• I tried my best to remain calm as the darkness covered me, but I couldn’t help thinking, I’m gonna die. I’m gonna die. And the worst part was, I actually believed it. The whole room was damp and I heard a few squeaks from the bats the hung overhead, watching me with glowing, red eyes.
    I gulped as foot steps approached. There was more than one person; that was for sure. And, suddenly, a faint red glow appeared from nowhere. My breath quickened, my heart pounded and I looked up to see the face of death. I swallowed my scream and bit my lip, but he just stood there.
    “Why are you here?” he asked and his breath hit me, it smelled like corpses and Earth, but most of all, blood.
    “I- I came t- to save my mother.” Death smiled and laughed low and coarse.
    “You need a soul to replace hers,” he whispered in my ear. I held my breath and toke the misty, white sphere from my cloak.
    “T- This is the soul of my s- sister.” His eyes squinted and I realized that he had smiled as he took the soul of Bethany, my sister.
    “Dear freighted child, ‘tis not her soul I need, nor want, ‘tis yours.” His rotten teeth showed as he took a step closer and held out one clawed hand. I backed up and ran for an exit, but it was no use, he appeared in front of me. “It seems that you have sinned, child, and now your soul is mine,” he said and slithered toward me.