Sincerely, Jennifer x

To be taken by the dark is an honour that I’m not sure they could appreciate, but I am used to a lack of appreciation from those that I find.

They gathered in their ones and twos. The married and the unmarried. The friends and the enemies. All marching onto their little boat, barely flinching as it fell back and forth among the waves while the storm raged on. 

I watched them with great interest and a rumble in my tummy that began to give birth to an ache. I hungered, starved and yearned in a way I could never truly describe, and as I watched from the island. Their scent was intoxicating, and I breathed them in deeply as the ferry approached. 

The rain kissed me gently, and a low growl rested in my throat. My tattered dress danced in the wind, as I had in my youth, but they were so busy chatting amongst themselves that they could not possibly understand what awaited them. 

I ran to the docks, my excitement felt on the floor as I pounded my feet against the nervous earth, disturbing each worm and wretch that lay beneath me. The wind called out in great glee as I reached the creaking, aching wood of the docks, slinking among the shadows and licking my lips as the boat arrived. 

Allyfan strode towards the dock with slight confidence, but even at a distance, I could see the effort that a smile cost him. It had been a rough few days on the island. Constant rain clattered from the sky, and as he slept, thoughts of me found him. 

He had shrugged it off, time and time again, but something in him knew that tonight would not be as simple as he was.

He glanced around him nervously, rubbing the back of his neck and biting his lip with a frown, and that was when I caught his eye. 

I gave the old man a weak wave, delighting in the colour draining from his face as he spotted me. His eyes were wider than ever before as he watched my fingers. The old man of the island, aged another year in my absence. I had been busy, you see, but always bound to return, with so much to celebrate. 

My hand weighed heavy, with the golden promise of my lover, and as Allyfan ran to the boat and began hurrying his guests onto the docks, I swallowed a slight smile, thinking of my darling. 

He found me on a clear, corruptible night, and all at once, I adored him with each of my barren bones. He held them in his hands, and for the first time in centuries, I was warm. I belonged to him, in an instant, and he kept my old bones close to his heart, carrying them in his sack everywhere that he went, each and every one, dug from the dismal ground and kept with such care. 

My boy, with the smile of a thousand suns, and his sweet, soft words as our lips first met. 

“Dear lady, I think we may be hunting the same wretch.” 

Oh, yes. The Child of September had escaped his clutches many times, and now, as she flocked on the ferry to find adventure and merriment with her friends on the island, she was my prey too. 

My boy, with the blood of many mistakes bounding from his beautiful mouth, was never truly of this Earth, and I was in awe of him. At last, a man deserving of my devotion. Not a man at all, and perhaps, that is what I have always needed. I had promised him a feast he’d never forget, and to my lover, I would always be true. 

We were inevitable, and could not be escaped. The silly old man reigned in his friends, running from the rain to the sanctuary of the cinema, but the fun was just beginning. 

He wouldn’t tell them about me. Too afraid to be a mad man, I suppose, or perhaps afraid that they would believe him, and he would have to confront me. 

They gathered in the lobby, lollygagging and giggling as I slowly snaked towards the windows. I knew all about them. They had littered my dreams, clearer with each evening

I saw the Child of September, passing out Maltesers to the crowd, receiving whispered thanks from the bowdy boy and his charming wife, the two of them linking arms with a tall, terrifically husky man. I admired him as the windows fogged, still true to my beloved, but rather enjoying the show as his nonchalant southern drawl filled the lobby. 

“I swear to God, if they play The Illustrated Man again, I’ll…” The couple cooed, each running trembling fingers down his broad chest with twin smirks as he fell into silence. 

“Hush husky man…” Whispered Mandrake with a mischievous grin.

“We won’t be watching the movie for very long.” Her husband finished the thought, matching her mischief as they took a hand each of the husky man and led him towards the theater. 

How correct they were, but of course, not for the reason they thought. 

The Child of September approached another, waving more scarlet bags of sweetness as she did. She smiled widely as she approached the bookish one, Nookster, they called her, carrying a pile of paperbacks that she balanced her popcorn upon as she nodded to the popcorn bucket and nodded with appreciation at the small Scot and her seemingly never ending supply of chocolate. 

“Shame that Jen and Mersadist have a concert tonight, they’re missing the film.” Said Zarf with a shrug as they walked with the others towards the theater. 

Allyfan stood by the door, his face as glum and gloomy as the clouds outside. He watched over his friends, pointing them to their seats with his eyes fixed upon me. 

Was I real? 

I could see him wondering. Perhaps it had all been a dream, or a silly game of play pretend. 

He wished it. He wished it so hard that his cheeks were as red as his hat, but still, there I was, waiting at the window as he waved to Sandy Shore, Tiny Haggis, and a selection of Daves, both digital and otherwise. 

As the Child of September pressed a bag of Maltesers into Allyfan’s sweating hands, I saw him jump, just for a second, as he saw me disappear. I was gone from the window, and my absence chilled him even more, I’d imagine. 

