Chapter One : The Nightmares Begin

This was the third time she had woken up grasping her pillow and hugging it to her chest with trembling hands. Three days of waking up in the middle of night, cold sweat and even tears pouring down her face.

It was a very common ailment in her lifetime for her to suffer from random nightmares. Often it included things that she had seen over the days that troubled her, mixed in with miscellaneous sights that she observed during the day. Her nightmares often involved people she knew or had seen in her lifetime, whether it be the previous day or three years ago. But recently these nightmares involved people she did not know or hadn’t seen before. Often she just caught quick glances of their silhouette in her dreams, but had witnessed their bright colored eyes and white teeth in the dark.

In her dream she never was herself. She was observing the cruel torture of humans through someone’s eyes. She could say now that she had seen what death looked like… the victim’s now pale and unmoving bodies stained with blood, their frames contorted into bone-snapping positions. Hollow, lifeless, unblinking eyes staring up at her…

Her chorus during the night was not one including peaceful crickets chirping. Instead it was the victim’s bloodcurdling screams echoing through her ears, the crunching of bones under a foot, anything that would make a normal person cringe in disgust. Cassie would sometimes wake up, her own screams mingled with those in her head. When she awoke one morning, she could still hear the faint cries and pleas echoing in her ears.

The alarm clock went off like it did every morning. The buttons flashed and the familiar voice of the news reporter buzzed in the room, drowning out the ringing in her ears. She was too tired to be fully alert still. She hit the off button with more force than the past two days. Her cell phone on the side table started to ring and vibrate until it fell off of the nightstand.  She sighed and bent over to pick it up. It started to ring again and this time she answered.

“Yeah, what do you want?” she answered languidly, her eyes half-closed.

“Oh, did I wake you up Cassie? I’m sorry. I just wanted to tell you that classes are cancelled today.  There was another disappearance. The whole city is still running, but you know, the college wants us to be safe.” The other voice on the line answered perkily. At least she’s fully awake. Cassie thought.

Cassie took a deep breath and leaned back on the pillows. “Okay. Thanks Hannah. What are you doing today?”

“Studying. I need to practice for that essay final. Probably at the library or something. Maybe later on I’ll go to the movies with Stacy. Hey, later on tonight, maybe we can go shopping. I heard the new mall is really pretty during the nighttime. How about it?” she asked enthusiastically.

Cassie smiled wryly at Hannah’s excitement. Happy Hannah was her nickname, and she sure did live up to it. “Fine. I’ll meet you there at eight.”

“Okay then. What will you be doing?”

“Sleeping.”

The soft laughter of her friend rang through Cassie’s ears. Hannah seemed to make a noise of acceptance, like an ‘uh-huh’ or a ‘hmm’.

“Okay. I’ll see you later. I’ll let you sleep. Goodnight Cassie.”

“Goodnight Hannah.”

Cassie pressed the end button on the phone and placed it on the nightstand.  She knew she wouldn’t be sleeping at all today. Not when she risked the chance of waking up screaming again. The idea that a girl had gone missing put a knot in her stomach. Was it the girl she had witnessed being murdered in her own dream?

No, of course not. Just a random stranger.

Cassie tried to lie back in bed and rethink the events in her dream. She recalled their voices. She recalled the glimpses of them, but could not remember the victims. Once again her thoughts were interrupted when the phone rang. This time she didn’t pick it up.

Maybe I should chill out. It’s not like no one has nightmares. They can be completely random…

Cassie sighed and got up from the bed. There was no sense in wasting a day doing nothing. But then again, she couldn’t spend the whole entire day worrying about a silly thing like this. Cassie had a bad habit of over thinking things. She reached out for her phone and dialed Hannah’s number quickly, pressed the phone to her ear, and waited for her friend’s familiar voice.

“Yeah, Cassie. What do you want?” Hannah asked. She seemed to have calmed down a little bit.

“Which library are you going to?”

“The one down town. Why?”

“All of a sudden I don’t feel like sleeping. I’ll meet you down there.”

“Okay.”

Cassie hung up, glad to have something to distract her. She walked mechanically over to the closet and chose a simple outfit – a hoodie and jeans – and grabbed her cell phone and purse. She stepped outside the door and walked to the nearest subway that would take her into the heart of the city. It ought to be a mass hysteria because of the disappearance… but when was New York City not chaotic? Cassie mindlessly bought her pass and listened to the approaching train. She wandered into the fourth car when the train stopped. Cassie took a seat on the tacky orange chair silently.

