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Description
    The phone embedded in Lizz’s pocket began to buzz. Lizz dug it out and flipped it open, looking at the caller ID. Of course, it was her husband. Lizz glanced over at her daughter, Abigail, who was crouched near the entrance to an alley between the brick walls of buildings, trying to coax a nearby puppy to come to her. She’ll be fine… Lizz thought, looking away and holding the phone to her ear.
    “Hi, honey.” Lizz answered.
    “Hey.” The voice sounded on the other line, static-sounding from a bad connection. “I just felt like warning you about something that’s been happenin’ lately near the city…”
    “Oh? What is it?” Lizz raised an eyebrow.
    “There’ve been more Soul-Taker sightings and murders n’ stuff.”
    Soul-Taker? She had no idea what that was, but the fact that whatever it was was killing people made the hairs on the back of Lizz’s neck stand on end. “Really? Around here?”
    Her husband gave a grunt of approval. “No one can trust puppies anymore, I’m afraid…”
    Puppies? Why is that? Lizz thought, resisting to ask exactly what this Soul-Taker thing even was. “Why puppies?”
    “Have you not heard? Legend says the thing takes the form of a cute lil’ puppy an’ lures children away from their moms. Just want to make sure you keep Abby safe, even though this whole thing’s probably just a stupid hoax.”
    Lizz paused. “Y-Yeah, right, thank you…” Puppies?
    Her eyes turned to where her daughter had just been. Crouching. With a puppy. She was gone. Lizz’s breath caught in her throat, and she flipped her phone closed. Both Abigail and the puppy had disappeared.
    “No… It’s all fake… Calm down…” She murmured to herself, walking into the alley Abigail was formerly positioned next to.
    A hideous retching sound, similar to that of a cat’s, was coming from the end of the alleyway. “Abigail…?” Lizz called, her voice wavering. She stepped into a wider part of the gap between buildings, light pooled on the pale pavement.
    In the middle of the opening crouched a leathery black creature. Its throat and stomach convulsed as it retched over and over again, like it was choking up a hairball. Finally, the creature gave one last heave before a wet heap slid onto the ground from between it’s dripping jaws.
    Lizz’s eyes stretched wide, her blood ran cold and goosebumps took over her skin. The lifeless bundle was Abigail. She looked like a wet shirt, not even close to a human. Wrinkles and veins were visible all over her body. The worst part was that her eyes and mouth had become black voids, devoid of light.
    The creature stood on it’s four legs and raised it’s head to look at Lizz. It’s red, pupil-less eyes narrowed. It looked like an odd combination of a dog and a dragon. It’s long, slender snout had no visible teeth and it’s torn ears twitched at every little sound. A row of spines made it’s way down the creature’s bony, hunched back. Its three-tipped tongue swiped across its dripping mouth as it took a step toward Lizz.
    “N-NO! GET AWAY!” Lizz screeched, fumbling in her purse for a weapon. Anything… Please... Tears rolled down her cheeks.
    The creature leapt at her, its wicked foreclaws stretched wide and gaping mouth open. Lizz’s world went black. The last thing she heard was the repetitive ring of her cell phone on the ground. She glanced at the caller ID.
    Her husband.
    Of course.

    Morgana stepped in the light as her “pet” began retching up his last meal. She placed a congratulatory hand on his head.
    “Well done, Soultaker.”
    Razeth the Soultaker finally coughed up his prey and looked up into Morgana’s deep purple eyes. His mouth twisted into a sinister grin.

Description
    The phone embedded in Lizz’s pocket began to buzz. Lizz dug it out and flipped it open, looking at the caller ID. Of course, it was her husband. Lizz glanced over at her daughter, Abigail, who was crouched near the entrance to an alley between the brick walls of buildings, trying to coax a nearby puppy to come to her. She’ll be fine… Lizz thought, looking away and holding the phone to her ear.
    “Hi, honey.” Lizz answered.
    “Hey.” The voice sounded on the other line, static-sounding from a bad connection. “I just felt like warning you about something that’s been happenin’ lately near the city…”
    “Oh? What is it?” Lizz raised an eyebrow.
    “There’ve been more Soul-Taker sightings and murders n’ stuff.”
    Soul-Taker? She had no idea what that was, but the fact that whatever it was was killing people made the hairs on the back of Lizz’s neck stand on end. “Really? Around here?”
    Her husband gave a grunt of approval. “No one can trust puppies anymore, I’m afraid…”
    Puppies? Why is that? Lizz thought, resisting to ask exactly what this Soul-Taker thing even was. “Why puppies?”
    “Have you not heard? Legend says the thing takes the form of a cute lil’ puppy an’ lures children away from their moms. Just want to make sure you keep Abby safe, even though this whole thing’s probably just a stupid hoax.”
    Lizz paused. “Y-Yeah, right, thank you…” Puppies?
    Her eyes turned to where her daughter had just been. Crouching. With a puppy. She was gone. Lizz’s breath caught in her throat, and she flipped her phone closed. Both Abigail and the puppy had disappeared.
    “No… It’s all fake… Calm down…” She murmured to herself, walking into the alley Abigail was formerly positioned next to.
    A hideous retching sound, similar to that of a cat’s, was coming from the end of the alleyway. “Abigail…?” Lizz called, her voice wavering. She stepped into a wider part of the gap between buildings, light pooled on the pale pavement.
    In the middle of the opening crouched a leathery black creature. Its throat and stomach convulsed as it retched over and over again, like it was choking up a hairball. Finally, the creature gave one last heave before a wet heap slid onto the ground from between it’s dripping jaws.
    Lizz’s eyes stretched wide, her blood ran cold and goosebumps took over her skin. The lifeless bundle was Abigail. She looked like a wet shirt, not even close to a human. Wrinkles and veins were visible all over her body. The worst part was that her eyes and mouth had become black voids, devoid of light.
    The creature stood on it’s four legs and raised it’s head to look at Lizz. It’s red, pupil-less eyes narrowed. It looked like an odd combination of a dog and a dragon. It’s long, slender snout had no visible teeth and it’s torn ears twitched at every little sound. A row of spines made it’s way down the creature’s bony, hunched back. Its three-tipped tongue swiped across its dripping mouth as it took a step toward Lizz.
    “N-NO! GET AWAY!” Lizz screeched, fumbling in her purse for a weapon. Anything… Please... Tears rolled down her cheeks.
    The creature leapt at her, its wicked foreclaws stretched wide and gaping mouth open. Lizz’s world went black. The last thing she heard was the repetitive ring of her cell phone on the ground. She glanced at the caller ID.
    Her husband.
    Of course.

    Morgana stepped in the light as her “pet” began retching up his last meal. She placed a congratulatory hand on his head.
    “Well done, Soultaker.”
    Razeth the Soultaker finally coughed up his prey and looked up into Morgana’s deep purple eyes. His mouth twisted into a sinister grin.