“What are they?” She whispered to me trembling with an intuitive sense of dread as she awaited my answer…

“They’ve gone by many names over the centuries.The one thing mankind can agree on is that they’re not from Earth, at least that's what we think…” I trailed off fighting off the haunting memories threatening to steal away my focus.

She waited for me to find my words as I fought to remain in the present moment.

“They hook you.” I said figuring it best to keep the answer short and to the point. “Man… is a reflection of the creator that crafted us but in an unfinished sense…” I began to explain trying to squeeze thousands of years into a short synopsis.

“When you yearn for something with your heart, mind and actions…they sense it…they chase it…” I closed my eyes desperately trying to keep the ghostly screams away.

“They feed on the passions of man, even inspire and manipulate it at times for their own gluttony and enjoyment.” I began to explain as my anger threatened to break the hush of the small, dark room.

“They find your interest, your joys, passions, and tangible/intangible desires but only the deepest ones. The desires that give you meaning in life and give you reason to get up everyday.” My tears betrayed me falling down my face as I bitterly persisted to explain.

“There’s an ancient saying that what you live for is what you can die for… and they look for the points where agreement and grievance overlap ” I whispered with a calm rage that threatened to force its way out into something much larger and more aggressive.

“What the hell does that even mean?!” She questioned as she futilely tried to stifle her anxiety.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“It means… the plane in which you would do or could be pushed to doing anything for the sake of your desires no matter how noble or wicked, touches the plane of endless possibility. If you can be persuaded by any dark method to obtain what you want… Even if you haven’t or don't plan to ever see it through…that's the point of agreement and grievance.” I stared at her, hoping my explanation was somehow getting through if at all.

“ So, when they dragged Ardarius…” She trailed off as she fought desperately for clarity. “ The hole that appeared in his chest was a literal hook?” She asked as the color began to drain from her face.

I nodded as I continued on “ …most of the systems of religion all over the world exist to keep man away from that plane of desire. To live fulfilled and satisfied but only within reason…

I sat on the old mattress on the floor as I tried to breathe slowly and deeply hoping to find a solution.

“But he didn’t do anything wrong!” She exclaimed as she wept bitterly crouching in the corner.

“ No, he didn’t.” I agreed knowing she couldn't hear me above her own cries. “ They only sensed his passion that had touched the point of endless possibility without him ever knowing”. I finished as the darkness of the room slowly crept into my vision, my dear friend's cries suddenly becoming so distant as I began to drift into the cold hard splintered floor. I waited for my body to impact the ground and the dark void to overtake my thoughts but I could only feel myself drifting.

******

That night I dreamed of the recent events. I could see Neema’s innocent face twisting in pain as her brother, Ardarius, was dragged off into darkness. His dark brown curls falling in his face as his green eyes locked with mine. The gaping hole in his chest that poured liters of dark red blood. I watched as his almond toned skin became nothing more than a struggling silhouette. I held her in the cave with me, praying they wouldn’t catch our scent and cause his sacrifice to be useless. “ We have to live” I whispered with my hand clasped over her mouth hoping my words had traveled silently to his heart. “ We have to live.” I said again as I watched her brother and my friend being dragged off into the void.