With your nerves in tatters

As the cockleshell shatters

And the hammers batter

Down your door

You better run

- Pink Floyd

It wasn't long before the crowd had begun removing the dead birds from the street, but in the meantime, Scott and Shari accompanied an unconscious Gracie to the Sachem Bay Community Hospital. After half an hour there, Gia Davenport - Scott's wife - came rushing through to her daughter's aid. She embraced her unconscious body tightly, tears forming at her eyes.

Then she squeezed Scott lovingly, sharing their strength with one another.

"I thought we'd never see her again, Scott." Gia said, her voice fragile but yet so strong.

He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead, assuring her it was okay. "Our Gracie isn't going nowhere. I'll make sure of that."

Gia's eyes trailed to Shari and she lit up. "Shari! I'm so sorry, how rude of me."

She embraced her sister-in-law.

"I'm sorry it's been so long." Shari said.

"Don't be silly. You came at a moment's notice for Gracie, and for that, I am forever grateful."

Shari felt appreciated for the first time in a long time, and begun to wonder why she let herself become so distant from her family due to the petty fear of her childhood town.

She took in her view of Gia, who was as beautiful as she ever had been. Her long brown hair, her seemingly always-parted lips and cat-like eyes. She wore a silk blouse and a dark skirt finished off with low black heels - she must've been working when she heard the news.

"What is all this talk of dead crows?" Gia asked them. So Scott dived into the explanation of the birds in the sky and their sudden fall from the heavens, and as Shari listened, she realised how bizarre the story was.

She left the hospital soon after, wanting to get back to the boarding house before dark - she didn't want to keep Lorelei waiting. So she drove back to Secular Woods.

Mrs Devereux was on the porch when she pulled up at the house. She was rocking on her swing-chair, involved deeply in a fiction novel, focused and seemingly calm.

"Whatcha reading?" Shari asked, approaching her.

Lorelei beamed, folding the book over on her lap. "Stephen King."

"I didn't take you for a horror type." Shari said, raising one brow.

Lorelei laughed. "I'm very versatile. Give me a book - if it's good, I'll read it. Simple."

Shari sat on the swing beside her new landlady. "I might adopt that ideology."

"I advise you to. It opens up the mind, takes it out of its comfort zone. You know what I really enjoyed reading?"

"Fifty Shades Of Grey?" Shari joked.

"Pffft. I wish. But no."

"Enlighten me?" Said Shari.

"Zombie books. They're amazing, such bloody detail and the gore - oh, it can give me nightmares but it makes me feel so unsettled. If any book can make you do that - then that's a good book."

"I might try something new, I think. And read out here with you a little while?" Shari suggested.

Lorelei's face lit up. "Oh, be my guest!"

"Well, I kinda already am your guest." Shari joked as she got to her feet. Lorelei rolled her eyes with a tiny "Tut."

Shari took that very advice and ventured into the lobby to skim the selection of book titles. After a deep search, she took Lorelei's advice and selected a Stephen King book, with the choice of 'Salem's Lot.

And she sat on the porch swing, lightly swinging, reading with Mrs Devereux, in the warm May spring evening.

The next morning, The Sachem Daily headline was:

By Davina McDerry. Tuesday 22nd May, 2018.

Residents look on in shock as crows free-fall from the sky in the same place Gracie Davenport is found - the first of good news since her disappearance and Rich Wheeler's death.

The disappearance of Gracie Davenport on Saturday night has become history, as the town celebrates the only child in Sachem Bay to ever be found found alive after a kidnapping. This was a shock to many, as events seemed to mirror that of her deceased aunt Sadie Davenport, who was also taken around the same age, however, the late Sadie met a very different, unfortunate fate.

Whilst there has been no word from the state of Gracie Davenport, or any news on what she has experienced, this town is certain of one thing: We are once again, no longer safe. As residents gather at the site where Gracie was found, numerous crows circle and instantaneously drop to their death, in what seems to be peculiar behaviour from any animal. Animal experts have yet to uncover this anomaly in the birds' behaviour, leaving many confused and oblivious to this happening.

While it seems, for now, that all is well, do not let your guard slip. Keep your children safe and remember to lock your doors and windows.

The devil doesn't knock.

Shari slammed down The Sachem Daily with a sigh. "People read this scaremongering bullshit? Wouldn't it be easy enough to just warn them without turning it into a piece of literature. My niece is no source of entertainment, and neither is the death of my sister."

