“Guys,” I hissed.
Everyone turned and froze.
Aidan raised the flame and revealed a human-shaped shadow without a source. Defying all physics, the shadow didn’t disappear when struck with our candlelight. It remained perfectly still. There were no features other than the human shape. It seemed two-dimensional and it was definitely male. Broad shoulders and narrower hips, short hair (I think) even the stance seemed masculine rather than feminine.
“What the hell is that?” Phoebe’s eyes were wide and feral.
Robin was sobbing so hard that Cody shushed her.
Read inched forward. “This is a nightmare,” he whispered. “Just like early this week. It’s all just a dream.”
“Then it’s my dream,” My lips felt numb.
The perfect shadow had remained still against the bricks until I spoke.
Lifting off the wall it began to shift. The darkness within the shadow swirled like a living mist, reflecting Aidan’s light.
Read looked to us. “What do we do?”
That was a good question but no one answered.
As he turned back to the spectacle, it began to gain color, texture. Morphing from a shadow into the shape which held it dormant.
Faded at first I strained to see more, wanting to see every piercing feature before it manifested itself fully. My fingers had dug deep enough to peel skin near my elbows.
Then the shadow was gone, replaced by a man.
CHAPTER TWELVE
There were few explanations for what I was seeing.
I was either crazy, or bat-shit-crazy. I’d have to decide later.
Instead, I peeked at my friends to see the same shock.
It was a minor relief but it proved that I wasn’t completely mad. Right?
Blinking rapidly as if it could clear the illusion, I realized I’d just watched a shadow morph into a solid man who didn’t appear much older than us, though I doubted that was the case. Nothing that rolls out of shadows could be like us.
He was breathtaking and as hard as I tried, I couldn’t look away.
I’ve never seen a day-old-corpse before but I wouldn’t be surprised if it had skin like his; deathly pale and flawless. It made a shocking contrast to his midnight hair, like he was digitally remastered instead of real.
Without thinking, I stepped forward and spoke past the awkward lump in my throat. “Who are you?”
Even his voice sounded dark, low and resonating. “The question is, who are you ?” His obsidian eyes sought me out and I unexpectedly felt violated.
Read was the first to recover and knocked on the bricked-up window. “ We are just about to leave.”
I glanced at the strange man dressed all in black. The t-shirt beneath the vest subtly revealed broad shoulders, chest and arms. One had to look to notice and I was quite sure every female in the room noticed.
The man could have been dreamy if he hadn’t just popped out of shadows. Nothing that beautiful should exist, except maybe in a fairy tale, to tempt stupid, young girls into some perverse, sexual game.
“You can’t leave,” the shadowed man rumbled, “yet.”
Before any of us could stop him Read stepped in front and shouted. “Hey, man, what’s your problem? We don’t belong here! Let us out.”
The man in black smiled without showing teeth. “Well man, as an illegal transgressor you became my problem.” He managed to mimic Read so well, I had to replay the scene in my head several times to register what shadow-man said.
Gritting his teeth, Read lurched forward, fists white and tight. If it hadn’t been for Phoebe’s firm hand, he might have made a move he’d regret. “There’s six of us and one of him,” Read hissed at Phoebe.
“Yeah, one of him,” Phoebe echoed, “but I don’t suppose you noticed that he used to be a friggin’ shadow that came out of a four-foot door?”
With a violent jerk, Read pulled free. Phoebe looked ready to grab him again, but bit her bottom lip and stopped.
Vibrating, Aidan sounded indignant. “Trespassed? This is Birket property.”
The shiny, black hair that fell
Everyone turned and froze.
Aidan raised the flame and revealed a human-shaped shadow without a source. Defying all physics, the shadow didn’t disappear when struck with our candlelight. It remained perfectly still. There were no features other than the human shape. It seemed two-dimensional and it was definitely male. Broad shoulders and narrower hips, short hair (I think) even the stance seemed masculine rather than feminine.
“What the hell is that?” Phoebe’s eyes were wide and feral.
Robin was sobbing so hard that Cody shushed her.
Read inched forward. “This is a nightmare,” he whispered. “Just like early this week. It’s all just a dream.”
“Then it’s my dream,” My lips felt numb.
The perfect shadow had remained still against the bricks until I spoke.
Lifting off the wall it began to shift. The darkness within the shadow swirled like a living mist, reflecting Aidan’s light.
Read looked to us. “What do we do?”
That was a good question but no one answered.
As he turned back to the spectacle, it began to gain color, texture. Morphing from a shadow into the shape which held it dormant.
Faded at first I strained to see more, wanting to see every piercing feature before it manifested itself fully. My fingers had dug deep enough to peel skin near my elbows.
Then the shadow was gone, replaced by a man.
CHAPTER TWELVE
There were few explanations for what I was seeing.
I was either crazy, or bat-shit-crazy. I’d have to decide later.
Instead, I peeked at my friends to see the same shock.
It was a minor relief but it proved that I wasn’t completely mad. Right?
Blinking rapidly as if it could clear the illusion, I realized I’d just watched a shadow morph into a solid man who didn’t appear much older than us, though I doubted that was the case. Nothing that rolls out of shadows could be like us.
He was breathtaking and as hard as I tried, I couldn’t look away.
I’ve never seen a day-old-corpse before but I wouldn’t be surprised if it had skin like his; deathly pale and flawless. It made a shocking contrast to his midnight hair, like he was digitally remastered instead of real.
Without thinking, I stepped forward and spoke past the awkward lump in my throat. “Who are you?”
Even his voice sounded dark, low and resonating. “The question is, who are you ?” His obsidian eyes sought me out and I unexpectedly felt violated.
Read was the first to recover and knocked on the bricked-up window. “ We are just about to leave.”
I glanced at the strange man dressed all in black. The t-shirt beneath the vest subtly revealed broad shoulders, chest and arms. One had to look to notice and I was quite sure every female in the room noticed.
The man could have been dreamy if he hadn’t just popped out of shadows. Nothing that beautiful should exist, except maybe in a fairy tale, to tempt stupid, young girls into some perverse, sexual game.
“You can’t leave,” the shadowed man rumbled, “yet.”
Before any of us could stop him Read stepped in front and shouted. “Hey, man, what’s your problem? We don’t belong here! Let us out.”
The man in black smiled without showing teeth. “Well man, as an illegal transgressor you became my problem.” He managed to mimic Read so well, I had to replay the scene in my head several times to register what shadow-man said.
Gritting his teeth, Read lurched forward, fists white and tight. If it hadn’t been for Phoebe’s firm hand, he might have made a move he’d regret. “There’s six of us and one of him,” Read hissed at Phoebe.
“Yeah, one of him,” Phoebe echoed, “but I don’t suppose you noticed that he used to be a friggin’ shadow that came out of a four-foot door?”
With a violent jerk, Read pulled free. Phoebe looked ready to grab him again, but bit her bottom lip and stopped.
Vibrating, Aidan sounded indignant. “Trespassed? This is Birket property.”
The shiny, black hair that fell
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