A sliver of moonlight made its way through the cloudy sky and fell through the open window onto the sleeping form of a child. As a gentle breeze rustled the curtains, she stirred slightly. The clouds covered the moon once more and the only illumination was from the night light plugged in next to the closet door. With a flicker and sharp crackle, the light died. The child sighed.
The moon fought the clouds and sent a shaft of silver liquid light into the girl’s room, just in time to see a shadow creep through the window and to the bedside. The shadow slipped an appendage under the girl’s pillow feeling for its bounty- a fresh, nine-year-old tooth. A more prized possession there was not in his world.
The girl stirred and rolled on to her back. Her mouth opened slightly, and the shadow forced part of itself in. Slowly and gently it wrapped itself around each of her ivory treasures, until they were secure. Then, with a quick movement it yanked-
The girl woke up screaming as blood poured from her mouth. The shadow fled through the open window, teeth firmly held in its being. Blood began to pool and gag the child as she fought to make her way to the door, but the pain was overwhelming. In the shadow’s pulling, he had displaced her jaw which, had there been light to view it, hung disgustingly askew on her face. The wrenching of the jaw, combined with the copious amounts of blood, garbled her screams as she collapsed on the floor writhing in pain. Shock set in before she could reach the doorknob and she passed out. The blood pooled around her as her parents slept on, three doors down and to the right, just past the bathroom.