There we were on the corner of Moonpool and Defcot Street.  A gloomy air filled the night. Only three of the six street lamps worked shrouding my boys and me in the shadows.  Half way down the pattering of footsteps filled out ears. The eyes of my boys growing in confusion and fear, for they heard it too.  I froze suddenly stopping my boys. Their bodies jerked at the notion. A tingle in my brain as I realized the steps weren’t our own echo. Now pacing down the seemingly never ending street I wonder who had been following us. It turns into a light run and the footsteps never wavered in their presence.  The only thing that rushes through my brain is my children. I need to get them safe! We turn a corner in the darkness and wait.  The sight of a dog, seemingly caught on our sent, brings a sigh of relief to my lips. I guess we weren’t who he was looking for because he moved on without a second thought.  Laughing and feeling quite stupid I said “Wow! I’m not going to lie that scared me a bit. Did you guys get scared?”  “Yeah a little bit but not too much.” Leo said. A few seconds pass waiting to hear from Jack but nothing.  I looked back expecting to find him scared or unamused. My shock when I don’t see him at all. “Leo do you know where Jack went?” Shaking his head he replied “No he was here a second ago.”
A whole new rush of fright courses through my veins.  The pitch black darkness playing tricks on my mind. I start to yell his name but nothing. The only return is silence. Pure silence. We go at this for 10 minutes walking around yelling for Jack and getting nothing in return. I start to feel light headed as I breathed heavily. Fighting the horrid thoughts, of where he could be, trying to pry themselves in my head.  I slide my back down a brick wall needing to breath. Fighting the tears that are slowly streaming down my pale cold cheeks. Suddenly it’s too quite. I can’t hear Leo anymore. I look up and he’s gone too.  “What the hell is going on?” I mutter under my breath.  The tingling of fear and uselessness runs back up my spine. I desperately yell both their names. I can feel the panic swallowing me. I turn and gaze in every direction now hoping to see something, someone.
I can see my boys now and they look emotionless. I’m sure I am hallucinating. I have to be. I’m not sure of anything anymore. They come closer, a flushed look on their faces, I can touch them!  I give them a squeeze with all my might. The fear fueling my strength. It had now been an hour since we heard the footsteps. Angry I ask “What happen to you both?” I thought they had played a trick on me.  But their faces say otherwise. The panic and horror trapped in their green orbs. I was answered by nothing but a faint “the man” accompanied by pointing into the fog a few meters away in the forest.  At an impeccable timing the fog cleared to show the distant silhouette of a big house. The dim light on the street had blown out at the very moment.   “Ahhh! “ I shrieked as the pop of breaking glass echoed around us. I look back into the fog and the house has disappeared. My boys, still speechless, pull and tug on my arms begging to go.  I can’t fight the curiosity now taking over me but I know if I don’t leave with my boys something awful might happen. If it hasn’t already. I grasp both of their hands as if I’m holding on for dear life. I don’t plan on letting go and they don’t complain.  We rush down whatever street we were on. For I had lost track.  Rushing towards light away from the edge of the forest. Safe and sound … for now.
I never figured out what happen that night to my boys. Each time I asked the horror stares back at me from their eyes and they remain silent. Never speaking a word, flushed and no emotion on their face. Only their green eyes. All those haunting forests frights and it all started when we heard footsteps in the night.