I've done a bit | An SVA stori

Chapter 14: Alternative Fella

Rowan stopped breathing. He just watched the shadow as if he knew it. The shadow looked up, making Rowan do the same. He saw the sky toss and turn with waves up and down it.
"You want to see the sky, the truth. Don't you?" The shadow spoke, "I can show you Aboat."
It reached its hand out. Rowan could just about see it through the rain. He knew be should be thinking, but couldn't find it in him to do so.
"I can take you there." It added.
The boy stayed still, 'Why am I not thinking?'
"All you have to do, is let go." It spoke firmly.

Rowans head spun like it would if he got up too fast. He felt his shoulders drop, but they didn't. He felt his fingers loosen, but they didn't. He was falling backwards, but his body wasn't.
"Rowan!?" Wolf shouted from behind him.
He fell backwards but saw his body still standing, in front of him.
The world had change. He saw more colours, more energy in the air and the rain. He looked at his hands, he could see through them. Whatever form he was in now wasn't the same as a moment ago, he couldn't feel his body. He was floating, just above the road. The rain went through him. His ghostly body shon from the street lamps like a fog.
He stayed for a moment, only managing one thought, 'What's Piper gonna think?'
His attention was drawn back as he saw his body above him turn around slowly, to face the girl coming toward it. Rowan felt a wave of dread wash over him, realising he wasn't dead.

"Rowan?" Wolf said, getting closer.
His old form grew a devilish grin as it walk forward and through him. He had to wave his arms around to get up right.
'I'm not dead.' He thought, 'I'm right there.'

"Rowan?... what's going on?" Wolf asked Rowans body. She kept her distance, seeing a big grin on the face, an expression she'd never seen him do before.
"Rowan?" She repeated, more cautiously.

"Wolf?" Rowan confusedly asked, but she couldn't hear.

"Ahh. Hmu." Rowans body huffed. "Yes." It said with a big smile. It looked at its hands before slapping itself and laughing, leaving big marks on its face.

Rowans head stopped spinning so much and he saw who he thought he was, but it wasn't him talking to Wolf, so who was it? He couldn't be sure, but thinking the question gave him a good guess; so from now on I'll refer to Rowans body as the shadow.

"What are you doing?" The girl asked.
"Ha!" The shadow said with Rowans voice, "Look at this! It's folding in."
It stumbled around, trying to keep its balance, moving uncannily. It looked back down to the girl and began walking forward, but Wolf stopped it.
For her the world was as it should be, except for Rowan.
"Rowan?" She insisted, yet didn't know what to say.
"You're in the way wolf." It smiled.
"Rowan... you're scaring me." She said, slowly getting her sword out.
"Save me effort wolf, I have business here." Its tone sharpened now.
Wolf let go of her hope for Rowan and held it towards the shadow.

Rowan felt now. More then just fear for himself, fear for Wolf.

"I knew it." Wolf said, standing her ground, "I just started to believe you as well. But you're just..." She shook her head, not knowing how to finish the sentence.
She held tightly to her sword, getting lower.
The shadow didn't reply, which only frightened the girl more. Instead it began walking towards her.
Wolf cautiously walked backwards, holding her sword up tightly and letting her anger grow.

Rowan tried to follow them but he ran as if in a dream. He struggled through the thick colourful air. It was everywhere. In the bending buildings and the changing sky.
This was when he saw a reflection in a window. It was him. Where he was seeing from was looking back at him.
Wolf and his body were getting far from him but he couldn't move.

Wolf was backed up scaffolding and climbed to the rooftop of the building, when the shadow joined her and began pacing.
"You were always the odd one out wolf." It said, "I didn't think you'd care about weirdness, but here we are." It spread its arms and tilted its head.

Rowan saw what he was now. In the reflection. It was him. But he knew Wolf was still in danger.

The shadow threw a punch for the girl with a chuckle but Wolf dodged. She swung her sword heavily, only to get it to back off.
She swung again but the shadow caught the sword in a fist and pulled it out of Wolfs grasp, throwing it over the gap onto the opposite building. Wolf watched and looked back as the grinning shadow wipe the blood from its palm across its face. Wolf kicked the shadow back and leapt across the drop to reunite with her sword.

The shadow laughed at the pain and leapt over, joining her on the roof. It ran over, trying to grab the girl but Wolf drew her sword and gave the shadow a cut up its arm.

Rowan felt the phantom pain in his arms as he watched from below. It matched with the energy around him.

The shadow huffed, rolling up its sleeves and ripping off the bandages underneath, showing Wolf Rowans burnt, ugly arms.

For the first time in a long time, Rowan felt, but he stopped when he noticed he felt the rain too. He wasn't hurt, nor was the rain hitting him, but he still felt it, and in an instant Rowan had an epiphany that freed him.
He stretched out, feeling the energy around him, the thick air moving. He moved with it. He found he could, he ran as fast as he could, around and up the scaffolding to help Wolf.

The shadow paced, ready to jump. Wolf stood, her back against a drop. She held the sword straight, making an effort to replace her fear with anger. To her side she could see the empty port and station. The water shone with man-made lights.

"Wolf! I'm here! That's not me!" Rowan yelled through the rain, but Wolf wasn't looking. She'd blinded herself with rage.

The shadow couldn't jump her with a sword pointed at it so it hunched over and let its arms dangle.
"You don't have the spine!" It smiled, twisting its head to the girl.
"TRY ME!"
The rain hid her tears.

Rowan thought fast and grabbed for his body, but his clear arms went through it. He felt his body as if he were in it. The rain, his arm, his hand. He closed his eyes and saw his body, for what it was.

"NO!" The shadow growled, getting lower.
It shook its head violently. Wolf stood her ground, holding the sword strong.
"I'LL DO IT!" She yelled.
"NOO!" It shouted around before snapping to lock eyes with a terrified Wolf.
It jerked forward.

Waves of colours passed Rowan. He got into his body just in time to feel the sword pierce his chest.

Still holding tight to the sword, Wolf saw Rowans eyes change. An explosion of blue light came from the back of him and she saw the shadow of a being in the rain, float out of Rowans body.
In the moment of confusion Wolf felt its evil eyes on her. She could only look away when she heard Rowan drop to his knees.

He tried to talk but he found blood in his mouth.
"Fuck. Rowan. Fuck!" She kept muttering.
She frantically laid him on his back and grabbed the sword, but Rowan put his hand over hers.
"Leave it." He got out.
She took off her jumped and tried to stop his chest bleeding, repeating his name over and over.
Rowan grabbed the jumper and held it in place.
"ROWAN, ok, ok, I'll..." she muttered before getting out her phone and calling for an ambulance.

"I can't-" He started but couldn't finish.
"Wo-" He tried again, but failed.