The rain was beating down hard on the old moldy walls of the cottage. Inside quietly sat a small family of four; the old worn father, the tired wrinkled mother, a teenage girl sitting by the window, and a baby boy suckling on his thumb. The mother sat in her rocking chair, holding the boy in her arms as she stared at the fire which crackling tamely in the fire pit, her eyes hollow and empty of emotion. The father sat at the nearby table in what was the small corner of the kitchen, carving away at a stick with his hunting knife. The girl held her knees up to her chest and stared out the window, watching as the dead trees branches swayed back and forth with the violent wind.

All was silent with the weight of the conversation earlier rested heavy on their nerves. He came by earlier that day, before the rain had begun to pour, and told the four that one could no longer be there.

The father was needed for working, and the mother for cooking and cleaning. The only choice left were one of the children. Either the young girl who would just sit and waste space with her unrealistic hopes and dreams, or the baby boy who will grow up to be strong and work diligently. The girl shifted uncomfortably on the tiny window seat. Silent tears choking her from begging her parents to not give her up.

The father suddenly stood up, dropping the wood and holding the knife in his hand. He hurried over to his daughter and grabbed her by the arm, violently tugging her from her seat. Tears coated the mothers face as she began to softly sob, trying hard not to startle her, now, only child who was sleeping peacefully in her arms. The girl stumbled slightly as her father jerked her across the floor and outside into the pouring rain. He didn't hesitate the moment the cold hard droplets of water hit his skin. He continued to drag his daughter like a dead animal out into the woods.

The girl whimpered and struggled only slightly. Still in shock about the whole ordeal, unsure on what she should do. She did not want to leave her family. She did not want to leave her baby brother. She did not want to leave the comfort of her mothers arms. She did not want to leave the deep, hearty laughter of her father. But, now, she had no choice. Her fate was sealed the moment He knocked on their small door.

Through the blur of rain, the girl saw the dark entrance of the cave opening where He was said to reside. Dark moss hung from the top, sharp jagged rocks were around the base, and a foul-odor emanated from the dark opening. The father stopped a foot from the entrance and tossed his daughter viciously to the ground in front of him. The girl shivered as cold mud and water soaked through her clothes and cooled her blood. She slowly looked up, and watched as a large, charred, black hand reached out from the cave and curled around the edge of the rock.

Out, like a demon from hell, a very tall, slender man draped in thick black robes, a shawl covering his head and shadowing his face, slithered out. He stood two-feet taller, and two-feet thinner than the father and gave a nod. The father, sick with himself, returned the gesture and turned away, hurriedly walking back to his family as every happy memory of his daughter ate away at his heart. He did not once look back.

The girl trembled as she sat up, staring at Him with her wide brown eyes. He turned to her, slightly tilting his head to the side as she opened her mouth to speak.

“Wh-what...are you...going to do to me?” She whispered, her body nearly numb from the gust of cold rain that hammered her. He outstretched his long slender arm and gently caressed her cheek with his clawed hand. His skin was warm against her cheek. She instinctively nuzzled into it, and a deep spine-chilling chuckle emanated from Him. He bent over and whispered in his deep voice.

“I...will make you mine.”