What Lurks in the Shadows

Chapter 16: Surprise Attack

Chapter 16

Phillipa

It was a matter of minutes before a brilliant light began beaming through the lonely window of that single-roomed apartment. It was blinding, hitting me right in the eyes. I tried to move back into the shadows, but wherever I went, it followed. I stumbled back, disoriented and clumsy. My back hit against the wall through which we had entered Adrian’s abode not so long ago, and I cursed in pain as a door handle dug into my back. Frantically, I reached for it, calling back a strangled, “Bye!” to Adrian before I threw the door open and pulled myself through it. The white walls of the hallway of doors was even more blinding than the light back in London. I pressed my hands against my face, but it was still too bright.

Too bright, too bright! I thought.

And suddenly, it was like the floor had evaporated into thin air; I was free falling, and screaming at the top of my lungs.

I gasped, sitting straight up in my bed. Sweat dripped from every pore on my body; my breath came ragged and fast. Cradling my pounding, slick head in my hands, I attempted to calm my body down. Mentally, I wasn’t crazed or panicked, but only confused. Is that going to happen every morning after I spend a night with Adrian? I wondered. Or was it just because I left by own dream ― my own body?

I hoped it was the latter, because I would not especially enjoy waking up like that every morning.

A brisk knocked sounded from my door, startling me. Wiping my sweaty forehead and neck on my shirt sleeve I called, “Come in!”

The door clicked open and, just as I thought, Tori peaked her head through the doorway. I knew it was most likely her because if it had been Kelsey, she would ― one ― not be up this early, and ― two ― she wouldn’t have knocked. And the knock was too… soft… to have been Opal.

“Are you up?” Tori asked, stepping timidly inside the room.

“Just about!” I smiled, slightly guarded after my conversation with Adrian. I stuck a quick glance at my shadow that spilled off the bed onto the ground beside me.

“Alright, well I hope that you’ll join me for breakfast down in the kitchen.” She offered, not noticing my unease.

“Sounds lovely, thank you!”

With a nod she exited the room and closed the door behind her. I exhaled deeply and collapsed onto my pillow.

When will they begin my training? What power and I even practicing? Are they going to surprise attack me at breakfast and hold me as a slave so they can cultivate my power? These questions ran through my mind as I lingered around getting dressed. Just as I had tugged my shirt over my head, my door opened and in walked Kelsey.

“You’re up?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

I grumbled, “Yeah, I had a rude awakening this morning.”

“Tori woke you up too?” She chuckled, situating herself on my bed.

“No, a weirder wake up call.” She raised an eyebrow, so I sat down in the chair in the corner of the room and proceeded to share the previous night’s events with her.

“And ― get this ― he’s the real Peter Pan’s shadow too!” I said in wonder, staring down at my shadow again.

After staring silently at me for a few minutes, Kelsey finally spoke. “Phia, I mean, I believed you without hesitation with the whole incompleteness after the Schaeffer House, because that could have been an easily explained psychological issue, but I mean this is too much. Do you really expect me to believe any of that? It’s just not possible, Phia. It was only a dream, I’m sorry.”