The People

Chapter One- Anna

"Daddy, didn't you say that Alice was a big dreamer?"
"Yes," the man nodded, "she crossed over the border line of dreams in fact. That's how much she loved dreaming."
"So she broke the rules?"
"Well I wouldn't say broke the rules," he smiled at his daughter as he tucked her in, "she just bent the rules."
"Am I able to do that daddy?"
"Why would you want to do that, Anna?"
"Well, Daddy, I have my own world! It's really pretty and I was thinking that maybe I could visit it. Like Alice did, in real life too."
"Anna," he moved a tangle of her hair back from her face, "it's dangerous if you try so no. You're not allowed too. You're still so young. You're only seven, silly."
He turned on the nightlight and walked towards the doorway, turning off the bedroom light. Anna's father left the door opened and headed down the hallway for bed as well.


The clock struck nine o' clock. Anna was sound asleep in bed as for her father watched the news channel for awhile. The lights in the kitchen seemed to have gone out and nothing mattered with the poor man's sight.

Anna layed in her bed, tucked in all nice and warm with her teddy bear under her small arm. She winced in her sleep with a disgusted look and held onto the toy a bit tighter.

The room was large and filled with knick-knacks. Anna's door was wide open as for she could hear her imaginary family laughing. She heard her mother laughing too. Anna looked towards the door and stared at the symbol of hearts. Her mother had drawn it for her before she was born. Now, it's here as a token to the world Anna knows. She held her teddy bear close to her. His eyes were adored with the latest stitches and this time he didn't have buttons for eyes.
Anna headed into the kitchen to see if her mother was in there, but no one was. Her teddy bear turned his head and looked at her, he was frowning. Anna didn't like it when he frowned.
"It's okay Mr. Teddy, mommy will be back." She hoped so, that is.

Meanwhile, a small jingle went on in little Anna's head. Her mother would sing it to her in this world. In Anna's own world.
A ballerina spinned around and around. The keys of a piano played so sweetly and a touching voice sang:

You're so quiet,
maybe all at night,
your dreams may come true,
only if we knew.

But the devil's in sight,
he holds a knife,
and you're sitting tight,
all through the night.

You're so quiet,
maybe all at night,
your dreams may come true,
only if we knew.

Drink up that wine,
have a pill,
an spin with me around the merry go trees,
and lets leave town tonight.

Give me a kiss on the cheek,
let me hear you say goodbye,
and I'll watch you fade away,
twirl as the demons eat you in the rays,
and the pain won't be with me.

You're so quiet,
maybe all at night,
your dreams may come true,
only if we knew...

Anna's cheeks were burning from the stove's heat. Her brunette hair toppled from her ears down to her shoulder of straight hair, and she passed down the hallways of the house. The ballerina continued singing and she felt sleepy. She saw a patch of the shadows and went to lay in it, as for no light shined down there.
Her small body layed down in the cold damp place, and hands coiled onto her skin softly. It felt like her bed but she say the grown being left behind her now and she looked down. Anna screamed and kicked but the demon had already caught her. He placed his lips onto her neck and made a symbol of arrowed snakes. This demon began to drink away Anna's life and whispered, "you're my first."
He held her limp body and grabbed her hand, starting to nibble on the small fingers, and ate as much as he could. He slashed open her teddy that she carried as her blood dripped over him.

....

"911. Please, please help me! My daughter won't wake up!"
"Sir, please calm down. Is she breathing? Where are you?"
"I think she's in a coma!"
"Sir, please tell us your address."
"Uh- uh.. 3745 Bridgeway North, street Polimester, on highway 95. Please hurry!"
"I have help on the way, sir. Please stay on the line."
"Oh God, Anna? Sweetie, can you hear me? It's daddy. Wake up Anna!"