Evil Lurks

She slipped through the shadows
softly, silently
her ebony dress blending
with the darkness around her.1

Her mission was one of secrecy,
and her invisibility
was of the utmost importance;
she darted quickly
behind the old mission church
and stood still for a moment,
hiding in the shadows.2

Glancing into the darkened window
she could see shapes on the floor
and guessed it was the children
she had come to rescue.3

Short steps brought her to the door,
she scooted inside
and stood behind the tallest child,
“Michael”, she whispered
“the children’s lives are at stake,
you have all been betrayed,
evil is coming for you.4

Quickly gather the children
stay low, be very quiet
and follow me”.5

Michael obeyed and assembled the children;
she led them down some darkened stairs
into a sub-basement, dank and damp,
just a sliver of light
from the full moon outside
shown on the dirt floors.6

There was a rustling noise
in the blackness, in the corners,
possibly rats
as red glowed here and there,
but the children remained quiet.7

Then she moved her hands across the walls
and a dim opening appeared;
she swiftly herded the children into the passageway,
leading them outside into the edge of the woods
where the branches sheltered and hid them.8

“Evil is coming” she said
“through the other side of the woods,
to burn down the mission
and to erase all knowledge of you;
we must go quickly, quietly
to the old water mill
where help is to be found.”9

The children followed her silently,
they knew their parents had hidden them
for safety, in the old church mission
as evil was afoot on All Hallow’s Eve,
and they knew that something
must have gone wrong…10

evil was loose.11

They trusted this lady
so they followed her;
she led them through the dark woods
to the old water mill.12

Behind them they could hear shouts
and see the torches flying through the air,
fire coming out of the mission,
and thick smoke,
like the gates of hell
had opened up and erupted.13

She led them to the near-by water fall
and guided them behind the cascades
on a narrow path,
through a cave,
and out of the woods.14

Families were awaiting;
they gathered the children into their arms
and spirited them off to safety.15

The lady slipped back into the woods
her errand completed,
standing in the midst of the swirling fog16

she vanished.17