The Shadow Men

Chapter 4

"Shit!" I yelled. It was dark, and I was definitely not in my apartment anymore. An icy wind was whipping my t-shirt, threatening to tear it from my body. I hugged myself tightly, trying in vain to get warm. "Where the hell did you take me?" I demanded loudly.

"El!" I heard a man shout from somewhere in the darkness. I ran in the direction of his voice. "El!" he called again, closer this time. I knew it was Dillon's voice that I was hearing. I knew it, but I didn't want to believe it. He wasn't supposed to be here. I was supposed to be alone in these nightmares. Somehow, Dillon being close to me had sucked him in, too. This wasn't supposed to happen.

So far there were no Shadow Men, but I knew they were coming. They were never far away.

Dillon plowed into me, hugging me tightly. He was panting and sweaty despite the icy wind.

"They're coming," he panted. "I managed to get away from them, but I could feel them following me. We have to run. Now!" He grabbed my hand and pulled me along as we ran down unfamiliar deserted streets.

Snow was starting to fall now, and I was freezing. Dillon led me through the streets as if he knew exactly where he was going. When I felt like I couldn't run anymore, he led me down a small alley and out into a beautiful courtyard, surrounded by towering buildings.

The snow had already covered the entire courtyard in a blanket of white. A dried fountain stood in the very middle, highlighting a fierce warrior angel in the center of her pool; sword aloft, armor, and helmet adding to her intimidating presence. Tables and benches lined a path that wound through flowerbeds, shrubs, and weeping willows. It was a little piece of paradise hidden in the middle of the city.

"I knew it," he whispered and pulled me under the safety of a thick weeping willow's branches.

"You know where we are," I whispered. It wasn't a question.

He nodded. "We're on campus. This is where I used to come to study until..." he trailed off, not finishing his sentence.

I didn't know the rest of that sentence, but I knew it wasn't good. The Shadow Men never brought me to happy places. They were always places soaked in tragedy, heartbreak, hatred, and violence. Terrible things had happened in these places and the Shadow Men feasted on it.

"They're going to find us, aren't they?" he asked in a whisper.

I nodded. "They always do, but you shouldn't be here. You're not supposed to be here."

"I don't know how I am," he said. "I got back to your place and you were sound asleep on the couch. I touched your hair and I felt like I was being sucked away, then I woke up on the street a couple of blocks away from here. They were already there. Those faceless men. I saw them." He shuddered. "They're real." He shook his head; his face was haunted. "I knew what would happen if I stuck around, so I just ran as fast as I could. And then I heard your voice."

"I am so sorry, Dillon. I never wanted this for you. You're not supposed to be here," I repeated.

"We're going to have to fight them, aren't we?" he whispered in horror.

I nodded. That much was the same in every dream. The locations may change, but the fight was inevitable.

"Then let's do on our own terms," he said with determination.

"What?" I asked confused. "How?"

"This is our dream. Our memories they're messing with, so let's be ready."

Dillon grabbed two fallen branches and weighed them in his hands, finally deciding which one to give to me. I took it, but stared at him, unsure what he wanted me to do with it.