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A hollow thud. No cracking of bones, no splattering of blood. No screaming. He looked around the corner, shaking with fear, and saw… it.
Looks human, but God… What are those things it has instead of arms?
– "This would all be a lot easier if you actually knew how to fight, Leonard." it said, with its back towards the man.
How does he know my name?
– "I know a great deal about you, Leonard." it said, taking a more human shape. "Your inaptitude of any means of defending yourself is laughable, to be honest."
The man turned around, facing Leonard. An expensive suit, tie and all. Extremely pale face. No pupils. The eyes were unnaturally white. Hollow.
NOT human!
Leonards instincts took over as he turned and ran.
STAIRS! Got to get out of this hellhole!

* * * *

"…pushing on, I can't escape. Everything that comes my way…"
His phone was ringing. Leonard glanced at it. "MOM" kept flashing on the screen.
Seriously? Not going to pick you up from the pub tonight…
He silenced the phone and kept walking. School, late night-shift, a shoddy apartment with a shoddy bed was waiting for him.
Still, a bed…
Walking down the stairs to the subway station as usual, hoping the train wouldn't be late, as it usually is. Cold, well-lit and damp, as generic as stations get. Two other people were waiting for the same train, it seemed. A man, too focused in his newspaper to notice, and a girl with over-the-top –huge headphones, obviously jamming to the latest big pop-hit, having a hard time keeping still.
No-one else but me and my music, thank God for lack of people here at this hour. Can't be damned with any more social interaction tod–
– "Excuse me, sir?"
Craaaaap…
Leonard turned around with an overly bothered expression on his face and saw a face, covered in a scarf, hat and thick shades.
– "Yes?"
– "You wouldn't have a moment to talk about our savior, the Lord of Jesus Christ?"
You've GOT to be shitting me… Coming to preach about God at a moment and place like this?
– "No, sorry." Leonard said and started putting his earplugs in.
The man stopped Leonards arm, mid-movement, and lowered his shades to make eye-contact.
What the hell?!
The mans eyes were completely white. Empty and hollow.
– "But I insist… Leonard."

* * * *

Leonard reached the top of the stairs. The cold night-air in his face felt as welcoming as a soft bed after a long, hard day. Without looking back he kept running.
The restaurant! If I make it there, I can lock myself in! Two blocks! I can make it!
As he was reaching the first corner he glanced back, towards the subway-stairs.
It's not following?
He kept running without noticing anyone else, almost knocking over a man he ran into.
– "Watch where you're going, jackoff!"
Leonard didn't stop to apologize. He had one goal in his mind, and that's where he was headed.
– "The hell are you doing, you idiot?"
– "Watch it, kid!"
– "Watch it, ye tosser!"
He kept running through people, not hearing the insults, finally seeing the restaurant he worked at.
The back door! Almost there!
He rounded the corner, and there it was again.
– "You know, this would all be a lot easier if you stopped running for a moment, and actually listened, Leonard." the pale man said, adjusting its tie.
Still the same pale face and lifeless and hollow eyes.
– "Wh… wha… What are you?" Leonard stuttered.
– "Me?" the pale man said, with a surprised look on his face. "You run into plenty of my brethren, and you stop to ask ME what I am? Come now, Leonard…"
His brethren? There are more than those two in the subway station?
– "Yes. Plenty more."
…how did he…
– "…read your mind?"
Leonard froze. The pale man just looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
– "Hah! I guess it's easy, as your mind is the thing that created me in the first place, Leonard." he said, laughing.
Created him?
– "Now, those people you bumped into on your way here…" the pale man said in a more serious tone, looking into Leonards eyes. "You didn't happen to stop and look them in their eyes, did you, Leonard?"

* * * *

Grey ceilings. Fluorescent lights. Headache. Fuzzy vision. Cold, hard, concrete floor. More headache. An inhumane roar.
The hell?
Leonard woke up and sat up with a snap. He heard sounds of a struggle. No other people anywhere, but the echoes of roars, fabric being ripped, some form of scratches against concrete.
Claws? And…
He got up, only to be reminded of his headache.
Ow. Was I knocked out?
He started making his way around the station, looking for the source of the noise.
What's going on? The last thing I remember was that Mormon with the… Oh.
He rounded a corner and saw the coat, hat, shades and scarf the Mormon was wearing as well as the headphones the girl had. The coat was torn to shreds, and the walls and floor had major scratches in them. No blood. No people. The noise of struggle, never ceasing, coming from around the next corner.
This can't be good…
His curiosity told him to walk up and look around the corner. His instincts told him to run. He let his curiosity get the better of him and took a brief look.
A moment later, he sat down; face pale, eyes wide with fear, wishing his instincts would have won.

* * * *