Shadow Bite || WATTYS 2017

Chapter Seven

Buttercup.

As I let the hot shower water soothe my muscles, I replay that same curious word over and over, and little by little it grows on me. "Are you ready Cami?" Mary peers her little head through the door, right as I slide a navy blue knit sweater over my head and zip up my black skinny jeans.

"Give me a second." After a long and frustrating while of searching and throwing clothes around in my wardrobe, I finally find my beloved brown combat boots at the bottom, under another massive pile of clothes. I really need to sort that out.

Who am I kidding? That's never going to happen.

"Let's go, Mary," I exclaim. 

"Yaaaaayyy!" She grabs my hand and begins to pull me frantically down the steps, and I barely manage to fit in a quick 'good morning' to my dad who's sipping his coffee and reading the newspaper before I'm ripped out from the house and faced with the already snow covered ground. I sigh with contentment as the cold winter air covers me from all directions and Mary lets out a delighted giggle which I quickly mimic, letting myself be pulled into a clearing. The trees stand tall and majestic, draped in a gleaming coat of white, and branches cast back the rare morning sun rays in fleeting twinkles. I keep on staring at the beautiful nature but soon realise my mistake when a big fat and icy cold snowball lands right on the side of my face. I turn around slowly to see a grinning Mary staring at me, while already proceeding to form her second weapon of choice.

"You shouldn't have done that," I start with a fake threatening voice but she just giggles again, squealing when I throw a tiny snowball in her direction, which, thankfully, only hits her lightly on her left calf. She still squeals again though and I laugh.

"I will make the snowman eat you Cami!" I giggle at her wild expression and let out a taunting sigh.

"You'll have to build one first!"

"But I already have one!"

"What? Where?"

"He's got really pretty silver hair!" She giggles innocently and turns around, peering into the trees with wonder while I stand frozen to my spot.

"What did you just say?" My voice is suddenly tight, coming out merely as a whisper. 

"He said that we will all be best friends!"

"Mary, when did you see him?"

I'm always with her Camilla, just as I am with you... Poor child, she doesn't understand what's going on.

The murderer's taunting voice fills my head and I fall to my knees, staring at the snow-covered ground. Mary comes running towards me and pulls me into as big of a hug as her little arms can manage. "Do I need to get Mummy or Daddy," she asks with worry in her little voice. 

"No, I'm fine. Let's just go inside okay?"

"But I want to play!"

"Not today Mary." Her eyes sadden and she quickly escapes my embrace, disappearing into the house while I listen to her soft sobs. "Mary!" I let out an annoyed huff and stand back up. I look around and when there's nothing, close my eyes tightly together and breathe out slowly. "Leave me alone, I don't want you in my head."

I don't care what you want. I only care about what I want, and right now, that is you, Camilla. You should always be prepared because I am capable of things that you can't possibly ever even begin to imagine.

"GET OUT," I shout, and my voice echoes through the forest in booming waves. I hear his cruel laugh vibrating through my skull and a taunting click of his tongue. A shiver courses through me and I let out a shaky breath, my fixed stance wavering slightly. Suddenly, it's as if a thread escapes from my head and emptiness fills it up instead. Then, nothing. No voice can be heard after that. He's left me alone again, for now.