The Smiling Man

Tiny snowflakes fluttered down from the gray sky. Another chilly wind blew, and Riley's gloved fingers tightened around her cup. She stared ahead, at the open field, where the trees were bare and white snow covered up much of the green grass. The park was empty today. Of course. Who would want to be out here in this cold?

The loud slurping sound reminded her exactly who. She turned her head to the woman that was seated next to her on the bench. Zoe loudly slurped what was left of her coffee. Riley stared, un-amused, and those big, dark eyes, lined with heavy make-up underneath, shifted to her. "Hmm?"

"Nothing," Riley wrapped her arms tighter around herself.

"If you have something to say, say it," she pushed her dark curls over her shoulder. "I can feel your bad vibes."

"Why are we sitting out here?" Riley huffed, dramatically raising one gloved hand in the air. "It's cold, it's freezing, this stupid bench is freezing, my ass is cold, I wanna go home."

"I told you," Zoe said calmly, "I feel something."

"That's all you do is feel things," Riley sighed in exasperation. "We've been coming out here for two days, sitting here for hours, and nothing's happened."

"It will come," she said.

"Oh my God," Riley pulled the strings of her hood so it tightened around her head, leaving a tiny hole to reveal her face.

There was a short silence until it was broken by a snort, and she turned her head to Zoe. "What?"

"You look like a turtle in its shell," Zoe grinned.

Riley rolled her eyes. She sat back against the bench, teeth chattering. "What d'you feel, anyway?"

"I'm not sure... something dark," Zoe replied, twisting the straw from her drink around her gloved fingers. "I started feeling it two days ago, and it's strongest here."

"And so it continues to be an empty park," Riley gestured to the air. Zoe gave a soft sigh, looking as bored and restless as Riley felt. "Maybe it's a ghost?" Riley suggested.

"It's not," Zoe said. "Ghosts give a certain feeling. This is not it."

Riley sighed, taking the last sip of her coffee. It was cold and bitter, and she made a face that apparently looked funny under the hood as she heard Zoe giggle.

They fell into silence. Riley stared at the falling snowflakes, which became hypnotizing. She was not sure how long she lost herself watching them when Zoe nudged her. "Look."

Riley blinked. Ahead, hardly able to be seen in the fog, was a figure. They both watched, tense, and when the figure was close enough to see, Riley let out a breath. It was an old man. Tall and thin, his skin wrinkly and saggy. He wore brown pants and a black shirt with long sleeves, and a black hat. "It's just an old guy," Riley said.

He saw them, and he gave a smile. The sight of it made them both shudder. It was wide and revealed pointy white teeth. "He's so creepy," Zoe wrapped her scarf tighter around herself, as if that would protect her from his smile.

"Hey..." Riley stared at him as he walked away, toward town. "How is he not frozen to death?" He was not even wearing a coat.

"Probably so old he doesn't have feeling anymore," Zoe's words were muffled by her scarf.

Riley snorted at the ridiculous comment. "Come on," she stood.

They walked, and Zoe had to walk fast to keep up with Riley. "What are we doing?"

"Following him," Riley answered.

"Ew, why?"

Riley rolled her eyes. "Because he's probably the dark force you're feeling."

"He's just an old man. He looks like he's about to blow away."

"You look like you're about to blow away."

"The wind is strong!" she complained.

Riley grinned at her. They followed far behind the man, just able to see his thin figure ahead of them in the fog. "I think you are right..." Zoe said quietly.

"Huh?" Riley looked at her.

"There is something about him..."

"See? Told ya."

They followed him into town, where he went into the bakery. They stood across the street, eyes on the building. "I've never seen him before, either," Riley moved side to side, teeth still chattering. "If he just moved here, there'd have been gossip. Kinda doubt he's just passing through..."

"Let's go into the bakery," Zoe folded her arms tight across her chest.

"No, he might know something," Riley said.

"Like what?"

"Like we're watching him."

"How is he gonna know that?"

"Do you always gotta argue with me?" Riley breathed.