For once, she was thankful her cabin was empty.

“Okay now. I want to forget those nightmares for the day.  I don’t need to freak out Hannah. I’ll go to the library and go shopping later.” Cassie mumbled to herself. And that was what she kept on repeating in her mind over and over until she saw her blonde friend on the steps to the library.

“Hey Cassie. It’s cold. Let’s get inside.” Hannah requested, hugging her brown jacket around her skinny frame.

Her friend grabbed her by the arm and led her into the library. Cassie was overwhelmed with the smells of coffee and books, new and old. She loved the smell of both, it calmed down her nerves.  Hannah’s smile was bright and lively like always, and Cassie’s spirits rose immediately. They sat in a corner of the library in the colorful bean bag chairs. Hannah got a folder out of her bag and opened it with an overdramatic sigh.

“It’s going to be a long day. Cassie, find something to entertain you, it’ll be a while. Trust me.”

Cassie didn’t answer and watched as Hannah began to scribble the essay in her beautiful cursive handwriting. After five minutes of watching, Cassie bid Hannah goodbye for a moment and started to walk towards the front. She could always waste time at the café. Hopefully Hannah would be finished soon.
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“Hey, Cassie! I’m finished!”

Cassie opened her eyes to see Hannah running towards her, flailing her paper in her hand. Cassie raised her head from the table and grinned sheepishly. Hannah offered a girlish giggle when Cassie yawned, leaning back in the chair. She almost knocked over the coffee she had forgotten that she bought as she did so, but was able to catch it before it spilled over the books laid out on the table.

“You’ve been sleeping for hours now. We got here at one and it’s now going on five. What did you do? Sleep the whole time? Probably. Although it looked like you were doing some hardcore reading,” Hannah mentioned. Cassie shrugged, putting the books in a neat pile to return to one of the book carts.

“Oddly enough, I don’t remember reading anything. I don’t even remember buying this coffee sitting in front of me,” Cassie confessed. Her luck would be that it was someone else’s and she had taken sips out of it. Whatever, the worst that could happen would be that she would get sick.

“Actually, I think that I saw you buy it. But maybe I imagined that. I really don’t know. Take it anyways before it gets completely cold,” Hannah remarked, grabbing her things from the table. Cassie extended her arm to grab the coffee. She hesitantly took a sip.

“Yeah, it’s mine,” Cassie exclaimed, taking a few more sips. “I don’t know of anyone who drinks coffee black and puts in countless amounts of sugar besides me.”

Hannah shook her head and smiled as Cassie scrambled from her seat to stand up.  She grabbed her purse and cell phone as she did so, deciding to be lazy and leave the books stacked on the table. Cassie checked her phone to see that she had a text message from one of her friends known as Devin. She read over it as the two girls exited the library and wandered onto the streets of New York. The sun was setting in the horizon. Cassie put her hands in her pocket as they passed the historic Trinity Church. Cassie’s blue-green eyes scanned the graveyard next to the church.

“They say a headless ghost haunts that cemetery,” Cassie mentioned as they passed by it. “If you believe in the paranormal and all. You know that I do.”

“Quit it Cassie. You’re freaking me out,” Hannah said as they crossed the street and passed by a few fancy hotels. Cassie could see the Statue of Liberty in the distance as they walked. “You know, I don’t think it’d come out during the day. If you read anything you’d learn that most paranormal beings come out in the nighttime,” Cassie mused.

“I believe in ghosts somewhat, but I find it hard to believe in vampires and werewolves and stuff. Heck, maybe even Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster exist, but I don’t think vampires do,” Hannah expressed her views as they meandered past the Bowling Green and walked past the viewing area for the Statue of Liberty.

“I don’t know… there are some things we can’t explain. Hey, weren’t you supposed to go to the mall with Stacy?” Cassie asked. She led Hannah down another street that would bring them closer to Central Park.

“Stacy can’t go.” Hannah said.

“Okay then. Walk around for a little bit?

“Sounds good.”

