It was a warm, breezy evening when Lily decided to take a stroll through Everwood Park. The last rays of the setting sun cast long shadows, and the playground was eerily deserted.
As she wandered past the empty swings, a giggle caught her attention. Turning, she saw a group of children standing near the old oak tree at the park’s edge.
They seemed innocent enough at first glance: three small figures, two girls and a boy, all dressed in outdated clothing that looked like it belonged in a 19th-century portrait.
Their eyes, however, gleamed with an unnatural light, and their skin was ghostly pale.
“Come play with us,” the smallest girl called out, her voice sweet but carrying an undertone that sent a shiver down Lily’s spine.
Lily hesitated. Something about these children felt off. Their laughter was too hollow, their smiles too wide. As she watched, the children began to move toward her, gliding rather than walking, their feet seemingly never touching the ground.
Heart pounding, Lily stepped back. “It’s getting late. I should go,” she said, her voice trembling.
The boy grinned, revealing sharp, elongated teeth. “Oh, but the fun is just starting,” he said. In a blur, they were upon her, surrounding her with cold, grasping hands. Lily tried to scream, but no sound emerged.
The shadows deepened, and the last of the sunlight vanished, leaving Everwood Park in darkness. The children’s eyes glowed red as they sank their fangs into her neck. Lily’s vision blurred, her strength draining away with each heartbeat.
The next morning, the park was as peaceful as ever, the sun shining brightly, children playing on the swings, and birds singing. But near the old oak tree, a new group of children stood, waiting, their eyes gleaming with a hunger that would never be sated.
And in the shadows, Lily’s eyes glowed red.
Gareth Ellis - Author 