It's Loud Inside My Head

You Can Never Be Too Careful

Picture of JACKSON on Side----------->

I screamed. Jackson stood in front of me protectively.  Fiona arched her back and hissed. The thing flew back under the covers and began to shake, and I heard sobs. Jackson slowly creeped over to the bed, and pulled back the comforter.

A little boy about eleven years old was tucked in a little ball with tears streaming down his cheeks.  Carefully, I reached out a hand and stroked his hair, like my mom would do with me when I had a bad day.  "Shhhh.  It's ok," I whispered. 

The boy fnally looked up at me with wide brown eyes that were puffy and red from crying.  "W- who are you, and w- what are you d- doing here?" 

Jackson eased himself onto the foot of the bed.  "We both needed a place to stay for the night.  I'm Jackson.  And she's," he pointed to me, "Eva."

"Meow."

The boy had snot all over him, and he looked so fragile.  Like one wrong move would make him lose it all over again.  He croaked, "Kitty."

I picked up Fiona, who was playing with the edge of the comforter, and placed her in his arms.  "This is a very special kitty.  Her name is Fiona."  I spoke gently to him. 

His eyes brightened and I thought I saw a little smile in him.  Then I heard it.  A laugh.  Fiona was licking the boy's hands and pawing at him.  He looked up, "I'm Gabe.  I'm going to be eleven soon."

Jackson smiled.  "Wow that's really old.  Before you know it, you'll be needing a walker to get around."

Gabe shook his head, "I'll never need one of those."  He crossed his arms. 

I laughed.  Gabe crossed his arms and looked at me, "You scared me earlier.  I thought you were the shadows."  I froze.  The blood drained out of my face.  The shadows. 

How. 

The. 

Hell. 

Does. 

He. 

Know.  

About.  

The. 

Shadows????

This can't be happening.  No.  No, no, no, not again. 

"Are you ok, Eva?"  Jackson grabbed my arm and I snapped out of it.  Panic raced through my mind. 

"We have to get out of here.  Now."  I ran out of the room with the candle in my hands, down the hallway, the stairs, and reached the front door. 

"Eeeevvvaaaa.  Evaa.  Eva.  You can't leave us.  We've missed you so."  The shadows hovered around me whispering, taunting, teasing me in my ears. 

"No.  No.  G- get away from me!"  I tried to fight them off with my arms.  They just laughed this sickly laugh.  It wasn't even a laugh; it was like a bloodcurdling scream/screech.  I reached for the doorknob and tried to turn it.  It crumbled in my hands. 

I set the candle down, and ran over to where the windows were to open them, but they had all disappeared.  I was trapped.  One hovered over to the candle.  I screamed, "No." The shadow looked at me, and then it leaned over and blew out the candle.  Everything went black.

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