rested there for a moment, waiting for night to fall, waiting for the moon to rise. But the moon wouldn’t be quite full tonight, not yet, not for a few more nights. A full moon was another critical element to the ritual. You had to be very careful, it was a dangerous ritual – the most dangerous of all rituals – and everything had to be followed to the letter, every detail perfect, no instructions misinterpreted.
When night came, he would go find the man he’d seen in his dreams lately, a man who had the same gift he had – the same gift Jen had possessed before she died. The man would be able to sense him when he got near, he would be able to tell something was wrong, but by then it would be too late. The Shadow Man would already be a step ahead of him. He had already scouted the man’s property, and he knew the perfect time to strike.
The Shadow Man needed something from this man tonight. He had to take something from him, another ingredient in the recipe for the ceremony.
He closed his eyes.
He smiled.
Everything was working out perfectly.
And why shouldn’t it? This was destiny. Higher powers at work. Gods and angels and demons conspiring with each other, making everything come together.
2.
Tara sat in front of her easel with the large drawing pad on it. She was trying to work, she had a lot that she needed to get done, but she was distracted. And the distraction was coming from her kitchen.
She tried to get back to work. She was still working on the series of illustrations for the children’s book. She sketched a little more and then tore up the piece of paper. Nothing was coming out right. No matter what she drew, it just didn’t seem right.
She sighed and got up.
She went to the kitchen and stared at the distraction on the kitchen counter: a plate of cupcakes.
After Lorie dropped her off earlier, Tara went to the store and bought the ingredients for cupcakes. They were chocolate cupcakes and she bought creamy white frosting to spread on top. She even bought a package of brightly-colored sprinkles. She got home and followed the directions on the package. Even though these weren’t homemade cupcakes, she was sure they would be tasty.
And now she stared at the plate of cupcakes.
She grabbed her car keys off the counter and stuffed them down into her pants pocket – they had her house key on them – and then she grabbed the plate of cupcakes and marched to her front door.
She unlocked her door and stepped out onto the front porch that led out to the walkway in front of the parking area. She glanced up at the early evening sky where baby pinks and blues were turning purple on the horizon as night slowly crept over the world. She didn’t close the door all the way; she just stood there for a moment. Steve’s blue pickup truck was parked in front of his apartment so she knew he was home.
She was going to walk next door to Steve’s apartment. She was going to knock on his front door with confidence. She was going to smile and welcome him to the neighborhood with a plate of (nearly) homemade cupcakes.
But she didn’t make a move towards Steve’s apartment. Instead, she turned around and ducked back inside. She closed her door and locked it. She took the plate of cupcakes back to the counter and set it down.
“This is stupid,” she grumbled.
She picked up one of the cupcakes and took a big bite.
3.
As Tara went back inside with the plate of cupcakes, she didn’t notice the sedan parked at the far end of the parking area. It was a dark sedan, a common car, only a few years old, and it blended in with other cars easily.
The man in the car watched Tara stand there for a moment with the plate of cupcakes in her hand. And then he watched her go back inside.
He watched the front door of her apartment for a long time.
After starting his car, he put it in drive and left the parking area. He’d be coming back soon to visit her.
4.
Tara managed to get some more work done that evening. She had
When night came, he would go find the man he’d seen in his dreams lately, a man who had the same gift he had – the same gift Jen had possessed before she died. The man would be able to sense him when he got near, he would be able to tell something was wrong, but by then it would be too late. The Shadow Man would already be a step ahead of him. He had already scouted the man’s property, and he knew the perfect time to strike.
The Shadow Man needed something from this man tonight. He had to take something from him, another ingredient in the recipe for the ceremony.
He closed his eyes.
He smiled.
Everything was working out perfectly.
And why shouldn’t it? This was destiny. Higher powers at work. Gods and angels and demons conspiring with each other, making everything come together.
2.
Tara sat in front of her easel with the large drawing pad on it. She was trying to work, she had a lot that she needed to get done, but she was distracted. And the distraction was coming from her kitchen.
She tried to get back to work. She was still working on the series of illustrations for the children’s book. She sketched a little more and then tore up the piece of paper. Nothing was coming out right. No matter what she drew, it just didn’t seem right.
She sighed and got up.
She went to the kitchen and stared at the distraction on the kitchen counter: a plate of cupcakes.
After Lorie dropped her off earlier, Tara went to the store and bought the ingredients for cupcakes. They were chocolate cupcakes and she bought creamy white frosting to spread on top. She even bought a package of brightly-colored sprinkles. She got home and followed the directions on the package. Even though these weren’t homemade cupcakes, she was sure they would be tasty.
And now she stared at the plate of cupcakes.
She grabbed her car keys off the counter and stuffed them down into her pants pocket – they had her house key on them – and then she grabbed the plate of cupcakes and marched to her front door.
She unlocked her door and stepped out onto the front porch that led out to the walkway in front of the parking area. She glanced up at the early evening sky where baby pinks and blues were turning purple on the horizon as night slowly crept over the world. She didn’t close the door all the way; she just stood there for a moment. Steve’s blue pickup truck was parked in front of his apartment so she knew he was home.
She was going to walk next door to Steve’s apartment. She was going to knock on his front door with confidence. She was going to smile and welcome him to the neighborhood with a plate of (nearly) homemade cupcakes.
But she didn’t make a move towards Steve’s apartment. Instead, she turned around and ducked back inside. She closed her door and locked it. She took the plate of cupcakes back to the counter and set it down.
“This is stupid,” she grumbled.
She picked up one of the cupcakes and took a big bite.
3.
As Tara went back inside with the plate of cupcakes, she didn’t notice the sedan parked at the far end of the parking area. It was a dark sedan, a common car, only a few years old, and it blended in with other cars easily.
The man in the car watched Tara stand there for a moment with the plate of cupcakes in her hand. And then he watched her go back inside.
He watched the front door of her apartment for a long time.
After starting his car, he put it in drive and left the parking area. He’d be coming back soon to visit her.
4.
Tara managed to get some more work done that evening. She had
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