Logan Ledge, who had just brought her a cup of coffee gave a smile of sympathy. "Don't pay it any attention. It's not worth it."

Shari took the coffee gratefully, the article itching into her brain as she sipped it lightly. She almost didn't notice the familiar face that had stopped at their booth in the diner.

"Shari!"

Shari looked up to see the face of Diana Jet smiling down at her.

"Oh my God. Diana!" Shari cried, standing up to embrace her.

"How long has it been? 10 years?" Diana said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Stop it - you make us sound old. My ego isn't ready for that." Shari joked as Diana slid into the booth next to Logan.

Diana hadn't change much in ten years. She was still beautiful - maybe even more so. Her dark brown hair fell down in long wavy curls, over her shoulders and down her back. Sharp and defined, her dark eyebrows gave her a look of a model, complimenting her long lashes, somewhat reminding Shari of Cara Delevingne. She was always the one for fashion, but whilst beautiful, Shari knew what a caring, good friend Diana was. And she had always appreciated that.

"How have you been?" Shari asked, taking another sip of her coffee.

"Diana here has been working on designing. She's the most demanded in Virginia." Logan said with a wink.

Diana smiled with a roll of her eyes. "I've also been writing, as I always have. I find my escape in fiction."

Shari opened her mouth to reply but found herself frozen. "Scott?"

Her brother stood, having just come through the door, looking distressed and unsettled. "We need to go."

It seemed Shari's anxiety was racing at high level - whatever was wrong with Scott was serious, and it made her scared.

"Scott, come on, tell me what's wrong." Shari pleaded, following him around the graveyard. He approached the large church doors and they opened with a reluctant groan, to reveal a long aisle and chapel. It towered high, displaying beautiful stained glass patterns, reflecting in the light of the sun.

"What is this?" Shari said with a sigh.

"Gracie hadn't woke up. Shes still at the hospital, in a comatose state. This is our only option." Scott replied, walking down to the front of the church, Shari on his heel.

Father Justin was stood at the chapel, eyes closed in silence. He didn't even look up to acknowledge the sibling's entrance.

"Father Justin." Scott Davenport said, breathing heavily.

He silently nodded.

"We need help." Shari finished for him.

Scott took over. "My daughter, Gracie Davenport. I'm afraid she's become victim to paranormal activity."

Father Justin's eyes opened and he turned to face them. He was a young man, the same age as Shari - late twenties. He had short dark brown hair, large blue sincere eyes and thick dark eyebrows. He was fairly tall, and an average build, Shari refused to admit he was quite dreamy. But she had to be honest, romance was not what she needed right now. Family and herself came first.

"I've heard." Father Justin said in acknowledgment. "The Devil has been hard at work for many years now in this town."

"You think it's the work of The Devil?" Said Scott.

Father Justin shrugged lightly. "The Devil... or something just as corrupt and sinister."

"What we do know is that it's definitely the work of something paranormal." Shari added, hopefully to help figure out their problem.

"But at the same time, whilst I've seen ghosts, but Him. I had nightmares of him, he wasn't just a ghost. He was a demon of some sort... as if straight from Hell."

Father Justin nodded in understanding. "Call it demon, devil, whatever you may wish. It doesn't matter, because whatever He is, I know he's worse than anything that has crossed onto this plane in the history of time."

"How do you know?" Shari asked.

"I have a friend. She's what you could call a Medium. She's had the unfortunate experience of crossing paths with him." Said Father Justin, his face urgent and sincere. "I bring her here."

Scott almost exploded. "Yes, please. Any help we can get will be amazing!"

Shari paused. "What's her name?"

Father Justin smiled. "Jenny Cooper."

Gracie Davenport shivered in the cold. Her surroundings were familiar, the town centre - the diner, the thrift store and grocery store, all of the same. But yet it was deserted. The sky and landscape was not blue, but a sepia grey. A strong wind blew throughout the town, forceful and swift - Gracie had to cling onto the lamppost to stop herself from being taken up with the strength of the wind. She pushed herself forward and collapsed into the diner, which was abandoned and empty. She scrambled across the room, behind the counter and underneath the cashier machine.

So, so cold.

Everything seemed like home, but yet so far away.

And when she heard the diner door open with a jingle, she heard his heavy breaths.

He had found her.