It was a face Chris knew very well. The face of a killer he faced many times through a screen. It's right there, in front of him, looking at him eye-to-eye.
And in its hand, the scythe was wielded upwards, preparing to attack.
As if he could see it in slow motion, Chris finally realizes what would happen to him. When the scythe was brought down, he managed to escape by throwing himself to the side.
Barely breathing on his knees, the boy looks back. The killer swung down the scythe with such a strength that not even the shopping cart could handle, deforming him alongside with many of the groceries.
Looking at the results caused by its attack, the sight of what was the shopping car made Chris imagine what would be of him if he took that hit.
While the boy was paralyzed on the ground, the killer wasn't kind enough to let him rest. Wielding the scythe once again, its eyes were looking at its victim.
Chris gulped dry.
(Is this...for real?)
At that moment, many thoughts went through his mind, all inspired by fear. Run away, escape, don't look back, you will die, you will die, you will die, die, die, die, die.
Move!
Not wasting more time, he runs to the side road trying to escape the killer. Step by step, not thinking about where to go. He just keeps running straight.
(Why...how is Midnight Pumpkin here?!)
The main antagonist of [You are mine], the ruthless killer with many rumors and legends. Its murders were all made using a scythe to reap the victims like Death itself.
But that was in the video-game. In reality, it shouldn't exist. Why is it here? How is it here? Chris was trying to think of any response to this question-
When the killer appeared from an alley, right in front of the scared boy.
The scare made him slip down on the snow and hit his butt on the ground, as the scythe passed to where his head was standing, piercing a wall.
Scary. It's too much scary. A life and death situation which he is powerless to face. His only option was to run and pray, but where to go?
The first thing he found was an alley across the street. In some occasions, Chris used alleys as a shortcut to go back home quickly, but many times he would face a dead end.
He couldn't think of the consequences, he only thought about escaping. While the killer was busy taking out the scythe from the concrete wall, the boy already ran into the alley.
[][][][][]
Where was he now? Had he already passed this wall before? How many dead ends he had avoided until now? Chris didn't know.
He keeps running and running away from the killer. Left, right or forward, as long it was not backward, he didn't care where. But soon, his stamina would reach its limits, and Chris was already having troubles keeping up the speed. He needed some rest, even if it was for five minutes, even one would be enough.
Stopping his feet, he breaths heavily from the long run. Looking back, there was nothing there.
(Did I fool it?)
It was a positive though. Without much strength left, he lends his back to the wall and sits on the floor, taking a bit of time to catch his breath.
-Really...what was...that all about?
Midnight Pumpkin, a character from [You are mine], appearing out of nowhere and started to attack him at sight. Furthermore, it had monstrous strength capable of piercing a wall like it was nothing.
If he hadn't reacted fast enough, there wasn't another life for him to try it again.
-No, I can't say it's a character...
Today was a weird day. His friends, and probably the world, forgot about the game he played the day before yesterday. For that, Chris already kinda accepted as the truth, but for a character to exist in real life, it was another in another new level of craziness.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
Already being calmer, the only thing Chris could think about this situation was:
-...it must be a costume. Yeah, it's just a guy in a suit. In no time, a gang of four teenagers and a talking dog will appear and solve this mystery. - He laughs imagining the scene of them unmasking the killer.
But, in reality, this was very serious. He was trying to be murdered by someone and it's still after him. There weren't many things he could do but to continuing escaping.
If Chris had brought his cell phone with him, he could call the police, but he left it in his bag.
-...no choice then, I need to keep running until I find someone to help me.
Thanks to this quick rest, he was feeling refreshed to start his escape again. Chris got up in his feet and was ready to go-
-Ah, going so soon?
When Chris heard a sweet voice like a demon's whisper on his back. Turning around, crouching on the ground, looking up to him, was the same killer he was trying to escape.
How long was it there? Hadn't I lost him? How did it find me? Many questions he was thinking, but there weren't any answers to them, leaving only fear in Chris' mind.
Seen the boy, frozen in place, with a shocked expression on his face, Midnight Pumpkin slowly got up and walked right in front of him to said:
-Boo.
