Crawlers of the Abyss

Night had fallen upon the land of the living...and as those who breathed fell deeply asleep, safe and content in their little homes, a different world began to stir... Little Abbey moved swiftly down the tiny cobbled trail, as fast as her short legs could carry her. It was almost midnight and she was yet to be home. Her thoughts drifted back to earlier in the day when she had rested under a small grove in the woods after a tiring day at school and fallen asleep, only waking moments ago. Her thoughts came back to the present as a foul stench filled her nostrils. "What was giving off this stench?", little Abbey thought, as she pulled her woolly cloak tighter around her shivering body. *SNAP!*, the sound of breaking twigs. She spun around towards the woods beside the trail. Was something there? *SNAP!". The sound came again from somewhere further ahead. Little Abbey was rooted with fear, gazing left and right. Something WAS there. *BOO!*, the boy shouted as he jumped out from a nearby bush. Abbey gave a startled shrill and burst into tears. "You meanie!", she cried, wiping away tears with her still trembling hands. "Scaredy cat! Scaredy cat!", the boy laughed as he made funny faces at her. But slowly...the boy stopped laughing as he noticed a change in Abbey's face. The anger and relief on her face at seeing him, was fading little by little. There was something new there...and it scared him. Her eyes...they were wide with terror as they focused on a spot behind him, and her cries started to stifle. And even as the foul stench wafted from behind and the coldest of shadows fell upon him, he somehow managed to find his trembling voice as he reached out a shaking hand towards Abbey..."help me...", he stuttered, as a tendril writhed slowly around his neck... =============================================================== Mmm...another dark look...and another dark story...even if the look is stale...I hope the short story isn't! I was inspired to make this look when I saw the sylvari's newest harstyle! It reminded me so much of the game Street Fighter's titular antagonist, AKUMA.