“Dreaming about a sheep means you are not assuming your responsibilities, because you are following what others say you to do or you are thinking you should be living for what other’s need, but you are forgetting about yourself.”

— Who do you think I found at the orphanage already living there, doctor? — asked π12-45.

— That’s a hard guess… but I can try it saying… it was someone you already met, am I right?

— Yes. I didn’t see him at first, because he was on a closed room most part of the time, not being able to go down the stairs, but he was there just like me…

— Do you mean…?

— David’s cousin, Gabriel.

— Have his parents…

— The shadows had caught them… way before they caught David’s father. As Gabriel said, first it was his father. They said to him that his father had died while working on a construction site, but right before his dad come out to work, he saw a shadow figure looking at him from behind his father. Then, with that, David’s mom became depressed. David said he would swear he saw something shadowy taking over his mom at the night she took all her remedy at once and never wake up anymore.

— They followed his family, I assume…

— I agree. First, they look for someone feeling in sorrow, and then they feed themselves with the person’s emotions until they don’t need the host anymore or want to eat someone’s body, fluids or something.

— In the case of Gabriel’s parents, the one with sorrow was…

— Gabriel, yes. He couldn’t help feeling so sad after losing his own legs while dreaming about being a great football player. In other words, the shadows feed on people’s shattered dreams the most.

— On David’s dad case…

— He was the one who was in sorrow. He couldn’t forgive himself for being a bad person, then for the loss of his wife and finally for not being a better father for David, me, who was showing signals that he wouldn’t be his old self anymore. As he was feeling better that made the shadows so mad at him, his life was taken away simply like that.

— So… have things got any better in the orphanage? — The doctor said being sarcastic, changing his image to Gabriel’s image, walking around using what was left of the legs.

— I really hope you stop being so annoying. Yes, it wasn’t any good. If there was supposed to be a place were plenty of kids were feeling utterly in sorrow and just pretend to be fine while their feelings were forcing them back, trying to understand why their parents weren’t there anymore, even the living ones… that was the right place for the shadows.

— Wait… why the living ones?

— They weren’t able to take care of them and the government just took their sons and daughters away, promising that, if they behave, they would take their children back home after some months… Months became years for, basically, them all.

— Interesting.

— Is that all you have to say?

— I can’t come to any conclusion right now. There are too many pieces to put together. What Gabriel said to you there, about the shadows?

— He said…

__________

— David, why they are coming after me? — All the time we were talking, he was in his bed. After I said I was his cousin, they had allowed me to take one of the beds in that bedroom.

— I don’t know for sure… — I answered, seeing a completely different Gabriel, one without a cheerful smile and his hair was cut pretty short — …but I have my theories.

— What do you think?

— Because you are sad. They seem to like people with bad behavior.

— What?

— As I said, I can see those things sometimes when people aren’t able to look at all… but sometimes I can’t see them either… I don’t know how I see or how I can’t see them.

— I thought you were lying when you said you could see things, ‘because I thought you wanted to scare me… but I saw them too.

— I’m sorry to say, but no, I’m not lying. They got D… my dad…

— I’m sorry David… What happened?

— They said at the hospital that it was a sudden heart attack… but what I saw was… a huge mouth coming out from the ceiling… I think it took Da… dad’s soul…

— David’s dad… Is that what you wanted to say?

— I’m sorry… I’m not David…

— Who are you, then? Are you one of the shadows?

— No. At least what I think I am have nothing to do with them. If I had, I would let them eat you that day…

— I wish you had…

— Well, I can’t say anything to you. It will not help feeling sorry about yourself or anyone else, but I understand how you feel… When David’s dad died… I killed myself…

— You… What?

— My other self. I said I come from the future… Do you remember?

— It was just a play… You can’t be from the future…

— I know, but the same way there are things we can’t just explain, I can’t explain why I suddenly wake up on your cousin’s body.

He got silent.

— Well — I said — they had let me stay with you. Someone said you had nightmares. Is it true?

