1. Introduction

The man's eyes sparkled in the spotlight, his thin lips curling upwards as the audience's eyes peered with curiosity at the shadow behind him. He parted those sickening, skinny lips to speak.
"Let me introduce you to the star of our show," he paused, allowing the battered drum to roll. As the thundering sound of it grew louder, so did the anticipation of the crowd before him. "Ladies and gentleman, the freak!" He waved one hand to show off the girl, who was once the mysterious figure, emerge from the hidden part of the stage.
"I'm, I'm, n-not a freak," she said quietly, her blue eyes turned down towards the floor. He long blond hair was tucked behind her ears, and she twiddled her fingers nervously in front of her.
The crowd roared with laughter and her gaze suddenly focused on them, boring a hole through their souls. Her expression changed from embarrassment to sheer terror. "He's real, I swear! I've seen him, I've heard him!"
A little boy in the audience pointed and laughed.
"He'll come for you! He will!" The blonde pointed right back at the small brown-haired boy.
"And you, and you, and you..." she smiled as she said this. One day they were going to wish they would have listened. She was sure of it.