Children of Darkness by Courtney Shockey Page A

movie.
    The action in the movie is too loud for me to hear anything else, so I turn off all thoughts of everything but the movie. A bead of sweat trickles down my back and I shiver. The temporary lapse of focus allows me to hear someone running behind our row. We both turn in unison to investigate the sound. Nothing is there.
    “Did you hear that?” He leans forward to look around the theater. “It sounded like someone was running behind us.”
    My stomach drops as my eyes widen. “You…you heard it, too?”
    “It was probably from the movie,” he replies as he shakes his head.
    “Yeah.” I know in my heart that it wasn’t the movie making those sounds.
    I can’t get comfortable in my seat after that. I keep looking around us for any sign the demon children are here. Coby keeps murmuring to me that everything is okay and reassuring me the movie is the reason we are so on edge. I try to focus on the movie, try to keep my eyes on the screen. My foot starts tapping nervously and he puts his hand on my knee. I look down at his hand and smile at him apologetically. I scan the bottom row and my eyes land on The Leader of the little creatures at the bottom of the stairs.
    My hand claps over my mouth as I smother a scream. They are here. Out in the open. Giggles come from behind me and Coby sits up straight.
    “Did you hear that?”
    His wide eyes look into mine as I nod. He can hear them . I see the children running up and down the stairs on the ends of the rows. There are more of them, now. I count seven in total. I hear a scream from the top row and look up to see the teenage girl stand up and point in the children’s direction. The boy looks around in confusion.
    “What are they?” the girl screams.
    Her boyfriend stands and looks around. “I don’t see anything, Judy. What are you pointing at? Calm down!”
    “Janet, what is going on?” Coby looks at me in fear. “Are they here?”
    All I can do is nod. Coby looks around but can’t see the children. They continue to play on the stairs, scratching the walls with their claws. The sound makes my insides crawl and bile rise in my throat. How could there be more children?
    He confirms my suspicion. “I can’t see them, but I can hear them.”
    The Leader starts walking towards us with his tongue swaying back and forth. I shiver as fear fills my body. His tongue is now almost flat and withered. I scramble back to the seat beside me to get further away from The Leader and Coby follows me.
    “Janet, what is it? Where are you going?”
    I start crying as The Leader inches his way up the stairs and starts coming down our row of chairs. His jagged nails click on the floor and the sound vibrates through my being.
    “It’s…time…”
    I grab Coby’s hand and run to the steps. I barely notice the girl’s shriek stopping abruptly. The children at the end of the row part like the sea and we fly up the steps towards the exit. Their giggles rise in volume as we flee the dark theater.
    People stare and point at us, but I don’t stop running until we get to the car. I collapse into the passenger seat as he fumbles with the keys. His hands are shaking and sweat is beaded on his brow.
    “Janet, what the hell is going on?”
    “I don’t know! They’re following me! I thought they were gone!” I scream hysterically.
    He finally gets the key in the ignition and starts up his car. We speed out of the parking garage and drive down the street. Once we are out of the vicinity of the theater, he slows down and pulls into a park. We both have to calm our breathing before either of us can speak.
    “I’m so sorry, Janet. I didn’t fully believe you, but I do now. I’m so sorry,” he repeats.
    “It’s okay, Coby. I know it’s hard to believe, but they are very real. I didn’t mean to drag you into this. I never meant to bring these things to you or Max. It’s all my fault. I’m so sorry, baby.”
    He holds me tightly and tries his best to soothe me even though his