Shadow People (The Forbidden Darkness Chronicles, #2)

Two: Hayden Williams

In no way was I perfect. During my seven days I spent in the hospital after my suicide attempt, I found coping skills to help myself feel better when I'm sad. After days of group therapy, private therapy, and a plethora of medication (okay, maybe just two), I was feeling better. After all this, I felt like a new person. There was one thing that I hadn't been able to explain, and to be honest, didn't even attempt to. The night at the tower.

There was a knock on my door and a nurse poked her head in. "Hayden, your parents will be here in a little while. Do you have all your things packed yet?"

I shook my head. "No, but I'll get it done now. Thanks for letting me know."

As she left, I began pulling the clothes out of my drawer and put them in my bags. Light was bursting through the window, illuminating me in a way I didn't want to be. I just wanted to leave and go home and have everything be back to normal. Unfortunately, it was pretty obvious that once I got out things were only going to get weirder.

That night on the tower, when Heather came up to face off with Kadin, I was sure I was going to die. The Darkness had made its way around me and was ready to suck the life out of me, and then it was gone. This angered Kadin, and he screamed that my blood was too pure. Whatever that meant, it had to have meant something good.

I knew the group—Heather, Philip, and Kristen—were going try and explain it to me, and while I was curious, just the fact that there was confirmation that there were other things out there frightened me. Darkness, Monsters, and mysterious floating men who tried to suck the life out of you to be exact. Oh, and I couldn't forget the Shadow that visited me on my first night here.

Just thinking about it was making me ill. Gathering my things, I headed out into the main room where I waited for my parents to come. I was trying my hardest to forget everything that happened that night, but I just couldn't.

After about forty-five minutes of waiting, my mother and father finally arrived. It was the first time I'd seen them since I got admitted into the hospital, because they weren't able to come see me. As soon as mom's eyes fell on mine, the tears began. She ran over to me, pulling me tight, and whispering in my ear, "I love you so much, Hayden."

Tears rimmed my eyes as I spoke. "I love you, too. It's okay. I'm better now."

While my mother was showing emotion, my father stood back, not saying a word. Dad was always like that—emotionless to everything around him, even if someone he cared about was hurting. I knew deep down that my dad loved me, or at least I tried to convince myself that was the case. The last time my dad told me he loved me was when I was bout seven or eight, so it had been a while. I just had to hope that whenever I told them the truth about me, they'd be accepting of it. Mom would, but I wasn't so sure about dad.

"Mr. and Mrs. Williams, please come with me," one of the nurses said. "The doctor would like to speak with you two and your son before you leave. It's hospital policy."

Mom wiped the tears from her eyes and said, "Alright, we can do that." Of course, Dad said nothing as the nurse led us out into a hall that resembled what you'd see in a school. The manila walls had paintings lined up along it. They never let us come down these halls unless we were going to the Activity Room, which was in the opposite direction.

We walked into a small, cozy looking room that had a couch, two chairs, and more paintings on the wall. A woman, or to be more accurate, my doctor, sat at her desk. She smiled at us as we entered the room, and as Mom and I went to sit on the couch, Dad sat in the chair.

The room was dim, with only one lamp to provide light. Doctor Tanner was an older woman, in her fifties or sixties, but she had always been kind to me. Sitting in this room with my parents felt awkward. What if she told my parents about me? My heart skipped a few beats before she spoke.