Once knew a girl named Eva.

I knew her ever since she was a child. About four in human years I believe. It was around the time when I took her grandmother's life.

Most could not see me until the few seconds before I kill them so to most I'm more like a poltergeist or an abortion than the ooze dripping child of a monster that I am.

I am not human and I am invisible to most for reasons I myself do not know so I did not expect anyone to see me much less a human child. Though I have heard rumors that young human offspring are more likely to see creatures like me than the full grown.

There was once a time when all humans could see me but that time has long passed.

"What are you doing?" She asked curiously as I sucked the soul out of her grandmother who had been living just moments before. Now, this was during a time where I took to killing in such a way that the death looks natural and causes no alarm, such as a heart attack, so it was not as blogened as some of my more recent works. To anyone who would be able to see me it would have just looked like a teenage boy in a faded hoodie standing over a old lady with a strange black substance constantly oozing out of his empty eye sockets and mouth which is forever trapped in a gaping frown.

I ignored her thinking she couldn't see me and was talking to her now deceased grandmother, as curious children do, asking adults things. She kept staring at me. I started to feel somewhat uneasy and started to back away.

"Hey! Where are you going?" She shouted, this time obviously directed at me. There was no one else in the room, I had made sure of that before I made my move, and her grandmother wasn't going anywhere.

"Do you mean me?" I asked pointing to myself, knowing my mouth didn't move.

She nodded confidently, crushing her plush dinosaur in her arms as she did so.

"You are able to see me?" I asked, shocked. I had already tried communicating with humans before but they never seemed to hear me, or see me for that matter. Or at least not until I had nearly killed them. So by this time I just assumed that I was invisible to them, having no one to ask about it.

"Why not?" She tilted her head to the side in curiosity.

I sighed shaking my head. I knew if I told her she wouldn't understand so I just didn't say anything. I kind of just stared awkwardly as goopy stuff poured out of my face and trailed down my neck.

"What are you doing here?" She asked again, gripping her stuffed dino tighter.

"Um, I was just giving your grandma a visit." I said with a smile, my mouth still agape.

"But Grandma's gone now." She stated bluntly.

My, this kid's percective. I thought. "Whatever do you mean? She's right here." I said in that kind of tone that adults use with little kids to test her.

She shook her head again, sending her braided locks flying in her face. "No she's not."

"How do you know?"

"Because." She answered.

"Because of what?"

"Just because." Having watched her family for quite a while now I could already tell she wasn't going to give me a straight answer so I just left it at that. Later she told me it was probably because she wasn't breathing anymore.

"Well I'll be on my way." I said, turning to walk out the door.

"Ok, see you tomorrow!" She waved with a grin.

I froze for a second, my hand on the knob of the half open door. Wait just a moment, has that child been able to see me this entire time? I thought about the times where I stood around the kitchen table and watched her family eat or the times when I observed through the unshaded windows, imaging that little girl staring straight back, having her attention broken by something else. It sent a shiver down my spine. Which is not something that you would expect from creature that devours human souls. But then again, I am quite a softie. "Ah, yes. Of course." I laughed awkwardly. I exited the door somewhat unnerved. Maybe by her friendly reaction to me rather than being completely terrified as most humans were when they saw me, maybe not. Nevertheless, I was somewhat “freaked out” for reasons I did not know, which I did not like.

Either way, I saw her the across the road next day when I gave another guy a heart attack. She stood there staring, emotionless expression on her face for a second, but that quickly transformed into a smile as she waved to me, all alone as well. I was surprised, I thought most humans never left their kids alone, but with a contradicting thought I realized that humans let their children play together unsupervised in their neighborhoods, she must have been heading home. Despite me not being human you might say I know quite a bit about humans and their tendencies, and you'd be right. I am one of those, err, what could you use to describe me... demon? No, that's not quite right but that's probably what you would describe me as. Well, call me whatever you will, I like the term "demon". But as I was saying, I'm the kind of demon who is more curious about humans than blood thirsty. In fact, I usually only kill humans when I need to. At least, until recently. But enough about me, back on topic.

