I hate working nights.

There’s so much that’s inconvenient about it. The sleep schedule shift, the fact that nothing is open should you like to buy something, and there is this odd sort of unreality in the atmosphere. It’s a feeling of isolation. I work for a telecom company that handles emergency repairs and things break at all hours of the day so it’s not uncommon that I may have to work nights.

Today is especially unfortunate, as my car stopped working. My best guess is the starter system as I can’t even hear a click when turning the key but I’m woefully inexperienced as to the workings of cars. Point is, I had to walk in at sunset. It’s only about a 30 minute walk thankfully, or else I’d have called for a ride.

Given that it was sunset when I walked in, I started dreading the walk home early on in my shift. I knew it would take place in darkness and though I’m not afraid of the dark per say, I don’t much like walking in it for extended periods of time. Well, nothing to be done I guess.

My shift passes without major incident. No emergency calls came in so my coworkers and I cleaned up the shop, and caught up on some paperwork. Before I knew it, it was time to head on home. I wished the guys a good weekend perfunctorily as I walked out the doors.

The streetlights were old and fairly dim, casting a jaundiced glow over their charges. Much brighter, I could see stoplights at every other intersection down the my intended path. For a while, it wasn’t too terrible. The glow of the stoplights helped and there were also many shopfronts that had at least some lighting. I am also making good time and havebeen walking for about 15 minutes. Unfortunately, there is a stretch of nothing between me and my block. Totally unlit as though a diminutive black hole lived at ground level in this stretch of road. After a brief pause I nod to myself and charge forrward.

Halfway into the darkness, I start hearing things. A light scrape behind me, is that breath over to my right?

I stop and look around, seeing only the blank darkness.

Long shapes materialize all around me like so many reaching snakes made entirely of shadow. Before I can even gasp in fright they take my arms and legs and pull till I am an x in midair. One of them nears my throat and pain erupts there as I hear the wet slop of my blood and meat being devoured. I try to scream but no sound comes until the noises, shapes, and my pain fade to nothing.