A crisp chill clung to the air over Lower Billington as the long winter night dipped into its darkest hour. The cruel north wind whipped around the houses, rattling windows and clawing at roof tiles in a half-hearted assault on the warmth hiding within. It let out a low moan of frustration, unsuccessful in its hunt and blustered down the streets in search of easier pray. There was an old wooden house just outside the village, that was its target. A tall, thin, ramshackle building peppered with nooks and crannies perfect for it to dance around in. In its haste to get to its favourite playground, the wind barely noticed the unusual black van on the outskirts of Lower Billington.
“Are you sure this is the place?” Two men, clothed from head to foot entirely in black, sat cramped together in the back of the suspicious vehicle. There would have been plenty of space to comfortably fit at least four more people, had it not been for the excessive array of surveillance equipment lining its walls. “I said are you…” the smaller of the two was cut off by an impatient shushing from his partner. The tall man sat hunched over a panel of buttons and sliders. His face was contorted in a look of concentration as he slowly toyed with a dial between two long skeletal fingers. He pressed a chunky set of studio headphones against his head, squashing the foam into his ear and smiled.
“Nothing.” He clapped his hands together and turned to the other man, a sinister grin creeping across his face. His lips extended further than any smile had the right to stretch. Scores of pointed teeth emerged from the ever-growing chasm that was splitting his head, quite literally from ear to ear. “I can’t hear anything.” The bitter taste of bile filled the smaller man’s mouth. The sight of those jagged enamel blades had once filled his nightmares, and still the thought of what they could do made him wretch.
“Do you have to do that? You know I can’t stand it” The tall man’s smile continued to unfurl across his face. A snakelike tongue whipped out and caressed his shining sharklike teeth.
“What’s the matter Ash, you scared of me?” He moved closer to his trembling colleague and lunged, snapping his jaws together on the spot the man’s head had been moments before. But Ash was no longer there. The tall man’s smile vanished, shrinking back to the size of a human mouth. He rolled his eyes and slumped back into his seat.
“Alright fine. I’ll stop.” His voice was thick with the punching weight of his frustration. “You never let me have any fun.” The van’s engine spluttered into life and slowly pulled them towards the crumbling old house.
Katie jolted awake, the remnants of a shiver skittering down her spine. Her eyes were drawn to open window. Her sister must have neglected to close it the night before. Mikhaela had never been bothered by the cold. She was still sleeping peacefully at the other end of the room. A pang of envy wormed its way into Katie’s mind; she’d always marvelled at her unconscious sister’s death like stillness. It was hard to believe the two were twins, so great was the contrast between them. Another gust flew through the window, sending an uncomfortable twinge through her uncovered feet. She pulled the icy remains of her toes back under the duvet to defrost and looked at the clock. Six A.m. not much point going back to sleep. A yawn forced its way out of her mouth. Trying her best to ignore the prickly aftermath of the winter air, she rolled out of bed and shuffled over to the wardrobe.
The van, hidden from view by the overgrown hedges at the back of the house, was open and unattended. The two men, both now sporting balaclavas, stood, examining the padlocked gateway into the garden.
“Go on then.” Ash pushed his lanky friend forward. His long thin fingers reached out to touch the cold hard metal of the lock, he gulped, and turned back.
“Do I have to?” There was a hint of desperation in his voice as he spoke, almost as if he was begging. “You know iron doesn’t agree with me.” Ash glared at his companion.
“That’s the only reason I brought you with me. Or would you prefer the organisation sends you back where we found you?” Light faded from the tall man’s eyes. His entire body slumped forwards, and he slowly shook his head at the ground. “Wise choice Michael.” Michael turned, placed his mouth over the lock and bit down. His teeth ripped through it like it was made of jelly. He gave Ash one final pleading look and swallowed. Ash savoured the moment. “Good.” In truth, he had never needed Michael to eat the lock, just to get it off the gate. But after his stunt in the van, the gangly buffoon needed to be reminded of who was in charge. His tongue slid across his lips, revenge had such a sweet taste. “You know what to do next.” He said, Michael looked towards the car parked at the front of the house and nodded. Ash smiled and stepped through the gate into the overgrown wilderness beyond.
Another gust flew into the room, tugging at Katie’s shirt sleeves. She shivered again, but not just because of the cold. It felt like someone had just run their finger down her spine. Panicking slightly, she jumped backwards. Her arm leapt into the pile of clothes at the foot of her bed. Her eyes darted around the room as she dug frantically through the dirty laundry. She slowed as her hand landed on a familiar warm fleece. The soft touch of the fabric calmed her, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. There was no one here except her and Mikhaela. Nobody touched her, she had just imagined it. She extracted her favourite lilac jumper from the pile and pulled it over her head. Even if there was nothing to be scared of, it was still cold. She crossed the room towards the window, at least that was easy enough to fix.
The gust watched the girl leap backwards, her eyes darted frantically around the room, missing him at every pass. Panic was painted across her face, but she was frozen, a rabbit, trapped in an unseen demon’s headlights. This must be the one they wanted. The girl closed her eyes, and the breeze seized its chance. It flew from its darkened corner and out into the open, where it spun itself into a small twister. As it spun it grew, gathering itself together, sucking in any part of itself that might have been straggling elsewhere. At the peak of its power the gust brushed the light shade hanging from the ceiling, ripping it from its perch and flinging it across the room, and then it vanished. Standing in its place was the short round figure of Ash. He smiled. She was a teenager. This was going to be his easiest job yet.
The organisation had called her the silencer. The girl who eats noise. He wasn’t sure exactly what they had meant by that at first, but now it was obvious. From the second he had stepped into the garden he had been surrounded by a thick suffocating silence. He could feel the wind, but it made no sound. He could see her breathing, quick, shallow, terrified breaths, but he could hear nothing. The crumpled lampshade at the edge of the room caught his eye. His mini cyclone’s vicious howls would usually send all the dogs in a ten mile radius into a frenzy, but today, nothing. The girl moved towards the window. Ash laughed, silently. The perfect opportunity. He sped forwards and grabbed her wrist. The girl turned, a look of utter horror on her face. Her mouth was stretched open. Almost wide enough to make Michael jealous. It was clear from the tension in her face that she was screaming, her cheeks were flushed red with the strain. She was pushing every last breath out of her lungs. Throwing everything she had into a cry for help, but nothing came out. Ash almost felt sorry for her.
Mikhaela started awake. Every hair on her body stood on end. Something wasn’t right. She bolted upright, just in time to see her sister vanish in a gust of wind.