Cassie grasped Hannah’s arm gently as they quickly crossed the road. She nodded to the driver that let them cross as they reached the other side. Cassie let go and they slowed their pace again. Hannah put a little jump in her step as Cassie just stomped along.

“I don’t feel like going to Central Park,” Cassie mumbled. “There’s too much traffic.”

“Aww, c’mon. It’s always interesting to see that huge apartment complex that John Lennon used to live in. You know, the one where he got shot outside the door?” Hannah exclaimed. Cassie grabbed her arm away, feeling like a mother dragging her child from a candy store.

“I know Hannah, we’ve been here many times. I live at the other end though, and you know I don’t really like the subways at night.” Cassie said with a shudder. It was creepy enough during the day, and the night was even worse.

“Why can’t you live near Central Park? I mean, it’s nice and convenient.” Hannah asked teasingly. Cassie laughed and rolled her eyes. “Hannah, apartments over here are in the millions. And this isn’t convenient compared to the Times Square area. I’ll stick to the little run down apartment on the line between Manhattan and Queens for now, thank you.”

They wandered what seemed like hours. It became dark outside and the chill was causing their faces to turn a color of red. When they got near Cassie’s apartment it was Hannah that stopped by a subway entrance.

“Hey, I think I’m going to catch a subway home now.” Hannah said. Cassie looked rather worried (she had expressed her disdain for riding subways at night before) but she trusted Hannah at the same time. But still that didn’t keep her from protesting.

“Hannah, why don’t you stay at my house for the night? Please?” Cassie requested. Hannah smiled and shook her head.

“Sorry Cassie, I have to go home. I have stuff to do.”  Hannah shrugged. “You know, for college and all. But I’ll call you when I get home.”

“Alright I guess,” Cassie said with a sigh. “Call me when you get on the subway, how about that?”

Hannah rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Fine. But you’re being overly cautious about things.” Cassie smiled sheepishly as she embraced Hannah in a short hug. Sure, she might have been cautious, but if anything were to happen to Hannah she wouldn’t be able to live with herself.

Hannah turned around and waved before she succumbed to the darkness of the subway tunnel. Cassie knew Hannah would probably be fine; she just liked to take extra precautions. She began to walk the sidewalk to her apartment. It was mere blocks away, but she felt like wandering as of right now. Cassie didn’t want to fall asleep so soon.

There was a bitter chill in the air. People were retreating to inside where it was warmer. Cassie liked it when the wind caressed her face and skin, turning her pale complexion to a pinkish color. She liked how it blew her red hair around her face wildly. She smiled as wandered over to a shortcut to the next street, hands in her pockets.

She crept into the alleyway and began to walk more slowly. Cassie’s smile faded at her heightened awareness. She was pressing her luck. Usually she never took the alleyway.  Anything could happen in an alleyway. But then again, anything could happen in a subway too.

“This way.”

A deep male voice echoed throughout the alleyway.  Cassie’s heart jumped and her stomach sank. She was plastered to the shadowy wall she leaned against. Two silhouettes walked into the alleyway. Cassie would run but the only way safe was past them, and she doubted she could climb the fence quickly enough. She remained frozen to the spot she stood at.

The two figures came into view. One was a beautiful blond female. She was dressed in skimpy attire, a skirt too short and fishnets. Obviously she was a prostitute or dancer at a nearby club. Cassie stared at her. She was sure she didn’t know any prostitutes, but for some reason the girl appeared very familiar.

A freakishly tall male with long black hair had her small frame by the waist. Cassie backed into the wall more as they stopped a mere four feet from her. She tried not to breathe as silence swept over them.

“Why did we stop?” the girl asked. Her voice was far too childish for her age. It was the kind of voice that fit blonde hair and bubblegum. The male didn’t answer but instead pushed the prostitute against the wall. Cassie gasped. Her hands grasped the phone in her pocket as if to call someone, but she knew it would not be wise at all.

His head dipped to the prostitute’s neck. Cassie expected the usual attack, but she never expected the bloody scream that followed. Even in the moonlight she could see the glittery red substance that cascaded down from the girl's neck. Cassie thought it was bad until she noticed that the man was drinking it. She stayed glued to the spot until the man turned around and dropped the corpse to the ground. Cassie’s face turned hot and her stomach did flips. He was looking right at her and he could see her, for he didn’t move. Immediately he marched over towards her. Something exploded inside of Cassie. She ducked and ran out of the alleyway. Cassie hoped the killer wouldn’t follow, that he would know that she’d get away anyways.