I would have liked to stay and watch the rest of my prey pack into the theater, but I had other things to do, you see, and there was no time to waste. 

The projection room was the perfect place for me, with a little toy waiting for my enjoyment. 

Dean, they called him. Poor little Dean. Always blamed. Always shamed. Poor wee Dean, in the wrong place at the perfect time, crumbling and crying as my fingernails sank into his skin and I settled into watch the show. 

“Just do as he asks, Dean.” I whispered, wicked as soft winds whistled all around at my command. “Everything will be alright.” The man shook, his tears trailing down his pale face and puddling on the desk before him.

I watched as the crowd quietened down and the last of the latecomers took their seats. His eyes met mine, and I watched his throat fill with a gasp he wrestled back down. He knew that it was over, but still, he clung to normality, for as long as he could. 

Allyfan cleared his throat, dropping his gaze to his papers as if he hadn’t seen me watching, and began to speak. 

“We’ll be starting the movie soon, but I did want to say a few words.” His voice was shriller than he’d have liked, I’m sure, and he cleared his throat again with a plastered on smile, as if nothing at all was wrong. “Now, unfortunately, as we’ll all be aware, Zab is dead. Turns out he wasn’t actually joking in that last chat message, so if you could, I’d like us all to raise a glass to Zab.” 

Obediently, the prey raised up paper cups and plastic bottles with solemn nods. 

“To Zab.” They chanted as Allyfan scarpered from the stage, giving a nod to the projection room. Dean shuffled in his seat, his mouth hanging open as his fingers trembled above the desk. 

“Dean! For fuck’s sake!” Allyfan could see me. He couldn’t take his eyes off me as he took an incredibly long time walking to the projection room, dawdling as much as he could to avoid another encounter with me, but I waited patiently, as still as the rocks that resided in the bubbling brooks of the island.

Allyfan was about to enter when a loud crash grabbed his attention, and he dashed back to the front of the theater, dropping his papers and pens all over the place. I held onto Dean, delighting in his whimpering as I sunk my nails further into the flesh of his fragile shoulders. 

“Give me Nikki, and you shall all go free.” My love’s voice filled the theater and my heart skipped a beat. The door of the theater clattered to the floor and he stood, tall and transfixing in front of the screen, swinging his shining axe above his head with wild, wonderful eyes.

There was silence for a moment as they gawped at him, before one of the audience spoke. 

“Wait a minute, who’s Nikki?” Whispered Sandy with a confused glance around the theater. 

“Does he mean Nikki with an I or a Y?” Tiny Haggis, who was actually not as small as his name suggested, whispered back to Sandy, kneeling on his seat and surveying the theater. 

“Hang on, we’re not giving him anybody, so it doesn’t matter about the spelling!” Nookster stood from her seat, turning to the others with a stern look, and they all began to nod, some even applauding her as she turned to Mr Smiles with a bold and determined glare. 

“He does have an axe Nooks, so…” The group gasped as Harry spoke, as Nookster rounded on him, joined in her glaring by Fran. “I’m just saying… he does have a massive axe, and…” Some of the crowd shrugged and slowly nodded as Nikki’s face fell. 

“So what Harry? It’s not happening!” JimmyJazz called out, joining Nookster and Fran. The group began shaking their heads solemnly, shoving Harry as he shrunk down in his seat with a frown. 

“He means the Child of September!” I bellowed, rolling my eyes as Dean yelped in pain beneath me. His blood pooled under my nails, warm and so sweet. 

“September? Like September Baby?” Demonmittenhands hissed, raising a protective arm across her. 

“For fuck’s sake. Yes, of course, September Baby!” My lover crowed with a scowl, placing a hand impatiently on one of his hips and rolling his large, looming eyes. 

“Wait, so you’re name is Nikki too?” Jade asked, softly slapping the seagull that slept on her lap. 

“Well… yes!” The Child of September nodded with an uncomfortable look around the room. 

“We’ve got too many Nikkis, to be quite honest, so maybe he’s doing us a favour…” Harry sighed, shrinking down further in his seat as Maltesers flew from all directions towards his head. “I’m only joking! Calm down!” 

Their voices blended as they quarrelled. Chaos crept closer and as the friends argued, my darling swooped through the chaos, and snatched the Child of September from her seat. She screeched and struggled, clinging to her friends as they tried to pull her free, but it was no use. My man is not of this Earth, and no Child of Adam could hinder him. He hoisted her over his shoulder and stalked away with his usual smile.  

“Now that I have Nikki, you may enjoy your little movie, friends!” Mr Smiles called, rushing for the door with a smirk as Nikki kicked and screamed. “Only joking… you’re still all going to die!” He turned towards the projection room, flashing me a stunning, sunshine filled smile, and I was complete, cracking the neck of the silly, stupid projection boy until his head lolled in my hands. 

It was time. 

Dean’s head fell, rolling across the sticky floor as I vanished from the projection room, suddenly appearing before the screaming, frightened crowd. 

