No Turning Back
935 Words
Darkness swallowed the café, this time no flicker no sign of warning all had Just gone.
For a moment, no one dared to move. No one breathed, there was a total silence.
Even the creature stilled… like something deeper than hunger had just entered the room along side.
Then a soft tap echoed that broke the silence . A sound of wood against the tile.
Slower than normal that could be measured by those hearing it.
A faint glow returned that could be spotted not from the lights, But from the corner.
Mr. Evans stood firmly and focused, his cane touched the ground again,Tap.
The sound didn’t travel through the air, It traveled through everything. Through the floor, through the walls, through bones.
“Now, now…” he said gently.
His voice was no longer thin, no longer amused, it carried weight an old weight.
“Must we make a mess of things so early?”
The creature froze mid-rise, its twisted limbs trembled its head turned a bit slowly looking reluctantly toward him.
“…You,” it rasped. Not hungry anymore feeling afraid.
Alex didn’t lower the blade, but his stance shifted, not defensive, not aggressive, but a sense of recognition kicks in .
Lara whispered, barely audible
“Don’t move.”
Jamie didn’t move an inch.
Their chest tightened like invisible hands were closing in, their power or whatever had just surged through them all, thing Went silent. Like it had been forced down.
Mr. Evans stepped forward from out of the shadows, Into something worse.
For the first time he looked… wrong.
Subtly.
His smile stretched just a fraction too far.
His eyes reflected no light.
Only depth within it.
Endless, watching depth.
“You’ve come a long way for a taste,” he said, stepping a few feet from the creature.
“Was it worth it?”
The creature tried to speak with it's jaw trembled.“I was called”
Mr. Evans tilted his head.
“Were you? '' a pause followed .
The creature's voice sharpened
“No.”
The word dropped like a verdict leaving the creature convulsed.
This time the body jerked violently, and slammed to the ground. Been pinned by nothing could be visibly seen.
The floor beneath the café floor cracked leaving a visible mark underneath
Alex didn’t blink but held their grip tightened been prepared for the worst. They’d seen this before, or something similar like it.
“Please” the creature gasped.
“I was hungry”
Mr. Evans sighed in a disappointed manner, like a teacher correcting a child.
“Hunger is not permission.” he said in a commanding voice tone.
He lifted his cane slightly. The twins behind him screamed again but this time they both covered their ears.
Letting out the word “DON’T”
But at thst time it was already too late to be heard .
The cane tapped the floor once making the creature collapsed, not like a body falling, but more like something being erased. But something been pulled inward could be heard been compressed, until there was nothing left but a total silence was i in the entire room.
No blood.
No remains.
No proof it had ever been there.
The café exhaled.
The lights flickered back on.
Dim.
Unstable.
No one spoke.
Mr. Evans turned.
Slowly.
Toward Jamie.
And smiled.
“Ah,” he said softly.
“There you are.”
Jamie stepped back.
Just one step.
But it was enough.
Alex moved instantly.
Between them.
Blade raised.
“Don’t,” Alex said.
Not a threat.
A sound of warning.
Mr. Evans looked at the blade.
Then his gaze shifted towards Alex.
Then laughed, softly
Almost fond.
“You always were quick,” he said.
“Even back then.”
Lara’s head snapped toward Alex.
“…Back then?” she wondered
Alex didn’t answer. His eyes didn't look away from Mr. Evans.
“Stay out of this,” Alex said.
Mr. Evans raised a brow.
“Out of this?”
He glanced around the café.
At the cracked wall.
At the lingering shadow where the creature had been.
At the twins.
Still shaking“My dear Alex…” he murmured.
“I am this.”
Silence dropped again.
He let that settle.
Let it sink in.
Then
He stepped closer.
Not touching a thing.
But close enough that the air bent between them.
“You’ve done such a wonderful job keeping things… contained,” he continued.
“But we both know…”
His gaze flicked to Jamie.
“…that was never going to last.”
Jamie’s voice came out barely steady
“What do you want?”
Mr. Evans smiled wider.
Not hiding it anymore.
“I don’t want,” he said softly.
“I remember.”
The temperature in the room dropped.
“The night this place was born,” he continued.
“The blood in the floorboards.”
“The screaming.”
“The door that was opened”
“STOP.” Alex’s voice cut through, sharp.
Too late to be noticed.
The twins looked up.
Tears flowing from their eyes.
“You left us,” Lia whispered.
Leo finished
“You didn’t close it.”
Jamie’s breath caught.
“What… door?”
Mr. Evans’ smile sharpened, now hungry.
“That,” he said quietly,
“…is the right question.”
Outside
The rain stopped completely sending a message to the entire place .
And in the sudden silence
Something knocked.
Not at the door.
From beneath the floor, making it harder for the others to realize all of a sudden.
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