times. After about ten seconds, a little boy that could not have been older than five answered the door. His shaggy black hair shined in the sun and his green eyes were full of life and personality. He looked at them with an almost blank stare and holding what looked like a cookie in his hand. He was chewing something in his mouth, which was probably a bite from the cookie.
    “Hi,” Lauryn said walking up to the door. “Is your mother home, little one?” The boy ran into the house calling for his mom. A tan-skinned woman with brown hair and dark brown eyes walked to the door. She looked like she was in her twenties.
    “May I help you?” The woman smiled and looked at the two of them. The little boy came up and grabbed onto his mother’s leg, watching the conversation.
    “We’re two of your neighbors and we have some questions for you regarding your house.” Lucas said as he stepped forward a little bit. “May we come in ma’am?” The woman nodded and urged them in.
    “Just have a seat on the couch, darlings.” The woman said before she stepped into the kitchen. “I’ll be with you in a little bit, okay? I have some business in the kitchen.” In less than a minute, the little boy walked to Lucas and Lauryn and started talking.
    “Hi!” He said. “I’m Jamie. I’m five and three quarters! Who are you?” Lauryn smiled and leaned over to him.
    “I’m Lauryn, I’m fifteen years old and this is Lucas, he’s sixteen.” She patted a spot on the couch in between her and Lucas. “Come sit up here.” Jamie climbed onto the couch in between the two of them. “What do you like to do around here Jamie?”
    Jamie looked over to the TV and pointed at the Nintendo Wii that was lying against the stand. “I play games.” Lucas sat back and zoned out while Lauryn was talking to Jamie about random things about his school and how Jamie was always in trouble with the teachers at school for his issues with anger and other things like that. It was another five minutes before Jamie’s mother came back in. She sat on the chair that sat on the other side of the coffee table that was in front of the couch.
    “I’m Mrs. Reddies, but you can call me Victoria.” She said. “Now, what did you want to ask me kids?” Lucas sat forward and began to explain.
    “Hi Victoria!” Lauryn said excitedly and she continued to talk. “Well the first question we have is…”
    Mrs. Reddies chuckled lightly and looked at Lauryn. “I know you mentioned that you were going to ask a few questions, but aren’t you two a little young for asking questions about houses?”
    “With all due respect ma’am,” Lucas came out of his daze and began to speak. “I think you should just let us ask.” A concerned look grew on his face, hoping that he didn’t offend Victoria.
    “Fire away, sweetie.” Victoria flashed an optimistic smile at Lauryn.
    Lauryn continued. “Well, first. How do you like the neighborhood, so far? Are the people nice?”
    Victoria looked as if she was going to die of happiness. “Oh yes, my dear!” She went on about people that have greeted her since she’s moved in. Mr. Olso from across the street, the Jessing twins from next door, and a few more people that Lucas had never even known were in the neighborhood.
    Lucas sat up. “How about the house? Is it in good shape? It’s pretty old.”
    “Aside from a few creaky floorboards and a drippy faucet, everything is fine.” She gave a small smile.
    Lauryn looked at Victoria, in a questioning stare almost. “Nothing else?”
    “Well now that you mention it,” Mrs. Reddies remembered. “There are a few noises here and then, but I just push them aside as me hearing things.”
    “And that’s all?”
    “That’s all.”
    “Thank you for being so nice, Victoria.” Lucas said with a slight disbelieving smile. He turned around and opened the door.
    “Bye Jamie!” Lauryn turned around and gave him a little wave as she walked out of the house with Lucas.
    “What exactly do you think she heard?” Lucas asked Lauryn with concern in his voice. “Whatever it was it couldn’t have been good.”
    “I’m not sure, but I’m really worried about them. Who knows what could happen to them?” Lauryn began to bite her fingernails in worry.
    “We’ll watch the house for the next few weeks, okay?” Lucas patted Lauryn’s back to comfort her. “Just to make sure that nothing happens.”

