The night was very quiet. Only a few sounds broke the stillness. Crickets chirped every now and then. The wind blew gently through the tall trees outside. Inside the old farmhouse, Alan woke up in his bed. He had a frown on his face. A strange, bad dream had pulled him out of sleep.
He sat up slowly. He put his hand through his messy hair to push it back. He let out a tired sigh. Then he moved his legs off the side of the bed and stood up. He walked across the room to look at Theo's bed. Theo was sleeping there. He was snoring softly. His arms and legs were all spread out in a messy way. Half of his blanket was kicked down onto the wooden floor. Alan looked at him and smiled just a little. But he knew he wouldn't fall back asleep anytime soon.
He decided to go downstairs. He walked quietly so he wouldn't wake Theo. The wooden stairs creaked under his feet as he went down. He stepped into the kitchen. The room was dark and messy. He saw a big pile of dirty plates stacked up high. Cooking tools like spoons and knives were scattered all over the counters. "Might as well do something useful," he said to himself in a low voice.
He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. He started washing the dishes in the sink. The water was cold on his hands. He scrubbed each plate one by one. The simple work felt good. It kept his mind off the weird feeling from his dream. He washed all the plates until they were clean. Then he wiped down the counters with a cloth. The kitchen started to look neat again. The farmhouse felt more like a home now.
He stopped working for a moment. He leaned against the sink with his hands on the edge. He looked out the small window above it. The moon was up high in the sky. It was bright and full. Its light fell over the fields outside. Long shadows stretched across the ground. For just a quick second, Alan thought he saw something move. It was far away, right at the edge of the forest.
He blinked his eyes. Whatever it was, it wasn't there anymore.
"It's just my mind playing tricks," he whispered to himself. He shook his head to clear it.
He turned away from the window. He picked up a dry towel from the counter. He started wiping the water off the clean dishes. He wanted to keep his hands busy. He hoped it would make his mind feel calm again. But the shadows outside were real. They were getting closer to the farmhouse, and he didn't know it.
The night grew even quieter. The crickets stopped making their little sounds. The far-off howls of animals in the forest went away. Everything felt too still. Shadows inside the house got long and odd. They stretched over the walls and the floor in ways that didn't look right.
Outside, hidden in the line of trees, the Ancient Reapers started to move. They blended into the dark so no one could see them. Karma was with them. His eyes glowed a faint, creepy light. He smiled in a mean way. He whispered one word: "Begin."
The shadows moved toward the house. They slid over the ground like black water spilling out. One shadow got to Theo's window upstairs. It had a thin, bony hand with claws. The hand went right through the glass like the glass wasn't even there.
Inside the room, Theo turned over in his sleep. He mumbled some words that didn't make sense. He didn't know anything dangerous was near him.
Downstairs, Alan stopped what he was doing. His hand was over the stack of dishes he had dried. Something felt wrong to him. The air in the kitchen got heavy. A cold chill ran down his back. He turned his head to look at the stairs. "Theo?" he called out in a soft voice. He wiped his wet hands on the towel. He started walking toward the stairs.
Before he could take even one step, a loud crash came from Theo's room. Alan's heart beat fast. "Theo!" he shouted louder this time. He ran up the stairs. He took two steps at a time because he was so worried.
He got to Theo's room and pushed the door open hard. He stopped. His blood felt cold in his body. Shadows were moving all around the room. Theo's bed was empty. The window was wide open. The curtains moved in the wind that came through. Alan ran to the window fast. He looked out. He saw the Ancient Reapers in the distance. They were carrying Theo's body into the forest. Theo wasn't moving.
"No!" Alan yelled. His voice sounded broken and scared. He didn't think. He climbed out the window and jumped. He landed on the ground outside. It was a hard fall. His leg hurt a lot, but he didn't stop. He pushed himself up to stand.
"Give him back!" he screamed at the shadows. He started running after them. The Reapers moved fast. They looked like part of the night itself. But Alan didn't give up. He was scared and desperate. That made him keep going. His heart was pounding in his chest. His breathing was loud and rough.
Then Karma stepped out from the dark. He stood right in Alan's way. Alan stopped running so fast he almost fell. His hands closed into tight fists.
"Who are you?!" Alan shouted at him. His voice was full of anger. "What do you want with my brother?"
Karma tilted his head to one side. He smiled in a cruel, twisted way. "Your brother is special," he said. "He's a piece of something big we've been waiting for a long time to finish. Don't worry, farmer. He'll do something much greater than live in this boring little life you have."
Alan's fists got even tighter. "You're not taking him!" he said.
Karma laughed. The sound was dark and mean. "And what will you do, little farmer?" he asked. "Fight me?" He lifted one hand up. Shadows came out of it fast. They wrapped around Alan like strong ropes made of iron.
Alan tried to move. He pulled with his arms and legs as hard as he could. But the shadows held him tight. He couldn't get free. Karma walked closer. His glowing eyes were right in front of Alan's face. "This is bigger than you," Karma said. "You're nothing. Stay down in the dirt where you belong."
Karma moved his hand again. Alan flew backward through the air. He hit a tree hard with his back. He gasped loud. All the air left his lungs.
His eyes started to get fuzzy. He could barely see. He watched the Ancient Reapers go deeper into the woods. They still had Theo's body. Theo wasn't moving at all. The last thing Alan heard was Karma laughing. The laugh echoed in his ears. Then everything went dark, and he didn't know anything anymore.
Karma moved his hand. Alan flew back. He hit a tree hard. He gasped. The air left him.
His eyes got blurry. He saw the Ancient Reapers go into the woods. Theo's limp body went with them. The last thing he heard was Karma's laugh. Then everything went black.