Stranger Danger

He stood in front of the school gate, like he had done for awhile over the past few months. Watching the kids go by. Waiting for his opportunity. Striking only when he saw fit. He was not impatient like the children inside who waited for the bell to ring.

He overheard the parents chatting with each other. There had been a lot more of them ever since the first disappearance.

'They never found lily's child did they' one parent said to another,

'How long has it been now? Two weeks?' She continued as the other woman nodded.

'It's just horrible. Lily is devastated. To make things worse, Jack's kid vanished on Thursday; never made it home.' The lady added grimly.

The man smiled to himself. He had a reputation now. Those parents would never see their kids again. Alive at least. It would be best if they stopped searching.

He heard the school bell ring, and he stood up straighter. The time had come. He had been watching the girl for days now. Jack's kid was not as much fun as he hoped he would be. 'Congenital insensitivity to pain'; that was what the kid had, making the entire process boring. He had buried him soon later.

His eyes were trained at the exit, waiting for the girl. He approached the gate when he saw her leave. He wrung his hands together. This was his favourite part. He waited, his eyes never leaving her.

'Hey! Rachel!' he called out and the girl turned towards him as did the other parents standing there.

The girl approached him, a questioning look in her eyes.

'Do I know you?' she asked, staying a safe distance from the man.

The man feigned surprise,

'Don't you recognise me? Uncle Jim? Your mother's younger brother' he said. This line always worked. The kids were too polite to make a scene, especially in front of a relative. That was why this school was perfect.

The girl looked wary, judging the man, however not a minute later, recognition flooded her face.

'I am so sorry Uncle Jim. I have been having a rough day. Let's go' she said sheepishly and begun to walk, the man in tow.

They walked in silence for a while.

'When did you arrive? I thought you left the country a while ago' she said looking up at him.

He was confused. Did the girl really have an Uncle Jim?

'A month ago. Your mother called.' He said and the girl nodded.

'She isn't at home right now, but we can wait till she comes' she said as they approached the small house at the end of the street. The man looked around him at the deserted street. The houses were run down and not a soul in sight. Is this where she lived. This was the easiest lift he had ever done.

The girl led him to the front door of a house that looked like it would not make it through the year. The faded paint was peeling in places and the door creaked when she opened it.

'Come on in' she said, a smile on her face.

The man stepped into the old house. He felt odd. Something he had never felt before.

Dread.

Every bone in his body told him to turn away, however, one look at the small frame of the girl standing in front of him and he dismissed those thoughts as paranoia only because the place looked oddly similar to his.

He shut the door behind him and followed the girl into the living room.

'Make yourself comfortable, I'll get you something to drink' Rachel said with a smile and disappeared into the kitchen.

The man sat down on the couch, the odd feeling had slowly begun to dissipate, however that was before he smelt the familiar metallic scent. The smell that usually made him comfortable, now sent a shiver down his spine. What had he walked into.

Rachel had come back from the kitchen, two glasses in her hand. She handed one over to him and sat down opposite him.

'I hope water is okay' she said as she took a sip from her glass.

The man stared at the girl in front of him. There was something off about the way she looked at him and the way she smiled. He took a gulp of water. He needed to get out of here, however when he put his empty glass down and saw the wide grin on her face, he knew he had made a mistake.

His vision had begun to swim. His hands instinctively went up to his head as it begun to pound. He vaguely heard knocking on the door and watched the girl open it. She pulled in a package and opened it. His vision was failing him, but he struggled to keep his eyes open. He knew what would happen if he lost consciousness. His blood ran cold when she pulled out a drill from the cardboard box.

'Just in time. The other one had gotten spoilt' she said looking at him.

The last thing the man remembered was the girl walking up to him. She leaned in and whispered in his ear,

This is my turf.