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Description
Todd continued to run down the hall and out the door, bidden by the same unknown force that had persuaded him to shear off Mary's bounteous red hair. He felt the pull to run a block away from the school, and ended up at a half-finished construction site.

He could feel the hunger of the being that silently called him as he ran Mary's severed locks through his clenched hands. His feet fell softly on a patch of newly unearthed soil, and he spotted it: a deep hole, no more than a couple feet in diameter, a palpable darkness emanating from within it. He knew that whatever had brought him here dwelt down there. Well, he gleaned, not really in the hole, but beyond it somehow. As if there was some other world far away and yet right there in that spot. A portal, perhaps?

His thoughts were interrupted by a black, snakelike tendril emanating from the pit. His mind was invaded by a voice. It was hungry, desperate, and demanding.

"Bring it to me."

Todd moved closer, repulsed and frightened. The tendril wound itself around the mass of hair greedily, savoring it, and dragged it down into the black void. He stood frozen, rooted to the spot as a pulse of energy emanated from the pit and through his being. Whatever was down there had just grown more powerful, somehow. It spoke again.

"This is the right one. You have done well."

The tendril again emerged, strong and menacing. Before Todd could blink, it snatched him by the leg and pinned him in place. He began to panic. He did NOT want to go down into that blackness with whatever was waiting for him. The screeching, hissing voice returned. "Now, the question remains: are you of any further use to me? Or should I dispose of you now?" The tendril's grip tightened, pinching his leg.

"I can get you more!" Todd answered. "Please! Whatever you want!"

The tendril's grip relaxed a bit. "I am still weak. But I have the power to kill you as I will...unless you do one more thing for me."

Todd sensed this was his chance to save himself. "Yes! Yes! Just tell me! I'll do it..."

Description
Todd continued to run down the hall and out the door, bidden by the same unknown force that had persuaded him to shear off Mary's bounteous red hair. He felt the pull to run a block away from the school, and ended up at a half-finished construction site.

He could feel the hunger of the being that silently called him as he ran Mary's severed locks through his clenched hands. His feet fell softly on a patch of newly unearthed soil, and he spotted it: a deep hole, no more than a couple feet in diameter, a palpable darkness emanating from within it. He knew that whatever had brought him here dwelt down there. Well, he gleaned, not really in the hole, but beyond it somehow. As if there was some other world far away and yet right there in that spot. A portal, perhaps?

His thoughts were interrupted by a black, snakelike tendril emanating from the pit. His mind was invaded by a voice. It was hungry, desperate, and demanding.

"Bring it to me."

Todd moved closer, repulsed and frightened. The tendril wound itself around the mass of hair greedily, savoring it, and dragged it down into the black void. He stood frozen, rooted to the spot as a pulse of energy emanated from the pit and through his being. Whatever was down there had just grown more powerful, somehow. It spoke again.

"This is the right one. You have done well."

The tendril again emerged, strong and menacing. Before Todd could blink, it snatched him by the leg and pinned him in place. He began to panic. He did NOT want to go down into that blackness with whatever was waiting for him. The screeching, hissing voice returned. "Now, the question remains: are you of any further use to me? Or should I dispose of you now?" The tendril's grip tightened, pinching his leg.

"I can get you more!" Todd answered. "Please! Whatever you want!"

The tendril's grip relaxed a bit. "I am still weak. But I have the power to kill you as I will...unless you do one more thing for me."

Todd sensed this was his chance to save himself. "Yes! Yes! Just tell me! I'll do it..."