    It was months before they noticed anything amiss in the old Hemmings’ house. Despite its rotten history, nothing was wrong with Jamie and Victoria. Lauryn and Lucas would make regular visits to the house to check up on the two of them. Jamie’s sixth birthday came and the two of them were invited to the party because they had become such close friends to both Jamie and Mrs. Reddies. Mr. Reddies didn’t know either of them very well, but that was mostly because he was normally at work when they visited. Mr. Reddies always greeted them with a warm smile and a deep voiced, “Hello.”

    The date was September 14th of 2016, Jamie’s sixth birthday.

    “Lukey!” Lucas heard his door knock multiple times before finally waking up and coming to his senses. “Lukey!” Lucas’ chocolate brown hair was messy from his pillow, he couldn’t see what the time was because his vision was too blurred for him to focus on the clock. He stumbled to the sink in the bathroom across the hall. He ran the faucet and splashed some water in his face to wake himself up. “LUKEY!” The knocking on his house door continued. He focused his eyes on the clock. The time was a quarter to four o’clock. The door opened and Lauryn walked into the house. The only thing that Lucas could hear was the short conversation between Lucas’ mom and Lauryn.
    “I’m so sorry Mrs. Parson!”
    “Don’t you worry about it sweetie, he needed to get up sooner or later.”
    Lucas knew he was going to pay.
    Lauryn kicked the half-closed door open. “Where do you get off sleeping in until fifteen minutes before little Jamie’s birthday party?!”
    “Uhm…” Lucas responded still a little groggy. “I believe I get off my bed.”
    Lauryn looked at him directly in the eyes with a stare full of anger.
    “I’ll…” Lucas began to think. “…go get dressed?”
    Lauryn nodded.
    “…and get him our present?”
    Lauryn nodded.
    “…and I’ll do it now?”
    Lauryn patted Lucas on the head. “Good boy.”
    After a few minutes of Lucas getting himself ready for the party, they left the house to make their way to Victoria’s house. There were at least seven cars parked out front of the house. The two of them were quite surprised, they didn’t expect it too be this big of a party for little Jamie. They stepped up to the door to be greeted by Victoria.
    “Oh my!” Victoria exclaimed with pure joy. “I’m so glad that you two could make it!” Victoria gave Lauryn and Lucas a hug and let them in.
    “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” Lucas said, smiling.
    “You almost missed it for your bed, though.” Lauryn said quietly to Lucas jokingly. Lucas gave her a quick glare and went back to the attention of the party. They walked further into the house and were greeted by an excited Jamie.
    “Lucas! Lauryn!” shouted Jamie as he ran to the two of them with his arms spread. “You made it!”
    Lauryn picked him up and gave him a big hug. “Of course we did, silly!”
    Lucas looked at Jamie. “So, how have you been doing kiddo?”
    Jamie was grinning from ear to ear. “I’ve been getting better at Mario Kart! I think I can finally beat you!” Lucas chuckled and nodded.
    “We’ll see buddy! After the party, me and Lauryn will stick around for a little bit, okay?” Lucas gave him a small pat on the head. “Then you can show me how good you’ve gotten.”
