Shadow: Memory #2

It was early when I first woke up, so early that even the sun still hadn’t come up.

The inside was cold, but right now, it didn’t matter to me.

I walked the halls searching for one person, and for the first time ever, it wasn’t Lucia.

I couldn’t shut my eyes and find him.

I couldn’t sense him at all.

It was too unfamiliar, too new.

We had no real connection, at least not yet.

I didn’t want to ask someone where his room was either.

I just wanted him to wake up and find me himself.

There was a low creaking sound, and I was quick to hide.

No words were spoken. There was only a quiet sigh.

I peeked to see who it was, and my heart thundered in my chest.

It was Boone.

He had just walked out of his washroom, and I could see his entire left arm. The arm that made him like me.

His arm was beautiful.

He was beautiful.

Lucia always told me to appreciate things that were beautiful.

She said people destroy beautiful things.

I couldn’t think about anyone hurting him.

I would keep him safe.

Boone would be okay if he stayed here.

My feet trailed a bit behind him as he walked the stone hallways.

He took several turns before he stopped at a door.

This was a little out of the way for the others.

So this must be his room then?

He walked inside and shut the door behind him.

For as much as I wanted to talk to him, I would wait.

I waited outside of his room for a while, maybe an hour.

It felt like a long time.

He was probably asleep.

I felt myself frown.

That’s where I should be.

I should be sleeping.

I left the cold corridor and made my way towards my own room.

My feet stopped before the stairwell, and I felt a strange, unpleasant feeling curl inside of me.

I didn’t want to go up there.

I didn’t want to be alone.

Has it always been like this?

My head shook as I turned around.

I made my way to the study.

It was too dark to see anything.

My hands blindly sought the lantern that was usually on the desk between two large shelves.

I nearly knocked it over once I finally found it.

It should be easy to light it.

I had fire inside me.

Lighting a candle should be easy.

My eyes adjusted to the darkness enough to see the partially melted wax.

You can do it, Eaden.

Call the fire.

I stared, but it never lit.

I wanted the wick to ignite.

It remained dull and cold.

I made myself angry.

How can you protect Boone if you can’t even light a candle?

I felt it when the anger surged through me.

A spark snapped before my eyes, lighting the candle, but at the cost of the glass housing it.

Shards scattered to the floor.

The candle burned white before slowly changing to a normal reddish-orange.

I felt pride as I stared at the dancing flame.

I did it.

A grin formed on my face.

I wanted to show Boone.

The smile vanished instantly when I thought it.

He was asleep.

Why was I even here again?

My gaze went to the cases on either side of the desk.

Maybe I could find something to distract me from these annoying thoughts.

I searched the shelves for a while.

I decided I didn’t want to be in here either.

A shiver ran through me.

It was unusual for me to feel cold.

There was even a candle in front of me.

There shouldn’t be a chill.

I didn’t want to feel like this.

The only thing I wanted was to be near him.

I wanted to see Boone again.

A low thud startled me.

I hid behind the large bookcase once I noticed the noise was coming closer.

Who was it?

The light in the room made me panic.

The candle would give away that someone was in here.

A blew out the candle and set it back on the desk before hiding again.

Heavy footfalls got closer and closer.

Please pass.

Walk past the study.

The thudding stopped, and the door to the study slowly opened.

I could hear my heart pounding in my ears.

A dark red light illuminated the room.

I couldn’t hear anything. I could only see the fire distort the shadow of whoever stood in the doorway.

It looked inhuman the way it grew.

“Who’s in here?”

Even the voice sounded distorted.

I was too afraid to speak.

“I know you’re there.”

The voice only got deeper as it spoke.

I sounded like a man, but a man mixed with a monster.

I trembled.

How did they know I was here?

The light got brighter, and the shadow only grew larger.

“Where,” the voice growled, “Are you?”

I could feel my eyes stinging.

“Coward,” the voice spoke, “To bed, now.”

If I didn’t respond before, what the hell makes them think I was going to now?

The red slowly faded, and I could hear the footsteps going away.

The door never shut.

I didn’t know what to do.

I wanted someone to hold me and tell me that everything was going to be alright.

I wanted it to be Boone.

The tears poured down my cheeks as I finally found the courage to run out of the room.

Red light lit up the hallway, and I saw the shadow.

It didn’t have a face.

It was pitch black.

“Eaden,” it said, “You know the rules.”

I felt my legs shaking.

“You know the monsters come out at night,” it said.

I was told that all the time when I was little.

I wasn’t sure how true it was.

“Have you finally decided to join us in the dark?”

“Us?” I asked.

It laughed.

“All of us here,” it said.

I wanted it to clarify, but slowly I noticed a change in the darkness.

Small bits of light here and there poked holes in the dark.

It took me several minutes to realize it wasn’t light at all.

They were eyes.

Eyes opening to reveal themselves to me.

“If you do not wish to stay,” it said, “Then to bed with you, it’s the only place you will be safe here.”

I didn’t respond. I was already running to my room.

I sobbed once I was in the center of the large round bed.

That was the first time I wished that someone would come and save me.

Maybe, that’s what I have always wanted.