But it didn’t work that way.

Cassie could hear his footsteps trailing behind her. She ran faster than she ever did in her life. She was randomly dashing in and out of alleyways, looking for someone to help. Cassie turned down a particular alleyway, running as fast as she could, thinking she got away. She was almost relieved until she saw it.

The fence.

It was a dead end.

Cassie looked back and saw him running towards her. She yelped and grabbed the fence, attempting to pull herself up. She inched up and was almost over until she noticed that her right ankle was caught in the fence. When she looked down, to her horror, her ankle was not trapped in the fence.

He had it in his hands, and was attempting to pull her down.

“NO! LET GO!” she cried, tears staining her face. She wriggled the foot but he wouldn’t let go. Cassie held onto the fence with her hands until they turned completely white. He was pulling her back, her hands were slipping…

Cassie lifted her left foot out of the chain link fence, a move that would cause her to lose her balance if he didn’t have her other foot. She took her left foot and let it collide with his head. He groaned in agony and let go of her foot. She held herself up merely by her hands until she climbed over completely and jumped. She hit the ground running.

Cassie turned into the nearest subway, thinking she had lost him. She still ran down into the subway, followed a random guy in without using her card and she sighed in relief when she saw the train. Normally it would be a horrible sight for her to have to ride a subway at night. She looked back, expecting to be safe.  She almost screamed.

He was on the other side of the metal bars, getting ready to chase her again.vCassie climbed into an empty car and stood near the doors. He had made it past the gate and was briskly walking towards her car. She clutched the doors and tried to pull them shut as he got closer and closer, to the point where he could reach in and grab her.

“CLOSE! PLEASE!"

The doors closed with a dinging sound and the train took off. Cassie was thrown to the ground because of the sudden impact. She was breathing heavily and unevenly. Cassie lay on the ground for a moment, listening to the overhead intercom telling the next stop. She rolled over to her side.

She couldn’t believe she made it out alive.

Cassie waited patiently for her stop to arrive. When it did she ran out of the subway as fast she could and raced towards her apartment. Once she made it into the lobby she was sure was safe. She figured she should call Hannah to see if anything had happened to her. Cassie withdrew her cell phone and dialed Hannah’s number. It rang and rang. She spoke immediately when she heard Hannah’s voice.

“Hannah! Hannah! What-“

“You have reached the phone of Hannah Smithe. Please leave your message after the beep. Love ya!”

Of course it was only the voicemail.
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The door slammed shut with a large BANG.

“Fuck!”

The long-haired male was furious. His eyes were filled with flame and his head throbbed with anger. He clenched his fists together as he stormed into the house, the boards beneath his feet creaking.

“What now?”

A much lighter male’s voice echoed through the room. The long haired male ran a hand through his hair and walked over to the couch across from a male with shoulder-length black hair. He was sprawled out on the couch, head propped up by his hand. His red eyes watched his brother with interest. The long haired male sat and banged his head against the wall once. It was followed by a bang with his fist.

“A girl saw me kill that woman. And now she’s probably off telling the police.” The long-haired one mumbled.

The other male smirked. “Calm down Demetri. They can’t catch us. They never will.”

“That’s true Alexander. But I let her get away. That’s the whole point…”

“You’ll find her again sometime.”

Alexander rose from the couch and wandered over towards the dusty window. He could see the middle of NYC from here in all of its glory. A few people wandered down the historic street they lived on. Alexander shook his head, smirked, and turned around to face his brother.

“You know, a sweet little girl came by here about ten minutes ago. She said she was lost and the subway wasn’t working correctly. She came asking for directions.”

Demetri looked up skeptically. He rested his head upon his hands.

“And what did you do?”

“Invited her in to get warm while I gave her directions. She told me I was a sweetheart and extremely kind. The whole time she was texting on her phone though. I guess she was suspicious.” Alexander shrugged.  “I told her I’d give her directions for a price.”

Demetri’s eyebrows raised and an eerie grin formed on his face.

“Of course I had to drink from her."

That eerie smirk spread over Alexander’s face too. It spread from ear to ear. He laughed, revealing sharp pointy white teeth, which of course were stained with fresh blood.