From then on I started noticing the girl around town. I never really went anywhere else, after all, it is my territory. Or at least it was, I don't know if anyone's taken it yet. I don't believe so though. Back to the story. I saw the girl around town more and more, as I followed my next target, I saw her always staring, either with her family or completely alone, but always staring. She was usually following behind someone and seems to stop in order to look at me, or something behind me, as I couldn't deduce whether she could still see me or not. As time passed by I got accustom to seeing her and started to interact with her.

Eventually I learned her name was Eva, despite the fact that everyone called her Eve. This confused me greatly but I just brushed it off. It was never something that seemed to bother her so I was never bothered by it. I've never really cared about names anyway. They're meant for one to differentiate one from another in conversation and I have not had anyone specific to talk to in decades. Because of this, when she asked for my name I was left speechless. Now if I had the ability to close my mouth, I would have looked like a fish out of water gasping for breath. But I can not so I just stared at her blankly, my mouth hanging open as always.

"Hey! Hey! Are you okay?" She asked me as she pulled on my sleeve.

"Ah, yes." I answered. "It's just that I have not been called anything for many decades so I did not know what to say."

"Oh." She let go of my sleeve. "What's a decades?"

I smiled slightly. Or at least I believe I did. "A decade is ten years. More than one decade is what is referred to as decades." I saw the look of confusion on her face. "In short, decades are groups of ten years."

"How long is ten years?" She asked curiously.

I chuckled. "A very long time." I answered.

"Ok." She picked up her plush dog by the front paws and started walking it around like a puppet, wood chips sticking on it's feet as she danced it around from where she sat on the playground. "But you still have a name right?"

By this age she had learned that everyone has a name and it's rude not to call them by that name. She had turned five before she asked me about my name and before that she had always just settled for "mister". "I believe I may but I fear I may have forgotten it." I lied. "So just call me what you like." I smiled. I just don't like my name.

"Hmm." She thought, still making her little dog prance around in the wood chips. "How about Goopy." She suggested.

I snorted in a feeble attempt to snuff out a laugh.

"What?" she scowled at me in that way angry little kids to.

"Nothing." I planted my face in my hand, still snickering. "It just sounds a bit like the name of a pet. Though it's fine if you have nothing else you would rather call me."

"Ok! How about Goo?" she asked enthusiastically.

It wasn't really any better but I laughed anyway, rubbing the wavey hair on her tiny little head. She always made it a point to tell people that it was a dark brown and not black like everyone thought so I thought I might as well put that here before she tells me off about it. "Whatever you wish, little Eva." I smiled.

"Ok!" She beamed.

Her parents called her name, telling her it was time to leave and she came running shouting her goodbye to me over her shoulder as she did so. She jumped around, exchanging a few words with her parents. More than likely about her conversation she had just had with me. Her mother smiled, guiding her children back to their car as her father looked in my direction with concern. I gave him a smile and waved, despite knowing he couldn't see me. Lest he was an ignorant man who cared nothing for his family, he most definitely would have tried to attack me had he seen me watching his family during the window of time during which his step mother was my target.

But of course he could not. So he was left to do nothing but think me his young daughter's imaginary friend as I walked away to find my next meal.

I continued to meet with Eva and eventually noticed a pattern in deaths around the town. Whether it be by my hands or something else, those close to her had a tendency of dying. It was nothing extreme, such as a death every week. No, the times were more spaced and less predictable. Nevertheless, there was a pattern, and it revolved around that little girl. There had been a large increase in deaths ever since I met the child. Most all of them have some connection to her. From murders to accidents, death happens all around that kid.

There was once a time I recall when she was with a babysitter while I was with her and before she left Eva said to her, "Good luck surviving on your way home." And sure enough, nearly two blocks away, the woman died in a car crash. How she knew, I am not quite sure. At the time I didn't really care, I got a free soul.