-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 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.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

-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?