He didn’t want to look at me, then he tried to force some words out and, instead, he started to cry. I hugged him until he was calm again and, still on my shoulder, he said:

— There’s a person on my dreams. I can’t see its face, but it’s waiting for me at the door and I heard my parents’ voices saying “Poor Gabriel… He just wants his legs back…” Them I saw a person holding my legs in the air like it was offering them back… I try to reach the door and them my parents’ head come out of the dark and they say, “Come to dad Gabriel. Come to mom Gabriel.” No one wants to help me with it…

— I will help you, Gabriel. I may not be your cousin, but I understand what you are feeling.

— I just wanted to be a football player! — He said, turning to cry again.

— You still can…

— No, I can’t! I don’t have legs…

— Is that all you think it’s needed to be a football player?

— What else?!

— You know you can use some prostheses… Don’t you know?

— I know but…

— Gabriel, I know it’s hard, that’s okay if you aren’t feeling you could use them as a real football player, but, at least, don’t be sad about it anymore. Okay? Try to think about it as a chance to get closer to your dream.

— I… — he got away from my hug. — I will think about it…

— You will see, one day you will kick your ball again and I will not be fast enough to catch it!

— Haha… — he giggled. — You are funny, Pi…

— Do you remember my name?

— I guess I do… but I don’t remember it whole…

— That’s okay, Pi is enough. Now, they said that you haven’t been eating well. Is it true?

— Their food is horrible! I don’t feel I should eat it…

— Okay, I will see what I can do about it.

— Really?

— That’s a promise!

I left him there, seeing a shy smile on his face. Then one of the older boys saw me and followed me. It was a teenage boy with dark hair, dark eyes, and light skin.

— You are new here, boy! You have seen nothing yet! — He held his arm around my neck and I already knew I was in trouble. — You see, if you want to be part of the trouble ones here, you need to do something for us… something special!

— What exactly do you want? — I said, still trying to get out of his stranglehold, but he was way taller than David was, probably he was around 15 years old.

— Oh, you need to go to the small room in the backyard at night… alone…

— For what reason should I do it? — I asked, thinking about it rationally.

— Are you deaf, dude? If you want to be part of us, you need to do it! — He promptly said without thinking twice.

— I understood what you said, I mean, why this is what it’s needed to be part of the group. I can imagine I could do anything else, can’t I?

— A wise donkey, hum? This is the tradition! — He said, proud of himself. — I did, Matthias did, John did, Paul did, Matthew did, Thomas did, Simon did… Everyone did! Only you didn’t! And you need to do it this night.

— Did Gabriel do it too?

— No one want’s to talk with him, that crybaby! — He changed his face trying to imitate a hopeless child, using his hands like a baby crying. — “Help me! Help me! Someone took my legs!”

— Someone really took his legs. — I said, not understanding why he was mocking him.

— What do you know kid?!

— I was there… It came at night when we were watching a movie. I went to the bathroom and when I was back, someone was pulling him out of my house. I tried to rescue him, but it was too late… The person cut his legs right there.

— What? You just made it up! You freak!

— I’m his cousin. I was there. What else do you want to know to understand I was there?

— Go to the small room in the backyard tonight. Deal?

— Not yet. If I do that, I want everyone to accept Gabriel as one of the group.

— Trouble! We are the trouble ones! If he wants to be part of the trouble ones, he needs to go there by himself! Alone! That’s the deal! No exceptions!

— Really? Is that all you have to offer? I was hoping for something more… exciting.

— No fears, I see… So, I will call my palls, if they agree, you can go there completely alone AND in the dark, with no light! If you go there, the way I’m saying, you will be part of the trouble ones! Deal? — He reached his hand out, offering a handshake.

— Ask your friends first. Then we have a deal — I smiled and he took his hand back.

— Okay, smart donkey! I’m James, Mister James for you! See ya! — And he left me alone.

