There are no stars in the sky; an omen.

It's night and I should not be here. It's past curfew but I was at Alex's house and lost track of time. She told me not to go, that I could stay overnight, but I foolishly refused. After all, the sun had only just set and my house isn't that far away... ten minutes maybe, though my parents will give me hell for breaking curfew.

But it's dark and I'm starting to get scared. There are sounds echoing along the empty streets and they aren't human. I've heard strange stories about what happens after dark, some people go out for a walk and just don't come home; I don't want to be one of those people.

I can hear my heart pounding, way too loudly; I'm afraid something will hear it. I walk past the streetlight, its dim glow giving no comfort. There is a sound from behind me like a gunshot and I spin around but all I see is a garbage can that has been knocked over, the metal canister rolling back and forth. I very nearly let out a whimper as I back away, leaving the now welcoming glow of the streetlight. A shudder passes through my frame, starting at my shoulders. There is a horrid chill in the air and I pick up my pace, looking around frantically.

A noise echoes down the street, and my heart suddenly feels like it's jumped into my throat; that's when I begin to run. I can hear footsteps behind me, matching my own, but I don't look back, I can't look back.

Then I hear a voice, a human voice, call out, "Wait!"

I turn and there is a man standing there, holding a wallet in his out-stretched hand. He's barely as tall as me and can't be much older either; I can't make out much more in the darkness and the next street-light is several meters away. He says that he thinks I dropped the wallet when I was walking but I shake my head. The man frowns. He asks me if I'm sure and pulls out a card that I can't really see in the dark and he says that it has my picture on it.

Swallowing my earlier panic, I walk closer. I take the offered card from his hand and then my heart catches and stops; on the card is a single word in bold block printing:

RUN.

I look up as terror fills me; I want to flee but I'm paralyzed. The man is now smiling at me, his teeth starting to lengthen, his eyes turning yellow and his face growing grotesque and feral. "I'd take the advice on the card," he says but then he lunges for me before I can move.

As I'm sinking to the ground with his teeth on my throat I look up...

There are no stars in the sky...

A bad omen...