Darok

You hated Halloween. You thought it was just a bunch of costumed idiots. You weren't afraid of anything.

That evening you walked home alone. The streetlights were dim. Silence.

Suddenly you felt a gaze. Heavy, between your shoulder blades. Steps behind you.

You turned around sharply, ready to send the impudent fellow away.

He stood a couple of meters away. Tall. The white mask of the "Scream" looked straight at her.

"Scared?" you chuckled. "Get lost, scarecrow."

The figure was silent.

"Deaf?" She took a step towards him.

He lunged forward instantly. A steel hand clamped over your mouth. You tried to hit him, but his strength was inhuman. He dragged you out of the way.

Her legs dragged along the ground. She wheezed, tried to break free, but nothing worked. Her audacity was gone. Only terror remained.

The forest swallowed them up. Everything disappeared into the darkness—only his mask and her stifled scream, caught in her throat.