Downstairs, something breaks. The lights in the house flicker, as if a storm is raging.

Regan is shaking.

“It’s all right,” Hailey says again, her arms wrapped tightly around her daughter. “Mommy will buy you presents. Mommy will buy you so many presents.”

The door bangs against the wall as something enters the bedroom.

She hears them coming now. Shadows make noise. If you listen closely enough. They sound like insects crawling across the carpet, thousands of tiny legs and jaws clicking as they move.

When she was little, Hailey used to hide under her covers after a nightmare. She thought that the monsters would not be able to see her that way. She thought she could hide in the dark.

Now she knows better. Now she knows you have to hide from the dark.

Regan tries to turn to look. Hailey holds her head so she can’t see.

“So many presents,” she says. “I promise.”

The first shadow enters the closet with them. Hailey holds her daughter as tight as she can. More join the first, blotting out the overhead light, and they rise above her.

Hailey closes her eyes, and everything goes dark.

7

The Only Warrior Left

Bobby Hogan pulls his Mercedes into the garage of his house, a five-bedroom on two acres near the river. He’s looking forward to the reunion this weekend. He’s come a long way since high school and he’s proud of himself. People can change. He’s the proof.

Twenty years ago, when he graduated high school, Bobby was pushing 300 on the scale on a good day. They called him Blobby in grade school, which became the Blob, which became Hog Hogan, which became Hog.

Bobby couldn’t really blame the other kids. He wasn’t a very nice guy. He shoved and he punched and he insulted, and he lied about it when he was called on it. He was a bully and a coward and a thief, and basically, kind of a dick.

Then it all went to hell, and Bobby barely avoided prison. It was enough to scare him. He got a job as a line cook. Pretty soon, he was jogging every morning and drinking strong coffee instead of cheap beer. Bobby now weighs 168 pounds and wears size 32 jeans. He owns his own restaurant and catering business.

In short, he got his shit together.

He goes to the fridge for a quick protein shake. He still has to watch his weight, and the closer he gets to forty, the harder he has to work at it.

That’s when he notices someone sitting in the dark, watching him.

The protein shake hits the floor and Bobby nearly jumps out of his skin

He reaches for the butcher block, and comes out with his prized Suisin Gyuto chef’s knife, which is 10.6 inches of inox steel.

Then Bobby recognizes the intruder sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a beer stolen from the fridge.