Their eyes fell upon me and they scrambled for the exits, pushing, shoving and squawking as I unleashed the storm I had been holding back. The wind howled through the broken doors, knocking them back as they clawed at the walls like desperate rats in a sinking ship. Thunder cracked overhead, shaking the very foundations of the Skellig Michael Cinema, rattling the lights above them, sending the silver screen flickering as they flailed.

My darling had already vanished into the night with his prize, and now, it was my turn to indulge.

Allyfan stood at the front, his face pale, his lips pressed into a firm line, as if he could will himself into bravery. He was a man who had spent years on the island, had lived with the whisper of spirits in his ears and the weight of us all pressing against his chest every night as he slept. He was no fool. He knew that this was the end.

“Stop this,” he said, his voice cracking. “They’re just people. Just friends.”

I tilted my head, considering him, before stepping down from the stage. The storm outside swirled in rhythm with my steps. The moment my bare feet touched the sticky floor of the theatre, the entire building shuddered.

“This place should be mine,” I whispered, my voice crawling through the dark like mist over the cliffs. “You mortals have everything. You come and you go, laughing, drinking, telling your little stories while the old ones whisper in the wind. You do not listen.”

The storm roared as if to agree with me. The roof groaned under the weight of the heavens, and the projector flickered wildly, casting my shadow across their trembling faces.

“The hills and valleys sing for me,” I continued, stepping closer. “And so, I must dance.”

A sudden scream erupted as one of the ceiling beams splintered, crashing down into the rows of seats. Dust and wood exploded into the air, and the people within the cinema scattered like ants, their cries drowned out by the wind.

Allyfan didn’t move. His fists were clenched. His face was set. He was preparing for something, but what, I couldn’t tell.

I turned my attention to the others—Mandrake and her husband, still clutching each other, their playful teasing from before now long forgotten. Sandy Shore and the small Haggis were pressed against the wall, whispering frantic prayers. The husky man, Zarf, and Demonmittenhands had grabbed whatever they could find—fire extinguishers, chairs, anything to use as a weapon.

Oh, how charming.

And Nookster, ever the clever one, was already moving towards the emergency exit, trying to get the others to follow.

I let them run. For a moment.

The rain pounded against the walls. The sky wept, the ocean raged, and I stood amidst it all, my heart thrumming with the anticipation of what was to come.

Then, Allyfan did something unexpected.

He stepped forward.

“Lucy,” he said, and for the first time, he said my name not with fear, but with something else. “I know what you are. I know what you’ve done. But you don’t have to do this.”

I smiled at him, slow and sharp. “Oh, but I do.”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “You want to. That’s different.”

The storm stilled. Just slightly. A flicker of hesitation. And he caught it.

“You’ve already won,” he pressed. “But what does winning do for you?”

I watched him, tilting my head, my eyes flickering as a strange sensation filled my body. At the corners of my eyes, an itching and the beginnings of a flood.

We stood, staring each other out in the screaming winds.

After everything, and with all that he knew I was, he believed that he could reason with me. Rage swirled with regret as his big eyes took me in, and I raised a hand, determined to end it. 

“Lucy.”

I turned towards the interruption, and there, standing in the wreckage of the entrance, was my lover. 

Mr Smiles.

But something was wrong.

His grin—so beautiful, so terrible—was not quite right.

The girl in his grasp—Nikki, the Child of September—was no longer struggling. She was standing on her own. Unafraid.

And in her hands, she held something ancient.

Something powerful.

Something that should not have been in the hands of a mortal.

My bones.

The ones I had lost to time. The ones my beloved had pried from the earth and kept as a token of his devotion, hidden away where no human hands could ever defile them. And yet, somehow, she had them now—clutched between trembling fingers, her chest rising and falling with breathless defiance.

A sickening crack split the air as she snapped one in half.

I gasped, staggering back as a violent shudder tore through my form, my very essence splintering with the ruined bone.

Mr Smiles snarled, his golden grin twisting into something feral, something desperate. “You dare—”

“I do,” Nikki hissed, raising another bone high. “I’ll snap them all.”

The storm screamed. The heavens split open.

And for the first time in my long, long existence, I felt fear.

The girl’s voice cut through the wind like a blade of its own, steady and sure.

“Let us go… or she’s gone forever.”

The winds howled in protest as I ran to him, our fingers locking together like the unbreakable chains we were bound by. The storm shrieked, the island trembled, but the girl’s defiant stare gleamed with an ancient promise—one that even we could not defy. Mr Smiles let out a guttural growl, his golden grin cracking into something darker, something hungry, but I pulled him back. 

Not now. 

Not yet. 

With one last glance at Allyfan—at the terrified, trembling mortals—I let the wind swallow us whole. We vanished into the night, carried by the storm, our whispers curling through the wreckage of the cinema like ghostly fingers. “You cannot run forever,” I sang to them, my voice threading through the howling rain. “One day, we will return… and when we do, the dark will take you all.” And with that, we were gone, leaving only the storm behind to remember us.