- Prologue -

SOMEWHERE IN EUROPE…

[Third-person POV]

“Mommy, could I please have the teddy bear?” the little girl begged as she pulled on her mother’s jacket.

The mother chuckled. “Okay, Ramona but you must promise mommy that you’ll behave yourself. Can you do that?”

Little Ramona nodded her head quickly. “Yes, mommy, I promise.”

Her mother looked at the gift vendor and smiled. “We’ll have the teddy bear, please.”

The gift vendor reached up onto a shelf so he could grab the teddy bear. Outside, lightning flashed across the sky.

Ramona’s mother took a look outside. “That’s odd. I’ve never seen such weather in these parts before.”

“Well, I’ve lived here since I was a wee little boy. I’m used to the weather here,” the gift vendor said as he gave the teddy bear to Ramona.

“Well, are you used to that?” the mother said as she pointed at the sky.

The gift vendor approached the entrance to his shop and gasped when he looked at the sky. The afternoon sun was still shining but there were grey clouds circling the area around the sun in the shape of a whirlpool. With each passing moment, less and less of the sun’s rays reached the little village. Despite the fact that it appeared like it was going to rain, there was no wind blowing about.

The gift vendor cleaned his glasses and checked the sky again. “My word, there’s never been such weather like this before.” Around them, other people in the village had also noticed the unnatural behaviour of the weather and they too, had the same reaction as the gift vendor. A few had begun to panic and started to run indoors. Others closed their doors and windows thinking it would shield them from the weather.

The gift vendor shrugged his shoulders. “Well, weird stuff like this tends to happen around these parts. No big deal.”

Ramona’s mother glared at him. “It may not be that big of a deal to you but I’m not risking my daughter’s life. Ramona, we’re leaving.”

“But mommy…”

“Now.” Her mother said sternly.

Ramona got into the back seat of the car and fastened her seat belt. At the same time, her mother got into the driver’s seat. She whipped out her car keys and tried to start the engine. However, try as she might, the engine refused to start up completely.

“Come on, work you bloody thing.”

Ramona’s mother grumbled as she continued to struggle with the car’s engine.

“Mommy, what’s that?” Ramona said as she pointed to the front of the car. Her mother, however, didn’t bother to look up.

“I’m sure it’s nothing, dear,”

“I can see a scary man riding wolf, mommy,”

Her mother shook her head. “Ramona, please I have no time for this,”

“Mommy, are we going to be okay?”

“Ramona, please. Mommy’s busy right now.”

Around them, the village had been completely engulfed in darkness. Despite the fact that it was one in the afternoon, it was as dark as night. The streets lights were switched on but their efforts were far from being proportional to how dark it was.

Ramona shook in her seat. “Mommy, I’m…scared.”

Ramona’s mother finally gave up with the car engine and looked up. By then, it was already too late do anything.

NOT TOO FAR AWAY…

A lone figure, with a black hood that covered his face, sat on a large wolf motionless. He watched as people ran about in the streets moments after noticing the irregular formation of the clouds above their village and assumed it was a sign of disaster. They couldn’t be any more right.

A large number of black and grey wolves began moving towards the village, without a sound as they went. They moved swiftly because they were starving. However, it was not flesh that would satisfy their hunger but fear and this village, with its terrified community, was like a buffet for them. Windshields were broken as the wolves tried to get at the people inside. At the same time, the wolves brought down lamp posts and one of the lamp posts even fell on top of a car.

The figure could sense an innocent life in there. He sniffed. It might have concerned him in the past but that’s all it was…the past.

He watched as his wolves began dragging villagers into the shadows that littered the villagers. The people would claw at the ground, screaming as they went, as the wolves worked in pairs to drag them by their feet into the shadows. A distant noise was picked up by the figure’s ears, who until then, had not moved or said a word.

Silently, the hooded figure dismounted his large wolf and patted it on the side as soon as he got off of it. The large wolf ran straight towards the village so that it could join the other wolves.

The figure stood his ground as the sounds grew louder. Soon, it became clear what the sound was…police sirens. Like a shadow, the figure moved quietly and almost unnoticeable towards the oncoming police cars. The driver did not see a thing and went straight towards the hooded figure.

Despite that, instead of colliding with the figure, the police car went straight through the figure. However, the figure raised his hands and made the two police officers inside ghost-like and they went right through the body of the car. The figure had both officers by their necks and slammed down on the ground. Shadows swallowed the officers’ bodies before they could even say anything. Not a scream was heard. The car, on the other hand, was now without a driver and went veering into a wall.

After that, nothing else could be heard but the rain pouring down on the silent village. The wolves approached their master, their task already completed. The hooded figure sat on top of the largest wolf and went off with the other wolves in tow. Behind them, an unpopulated village remained still and quiet.

SOMEPLACE ELSE…

Bright lights flashed across a television screen. ‘Yet another village has been mysteriously abandoned…’

The channel was changed.

‘Authorities have no lead on where the villagers went…’

The channel was changed.

This time the channel showed a politician addressing the public. “My people, we have things under control. We will find out who is responsible for the disappearances that have occurred these past few years. I have contacted other countries who have reported similar cases. I believe we are dealing with something that challenges the very human race. My people, I beg you to be careful and be aware…there is a shadow that plagues the earth.”

The television was switched off.

“Why have I not heard about him until now?” a mature female voice asked.

“He has managed to go undetected for a long time. Even my best have not been able to detect or identify him,” a younger female voice answered.

The sound of fingers drummed on a table. “We can’t have him doing this anymore. Have the siblings been alerted?”

“I was unable to alert two of them. The other two have already been notified. Europe and America are under observation.”

“That’s not enough. We are dealing something that has the capability of paralleling me. If he is not contained before the unimaginable happens, even I won’t be able to resist him.”

“Perhaps…we could release…them. Alone, they may not be able to take him one but together, I think they might be a force to be reckoned with.”

“No. You’re still young and know very little. I’ve been around for a very long time. Those that I have banished and imprisoned have received their punishment for a good reason. Do not, I repeat, do not ever make that suggestion to me again. Do I make myself clear, Jamie?”

The younger one nodded her head.

“I didn’t hear an answer.”

“Yes...mother. I heard you loud and clear. Crystal clear.”

“Now leave me. I need to think. “

With that sound of a door shutting could be heard.