The sun was just setting over the west Chicago bridge, casting eerie shadows on the walls of the brick buildings. Women of all ages clutched their belongings to their chests nervously, hustling along the darkening streets. The fright behind their eyes was nearly tangible, almost a living thing. Cahira shuddered with unbidden fear, causing gooseflesh to spread across the snowy skin of her exposed arms.

What once used to be a semi-decent city was now a hotspot for kidnappings. Fifteen women, daily, were disappearing without a trace. By now, the truth had started to settle in with most of the women. They were being hunted. By what, nobody knew.

Cahira hoisted her purse strap higher onto her shoulder before crossing the barren street. Trash, caught by the wind, danced around her booted ankles as she walked. She added a skip to her step, the exhilaration of almost being home suddenly lightening her mood. Only a couple of blocks to go.

It's getting dark, and quick. She thought to herself, and her shoulders tightened with her nerves.

Don't worry, keep moving.

With everything falling to pieces within the city, people had started to become stir-crazy. Shops closed early, gas stations were locking down the fuel pumps before sunset. Police roamed the streets in convoys, methodically combing through the city blocks like sentries. But somehow, even with the blanket of squad cars across the city, the police presence never decreased the number of daily missing persons reports. In fact, the number had started to increase by the day. Some people speculated that the police were in on it, whatever it was.

It took a moment for Cahira to notice the silence settling over the streets. With a glance up, she realized just how alone she was. All the women who had previously been hurrying home were now safely behind locked doors, leaving Cahira stranded in the bare streets alone. The darkness washed over the city faster than anticipated, draining the color from her surroundings. Her knuckles tightened on the strap of her purse and she started to jog, her heart running faster than she was.

Calm down. You're fine. What are the chances you'd be abducted, anyway?

She chuckled darkly to herself. It would be her luck, would'nt it?

Only two blocks to go. You took track, just breathe, and pump your legs.

Twilight was an incredibly short time when shadowed by the multi-story buildings around her, and Cahira quickly started to lose vision. The handful of streetlights that worked down this particular length of road flickered on, but the busted lamps left entire citys blocks in the inky dark.

She could feel eyes on her, from every window she passed. Curious bystanders, watching from the safety of their homes as a lone girl raced home after curfew. Everyone watched, waiting for the mysterious abductor to appear and snatch her up. At least then, they would know who, or what, was taking the women.

One more block. You're almost home! Don't trip. Don't trip. Don't trip.

The darkness deepened, swallowing up Cahira's ankles. This entire block was bathed in black, and she tried not to shudder as she took purposeful steps in to the dark. She pumped her legs faster, her boots making a disturbing amount of noise in the otherwise silent city. She sprinted past an alley and an eery clicking drifted past her ears. It changed in pitch and range, like an alien staccato, loud enough to trump even her heavy breathing. She skidded to a stop, only feet from the mouth of the black alley. Why? She had no idea. She was silent a moment, and a moment was all it took. The clicking bounced off the walls again, followed by what sounded like a growl.

Whatever it was, it was huge!

Her body suddenly went rigid, and as she turned to bolt, a hot breath crawled across the back of her neck. Her fiery hair danced in the current of it, falling in strands over her shoulder. She could feel the heat of a very large body behind her, close enough to touch if she only extended her hands backwards.

With her heart in her throat, Cahira took off. Her speed surprised even her, but what surprised her the most was her uncontrollable curiosity. She just had to look back as she ran. What she saw, or rather, what she didn't see, was a huge creature standing in the street. The street lights flickered on right as she glanced back, and a huge, shimmering form stood under the lamplit mouth of the alley. The shimmering lasted only a moment, like a mirage, before smoothing over and disappearing completely, but she knew what she saw.

Whatever that was, it was huge, it was loud, and it was still watching her.

She turned around and continued her mad sprint for home. She could see her door now, the only red one on the block. It creaked open as she neared, and Alvy popped her mousy brown head out.

Her little eyes landed on Cahira, and they both let out a sigh of relief. Cahira sprinted up the steps to her door and hooked an arm under Alvy's armpits as she bolted in and slammed the door to the house. She slid the deadbolt into place with a sigh of temporary relief. Alvy's curly brown hair was tousled and windswept from her sudden retrieval, and she patted it down with an annoyed expression on her face. Cahira, still out of breath, laughed at her little sisters efforts before running her fingers through her hair affectionately.

"You're late." she whispered. She lost all annoyance in her tone and expression, her eyes becoming downcast. She was suddenly the sad little girl that Cahira was familiar with. She stopped her ministrations on her hair and sighed.

"I'm alright, Alvy. I'm home now, that's what counts." she replied. Green eyes, much like her own, stared up at her with a teary eyed gaze.

"I was worried about you. I was going to come looking for you." She dug around in her jacket pocket before holding out both of her hands. In one, there was a small flashlight. In the other, an even smaller pocket knife. Cahira sighed, reaching forward to take the useless, blunt blade.

Alvy clenched her little fist around it, pulling it out of her sisters reach with a defiant shake of her curley head.

"I need it to protect myself.." she muttered quietly, and Cahira's heart clenched painfully in her chest. Alvy was a very intelligent child, and she was very watchful. Cahira had come home these last few weeks and often walked in on Alvy watching the news, and she would often be the one telling her big sister about the updates in the kidnapping department.

Alvy was too smart, and because of that, she was now afraid like the rest of the city.

Cahira offered her hand as she stood, waiting for Alvy to place her tiny hand in hers. When she did, she gave it a reassuring squeeze and led her to their bedroom.

Cahira didn't try to take the blade again, figuring the blunted thing was harmless anyways, and her sister seemingly felt saferwith it tucked away in her pocket.

As they readied for bed, Cahira paused to grab a picture sitting on the nightstand. The picture was that of a happy family. A Father on the left, holding a baby girl with the same features that he had. Curly brown hair, clear green eyes, and strong bone structure. A mother on the right, her hand on the shoulder of her eldest daughter. Cahira and her Mother shared most of their features, from the silken, fiery locks of hair to the pale flesh and emerald green eyes. They even laughed the same, or at least, they had.

She placed the picture back on the stand as Alvy came into the room.

"Time for bed, kiddo." She greeted her. "Did you brush your teeth?"

Alvy bared her teeth in response and clicked them together like a rabid animal.

"Alright, goof. Crawl in bed." Alvy eyed her bed, just a couple of feet away from her sisters, and she shrank away from it.

"Can I sleep with you tonight, Hira? I've been having nigthmares." she muttered the last bit as if she were ashamed.

Cahira was already crawling beneath her own blankets, and she wordlessly patted the bed beside her and scooted over to make room.

"Of course, bug." Hira said, pulling her little sister in to the crooo of her side as she clicked off the light.

When Alvy's labored breathing finally evened out, Cahira gave herself to sleep. Unlike most nights, where she dreamed of nothing, she dreamed of growls and clicks and shimmering figures just beyond her line of sight.