    The conversation ended when Victoria made an announcement. “Everyone! Please settle down!” She ushered to Lauryn to bring Jamie over to her. “It’s time for cake!” Everybody began singing “Happy Birthday” as Mr. Reddies came out of the kitchen into the dining room holding a chocolate cake, topped with blue and white butter cream frosting topped with six red wax candles. The frosting was topped with letters that spelled out “Happy Birthday Jamie”. Lauryn sat Jamie down in his chair so he could blow out the candles. The last words of the song were coming and Jamie’s excitement was rising and rising. Lucas began to shiver; it was getting colder and colder. Everything seemed to go in slow-motion for Lucas. The flames on the candles were moving so slow that he could count how many times that they moved. Faint, dark figures emerged from the nearly frozen bodies of the party guests. They ran around the room but their movement was blurred from how fast they were moving when everything was as slow as it was at that moment for Lucas. Jamie reached his head back, inhaling deeply. He was moving as slow as everything else. He heard the sound of objects—heavy objects—dropping onto the floor. Lucas’ eyes drifted to the clock that was now moving its second and minute hands onto the twelve and the hour hand onto the five. The last word of the song was sung and Jamie pushed the air out of his mouth toward the candles. A swift, black blur moved through the candles, extinguishing them seconds… no… nanoseconds before Jamie even exhaled. Lucas’ eyes widened. The only thing that he could think was…
    “STOP!” Lucas reached forward and as everything went back to normal he noticed the party guests were no longer around, but after a closer look Lucas realized that they were lying on the ground in pools of their own blood. One sat against the table, with a fork jammed into his eye, likely through it. Another lay on the ground with at least six or seven of the knives from the kitchen in her stomach. Lucas noticed that there was one guest still uncounted for. He looked up to the ceiling, seeing his mangled body hanging above them with the streamers keeping him from falling. Lauryn looked around with disbelief; embodying the complete terror she was feeling with her hands over her open mouth. It took her a few seconds to realize that she had just screamed. Jamie opened his eyes laughing after making his birthday wish, only to find the same gruesome sight. His expression changed immediately. His eyes were in tears and he looked over to his mother, stuck to the wall with the cake knife through her neck and his father lying in front of the closed sliding door, his disembodied head on the other end of it. Jamie began to whimper as Lauryn got next to him and covered his eyes. Lucas looked around at the guests and noticed that they were shifting. Beneath their corpses, their shadows slowly began to move. Arms emerged from their shadows, then heads, then full bodies. They were horrifying. Silhouettes stood on the solid ground and began moving their limbs and heads as if they had just woken up from a nap. There were as many as there were guests, at least ten of them. They looked as if their very form oozed off of their being and as it hit the ground, it slid across the ground to their feet and back into themselves. They had no faces, but had some semblance of hair. No bangs, or anything, it was all just that same grey color. One of them looked straight at Lucas.
    “You.” It said. “Boy, come here.” As it spoke, there were no signs of a mouth on its face. It walked toward Lucas and pushed him onto the ground. He grunted as he hit the floor. The shadow stepped on his chest and leaned in closer so that he was face to face with Lucas. A tongue stuck out of where its mouth should be and it licked its lips. A hole lined with sharp jagged teeth opened up in the creature’s face. Lucas’ eyes widened and his face showed nothing but pure fear.
    “No!” Lauryn leaped for Lucas but she was stopped by two of the other shadows. “Lucas!” She struggled against the creatures but to no avail. Lucas struggled in his own attempt to get free but that too was useless. He gave up and he lied there waiting for the shadow to do what he was going to do. Suddenly everything went blank for Lucas. Lauryn noticed that his eyes had changed from the usual deep blue to a bright green similar to that of Jamie’s. His right hand began to gleam with a golden light as he reached his arm up. The shadow pushed its own arm into Lucas’ in order to pin it down but when it touched Lucas’ hand, its entire arm seemed to burn away. It keeled back in a screech that was pitched higher than that of a bat.
    Lucas stood up and brushed himself off. “I like to play with fire…” As if on cue, his hands began to scorch with a red hot flame. “…play with me.” He waved his left hand across his body and a ball of fire shot from his fingers and into the chest of the demon. The same screech was heard from the beast as it caught fire and dropped to the ground and squirmed for a good second before singeing away like hair to a flame. He looked at the two that were holding Lauryn and cracked his knuckles. “Back off of her.” After the order, they warped away. Lucas scanned the room and realized the rest of the shadows had done so as well.
    Lauryn realized that his eye color had reverted to normal. Lucas felt heavy, he could barely stand. He gave in and dropped to the floor out cold.