It was a cold and windy night as I breezed past shops and building on my bycicle. Usually the darker streets of Roseateval were more troubling than this with gangs and low-level thugs roaming around, but it seems tonight everyone was peaceful. I darted past pedestrians, some of them grumbling harsh words at me but other than that it was good. _I was probably the only real disturbance tonight._

I kept my breathing steady as I raced around on my bike. I was happy to be going home. I had just worked a 18 hour shift and I couldn’t wait to sleep for even longer. I couldn’t wait to go and see my sleeping wife and son too. Unfortunately, to get back I had to get through a whole workout of peddling. To counter the challenge, I decided to take a shortcut through an alleyway. Most of the time I don’t do this because I’m scared to run over anything sharp and ruin my wheels, but I thought it was worth the risk. You only live once anyways, may as well make your life easier.

I turned the handlebar and made my way down the dimly lit alley. The shuffling of my tire slide over my worse fear, glass and nails. ‘_There was probably a fight around here. Damn drunks’ _I mumbled to myself in irritation.

I maneuver my bike slowly around the broken shards, my feet pushing my bike against the ground instead of the peddles. As I steady my pace I notice someone up ahead. It was a skinny looking boy who couldn’t be any older than 12. His appearance in the shallow light was frightening. His hair was jet black, hiding his face which also looked to be partially covered by a bandage. He turned his head, and gave me a look that made me want to scream. His gaze was unnerving and his eyes were shot wide, as if he was just as surprised as me.

The young boy looked like a Skeleton, _a living nightmare._

His presence had momentarily distracted me from my surroundings. From the body that lay one the ground next to his feet. The corpse had a slash wound on the neck that caught my attention.

The boy was holding a knife.__

__

“Hey Zion, remember no witnesses!!” A voice sang out from a chirpy sounding girl. I looked over and noticed that two silhouettes were hiding behind a bin. Her words rang loudly in my head.

I had already turned and raced away, no longer worrying about the nails that could harm my bike. I had raced out the ally, hoping to call for help, but there was no one. Even if there was, they wouldn’t save me anyways.

I peddled harder than I had ever done before and was afraid that the chain might come loose. I glanced back, the boy, who responded to the name Zion, was running right after me.

_“No witnesses”_

__

_Was he really not going to let me go? I promise I won’t tell anyone. I’ll forget about it. I’ll go home and act like everything is okay. I just wanted to see my family. I just wanted to go home. For as long as I live I won’t tell anyone. I promise._

Zion was intent on keeping that promise. He pursued me, and as soon as I thought I had lost him, he found me right again. He isn’t giving up. Why won’t he give up?

I was getting tired. I had just worked for so long, I wanted the easy way to get home. _‘I want to go home’_ I kept repeating to myself. My whole body was trembling with that want. I needed to get away! My boy was just about to graduate Highschool. My wife and I told him we would take him out to his favourite restaurant in celebration.

From the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of pink hair run into the side of my bicycle. It was the girl who called out before. I fell in almost slow motion, my head was going to hit the concrete.

The last thing I saw before I fell unconscious was a person watching this unfold close by.

_“Hey Zion, remember no witnesses!!” _