When I was at the kitchen, the person there was an old woman, dark skin, dirty white clothes, black hair covered with a net and she was complaining about lots of things. She was cooking the dinner for that day and putting lots of different things inside, with no distinction if it needed to be cooked earlier or later. She was so focused on putting things on the huge pan in front of her, that she didn’t notice me.

I got closer to her and looked at her back, where you could see a small hump. I didn’t feel anything bad in there and just talked to her.

— Hello?

— What? — She shouted at me. — What you thinking you are doing in my kitchen?! Get out of here right now!

— I just wanted to ask for some food for my cousin Gabriel. Someone said he wasn’t eating well.

— That little pig! He said my food isn’t good enough for him! Get out of here! I will not give him anything!

— I need to ask… — I said, with half-closed eyes. — Why are you here? Why are you still working here? If it’s that bad, why! Why are you here?!

— Enough! That isn’t your business! Get out of here now! No dinner for you! — She pointed out a big and sharp knife in my direction.

— There’s something wrong with you. This is wrong… — and I slowly got out of the kitchen.

She didn’t notice what I did there and I just ran to Gabriel’s bedroom with three apples. I gave two to him.

Later at night, the boys got out of their beds after the sleeping time. They had only one flashlight and one candle to illuminate the darkness.

— If you went there with no light — said James — we agreed to let you be one of us.

— Gabriel too? — I asked.

— You aren’t giving up, don’t you? Fine! We will let him be one of us, but you need to stay there for some time. If you step out just a little, you will not be one of us and you will need to do whatever I say! — And he reached out his hand. — Deal?

I smiled:

— Deal! — And he gave me a pretty strong handshake, almost breaking my fingers. — Ouch!

— Can’t deal with a good handshake, smart donkey! — And he laughed at me.

More seven boys and we were out in the backyard, getting ready for my great entrance. The small room looked like a wood barrack filled with gardening tools anyone could see from outside since the door wasn’t actually locked; a small person like David could enter there pretty easily through the door gap.

— What do you think, smart donkey? Do you think you can enter there and stay in the dark for some time? — Asked James, while the other boys were afraid of it, trying to hide from afar.

— There’s anything I should know about this place? — I asked before stepping inside.

— Hah! You are afraid of it! — James said, full of himself.

— No. I’m just feeling you are trying to trick me here, but they… — I pointed to his friends. — They really are afraid about this place. Why they are afraid?

— Oh! They know about the dead man… — he said with a sinister mood.

— Just that? — I said, without giving any importance to that. — I watched my dad dying by my side… — and, with that, I went into that small place.

The room had four squared meters and all I could do there was tripping into the tools and make some of them fell, but I wasn’t feeling there was anything strange there until I felt some hand on my shoulder. I try to put it out and the hand touched me again. I gave it a bite and she shouted at me:

— Ouch! Watch your teeth! — One of the girls from the orphanage said, getting out from the back of the small room.

She was bigger than David was and she was standing right beside me, making the small place smaller.

— Who are you? — I asked with an angered voice.

— I’m Carol. James told me to wait for you here — I couldn’t see her face in the dark.

— I thought he would do something. Why you agreed with it?

— I just wanted to see another boy peeing his pants afraid of the ‘dead man’ — she giggled.

— There’s nothing scary about it. There’s nothing funny about it. If you could see the real monsters, you wouldn’t play with this kind of thing.

— Look! The boy can see things! — She said, laughing even louder.

I felt some goosebumps all over my body, the air turned cold and I knew a shadow thing was near us.

— It’s here…

— Oh! — She pretended. — There’s something scary here?

I felt something like hair strands falling over me. All around me. I looked up and it was on the ceiling, a dark figure with yellow-ish or green-ish eyes… lots of eyes… among all the strands of hair…

— You are so beautiful… — said a sinister voice.

— Who said that? — Shouted Carol. — James?!

— I want you for myself…

With that, the hair started to strangle her up.

— Help! — I shouted. — Help!

After some time, I tried again.

— Help! It’s killing her!

I tried to pull her back to the floor, but all I could do was waiting for the thing to eat her piece by piece, as none of the boys ever showed up…