[][][][][]
-Ha...ha...ha...
The boy hardly breaths in the cold night. Each step is heavy, leaving a footmark in the snow that is yet to be melted. How much was it that he had begun running? He hadn't thought of that even for a moment.
Trying to run through the alleys, not minding the destination. Left, right, right, left, all is irrelevant now. Had he passed this trash can before? Or that graffitied wall? Maybe it's his second time going through the hole in this fence. All of this, because of that.
Suddenly, the boy heard a sound. Slowly and steady steps, louder with the echo from the alleys with a couple of the water puddles in each of them. He thought it was already safe but turns out he was wrong. The dread look on his face when he listened to that sound, only to be muffled by his own steps.
It was such a good night. A clear sky for the full moon with no star to disrupt its light. Nobody in the streets, giving the already calm and peacefully city more charm. But nothing is as we thought it's.
-Ha...dammit!
Dead end. He took a wrong path along the alleys and was lead to a two-stores high house wall. Looking at his sides, there was no other way. His only option was the turn back and when he did-
-Hehehe...found you.
There it was.
It was hard for him to see at first since it was standing in the darkness, but the voice was enough to make the boy tremble in fear. His eyes wide open to reflect the mysterious figure revealing itself with the moonlight.
Jet-black coat hiding its body, leather boots on its feet, hands wearing white gloves while dragging a giant scythe on the floor. And above all, it's head. A pumpkin with Halloween face on it. The mouth forming a disgusting wicked smiled with empty eyes.
As it was approaching the boy who couldn't move by fear, it readied the scythe in both hands and pulled him towards itself. Without resisting the strength, there was nothing he could do against it.
Grabbing his shoulders, it said with a voice as if a devil's whisper in the boy's ear:
-Now, shall we begin?
As Midnight Pumpkin brought up its scythe, the boy finally realized his fate:
(It is over.)
All the hopes he had of surviving, destroyed. All this chase, a play for this killer. The roles for this play were made long ago. It, the killer; he, the victim. It was natural to end this way.
He didn't want to admit it, but this is the end, with the last sight being from his killer.
How would his mother react when she finds out? Would his friends miss him?
There wasn't any way of him knowing this. After all, the killer was ready to swing down his weapon.
Tears came out from Chris' eyes when he realized his life would end tonight.
The moment the scythe moved, he couldn't bear watching it. With his eyes closed, he waited for the moment to come.
...
...
...
He didn't feel anything. They say you don't feel anything when dead, maybe it was true. He couldn't hear anything, nor smell something, or see something. The only he felt was the air passing through his mouth as he breathes.
(...huh?)
Confused, happy, suspicious, relief. He was still alive.
(But, how?)
Slowing opening his eyes, he saw the scythe...stuck in the ground near him.
(Did it missed?)
He was still in the killer's grasp, there was no way to miss him.
(So...why?)
Chris looked at the culprit of his fears. It was breathing heavily, worst than when he was running away. It didn't even look at his face, the head was facing the ground and it appeared to be using Chris as a support to not fall down with both hands on his shoulders.
-Haa...haa...haa...haa...
Along the breaths, it managed to speak one word between its exhaustion:
-Haa...haa...finally...haa...
Regaining its strength, Midnight Pumpkin faced Chris, using its hand to raise his body. Without realizing, it was using too much strength on the boy's shoulder as if not letting him go.
-Finally...finally...finally...it's here...finally...it's here...finally...finally...finally...finally...
Moving one of its hands on the pumpkin head, the killer continues to talk like a broken recorder.
- IT'S HERE! - Midnight Pumpkin shouted as its hand destroyed the pumpkin head with a single grasp.
Behind it, was a face Chris only saw it once but couldn't forget. Red and blue eyes, blond platinum with a round shaped head. It was the same girl behind the mask when he talked with Midnight Pumpkin for the first time.
But now, the face that charmed Chris with her beauty is glaring at him with bloodshot eyes and a wicked smile while she heavily breaths of excitement.
Before Chris could realize what was going on-
She kisses him.