"I'm cold," Zoe whined.

Riley wrapped her arms around the smaller woman. "There," she grinned.

Zoe rolled her eyes but had no further complaints.

Half an hour past by, and Zoe groaned. "Who takes this long in a bakery?"

"You do," Riley said.

People passed them by, not even casting them curious glances. Riley figured the townspeople were used to their odd little friendship by now. She and Zoe still stood there, hugging each other by the street lamp.

"What-"

They both gave little screams at the voice in their ears, and spun around. "...are you two doing?" Jonas finished, leaning close to them.

"Goddammit, curly," Riley breathed, "you scared the hell out of me."

"Apologies," he leaned back, hands in his coat pockets and a smile on his lips.

"We are keeping watch on a dark force," Zoe tried to flatten her frizzy, snow covered curls.

"Oh, where?" Jonas looked around.

"He's in the bakery," Riley said.

"Why is there a dark force in the bakery?" there was curiosity in his tone.

"Don't question it," Riley shrugged.

"He's finally out!" Zoe clutched Riley's sleeve.

There he was, the old man, wandering out of the bakery and down the street. "Him?" Jonas asked. "He looks like he's two hundred years old."

"Come on," Riley took Zoe's hand and they raced across the street. Riley looked back at Jonas. "You coming?"

"Go on ahead, I am going to get a tea. I'll catch up."

Riley rolled her eyes. She and Zoe crept after the old man. They followed him through town, and he went into the woods. Holding each other's hand, Riley and Zoe went in after him. They kept back, hiding behind trees. The man stopped walking, his back still facing them, and they peered at him from behind a thick tree.

"How's it going?" Jonas's whisper made them both squeak.

"Stop doing that!" Riley whispered at him.

"Apologies," he said into a large, steaming cup.

"What's he doing?" Zoe peeked at the man again.

They watched, but the man kept still. Their silence was broken by Jonas blowing on his tea in attempt to cool it. Riley cast him a glare, and he gave an apologetic smile.

"Three..." the old man said softly, and Riley and Zoe tensed. "Three, watching me..."

He slowly turned to face them, smiling wide, revealing his sharp teeth. A horror washed over Riley to see they were growing, longer and sharper. Zoe gave a whimper, gloved hands over her mouth. The man sped at them, his speed incredible and frightening. Riley pulled Zoe out of the way and she gave a frightened scream. She moved in front of her, blocking her from the smiling man. He turned his head to her, his terrifying smile freezing her in place.

"Riley," Zoe clutched her sleeve, "your knife..."

Riley slowly attempted to reach into her coat pocket. The knife she had looked simple enough, but Zoe had apparently placed some sort of enchantment upon it. The enchantment enabled the blade to cause harm upon demons and spirits. Riley had not yet used it. This man had to be some sort of demon, so she hoped it would work.

She closed her fingers around the handle when the man reached out for her, mouth open wide, teeth prepared to devour her. But before they could, the man howled in pain and flinched back when Jonas splashed the contents of his cup upon him. The hot tea gave Riley the second she needed to pull out the knife, and thrust it into the man's chest.

His eyes widened, and Riley noticed that they were black. She pulled the knife out, making a disgusted face at the thick black fluid that clung to it. The man, still with that wide smile, fell into the snow, and they watched as his body disappeared.

"...Well," Riley breathed, "the knife works."

"That was," Zoe clutched her arm, "amazing!"

"He was an odd one, wasn't he?" Jonas said thoughtfully, looking at the spot the man had fallen. His body shape in the snow still remained.

"I bet there's more just like him!" Zoe nodded. "We can hunt them with that knife!"

Riley sighed. "Can you give it a couple days until you sense another dark force? How about when it stops being so fucking cold?"

"I do not choose when it happens, Riley," Zoe flung her curls over her shoulder.

Riley put an arm around her. "Let's go home. I need hot chocolate."

Zoe nodded enthusiastically, and the three started away, back to town. Riley was feeling confident now. Whatever else came, she knew now that they could take it.