.:Limbo:.

Chapter Three

“Why would you do that to me?”

“It was easier to help you that way.” Indigo said coldly.

“Help me? Are you serious? You’re thing would've killed me!”

I hate her retorts.

“Well, if you didn’t freak out, and try to attack Thomas, we wouldn’t be here right now.” She snarled, mixing some ice cream behind the counter.

After I had woken up, she promised to take me somewhere nice. ‘Nice’ in her eyes, is an abandoned 50’s styled smoothie parlor, in some strange town I’d never heard of. Swiveling around on my squishy, red stool, I glanced outside.

Of course, it was foggy, rainy, and depressing. Why was everything around here depressing? I just had to ask. Seeing she put my milkshake on the counter, precisely in front of me, I wrapped my long fingers around its body, and raised it to my lips. Slowly, I let the vanilla and strawberry flavor-goodness travel down my throat, making me shiver. Suddenly, before I could even blink, Indigo was next to me, sipping her root beer float. I looked over at her, and raised my eyebrows.

“What?” She asked, eyes narrowing.

“Why is everything here so.. depressing?” I ask, setting my glass down.

“What do you mean?” The girl said, turning towards me.

“Well, you really want to know the definition of ‘depressing’?”

“No, I was asking how it’s depressing here, Genius.” Indigo hissed, turning back to her drink.

“Well then..” Mumbling, I turned back to my drink, picking it back up again.

The door had opened, the bells above the door jingled, and... A family of shadows entered the shop. I tried not to look at them, one, not wanting to be rude, two, fearing that if I look at them, they’d notice me. I didn’t want to be noticed, wherever I was. The family consisted of, a taller shadow, which I assumed as the father, a shadow a bit smaller next to it, which I assumed was the mother, and two smaller shadows, a foot shorter then me following behind them, which I guessed were children. The father sat down next to me, and started to talk in what sounded like.. growling. The mother did the same. Who are they talking to? I glanced back up at the counter, and three more shadows were operating the parlor. Feeling my eyes widen, I desperately look to Indigo, who’s casually drinking her root-beer. Her deep brown eyes flick over at me, saying, Stop looking at me. I turn my head away quickly, biting my lip so hard, I taste that familiar iron blood in my mouth. I guess Indigo sensed my fear, because she put tow dollars on the counter, and tugged my arm. I stood as quickly as I could without drawing attention to myself. Indigo, with her signature grip, started to drag me out of the shop like a small child being pulled from a toy. After we were out the door, I yanked away from her.

“You’re welcome.” She said as she pushed me away, blond tresses falling in her face.

“What.. what were those?” I asked, voice cracking.

“Those where Shadow-People... You don’t remember?”

“Remember what?” I ask, looking over at her, not realizing what she meant.

“You wrote a paper about them in the fifth grade.”

I stared at her, trying to piece all together. We were both starting to walk, and she was focusing on the ground, smiling slightly.

“How did you know about that?” Slowing my pace slightly, I look up at her, raising my eyebrows.

Indigo turned around, her baggy shirt flapping slightly as she does. I just realized something. There was no wind.

“Ignorance... “ She laughed slightly, shaking her head, turning back around.

“What is up with you?” I feel my shoulder's tense, growing agitated.

“What’s up with me? Whats up with you?!?”  She turned around, hand on her perfect hips.

“Well, you won’t explain anything to me, you won’t help me get out of this mess, and how do you know so much about me?”

She hesitated, almost as if something had just dawned on her. Seeing how large her eyes got, I stepped forward, feeling guilty thinking I hurt her feelings.

“Hey.. I’m sorry, I just want to know what’s going on.”

“No, you’re right.” She looked down. Voice dropping into a whisper, she said, “You’re in your own mind, Ryker... Haven’t you seen that?”

“What’re you talking about, Indigo?” All of this was starting to really freak me out.

“You’re sleeping.”

“Whoa... I’m dreaming, then?”

“No, you’ve been here to long.” She suddenly took my hand, and started to jog.

“Indigo, whats going on?” I tug her back, and she stumbles into me.

Moving back, she lets go of my hand.

“You’ve gone into Limbo.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“I’ve gone into what?”  I feel my eye twitch, as I step back.

“Limbo.” She responded, looking up at me.

“What is Limbo?”

“Its when you... get lost in your own mind, and every wrong choice you make, sends you further into itself.” Stepping forward, she reached out to touch my arm.

“Why are you being so nice to me now?” I ask a bit to coldly.

“I pity you.”

“Why? Whats so bad about this ‘Limbo’?”

Indigo’s shoulders slumped, and she looked down.

“Because not everyone wakes up.”