People fear many things; heights, clowns, spiders, snakes, death, the dark. But those who wish to overcome their fears, they first must face them.

Tyler as a child has always feared the dark; or rather what lurks inside the dark. He’s seen shadows, heard voices and seen eyes in the corner of his closet since he was 6 years old; and stopped seeing them a year ago. Now being 16 he’s ready to face his fear.

Tyler stared into the dark tunnel in front of him. His heart beating faster; excitement and fear entangled together to create adrenaline as he walked into the darkness. His eyes widened as he seen a pair of red eyes staring back at him.

“Be careful, mortal. When you stare into the abyss, soon the abyss begins staring back.” Said a low, scratchy voice.

Tyler gulped and asked in a shaky voice, “w-wh-who are you?” Footsteps approached Tyler slowly, “I have no official name. But I have several nicknames from eons of looking through the shadows.” The voice stated, slowly circling Tyler as the creature spoke.

“Baba Yaga, Tokoloshe, Gurumapa, Namahage, Mètminwi… but you, mortal, know me as ‘the Boogie-man.” The voice whispered into Tyler’s ear as it finished its sentence.

Tyler was frozen in fear; he couldn’t move, barely breathing, unable to even blink. The creature chuckled, “I can smell the fear on you. That’s what us dark dwellers feed on.” Tyler swallowed, trying to speak.

“But what we love most isn’t just the fear, but how the meat tastes infused WITH the fear. And you, my dear mortal, have walked into our nesting grounds. And our children are famished!”

Tyler screamed as he was dragged deeper into the tunnel, begging, pleading, clawing at the ground desperately.