The Shadows Within Us

The Feeling of Falling

A windowpane.

The outside world was blurred, a mystery behind the fogged glass. A hazy glow of white light poured into the otherwise dark room, illuminating the far stretches of the dusty space. The Creature, Key turned their eyes away from the blinding, gray glare; the innards of a distant memory beginning to take form.
This was a room, not too different from any other. It was Victorian in style and had seen better days. There seemed to be two beds, evidently for children considering the crude drawings that hung haphazardly over the aged wallpaper. Key couldn't make out what they were depicting; the scribbles blurred, as if someone had censored the drawings prior to the shifter's arrival. Perhaps, they just weren't meant to see them. The beds were neatly made, free of any folds or wrinkles. There wasn't a single article of clothing out of place, nor any trash lying about. If any children truly did live here, they were certainly held to the highest expectations.

~ Knock ~
~ Knock ~

A gentle knock rapped from the far end of the room, diverting Key's attention towards an overly tall wooden door. They jumped—startled and unsure. After a moment of silence passed without further knocking, Key began to advance forward. Their pearly lilac orbs moved about the surroundings with uncertainty. It seemed unnatural, the way the furniture loomed so high above the shapeshifter's head. It was as though the room had been built for a small giant.
The lapis haired creature reached up high above their head to turn the golden doorknob, pushing on the wooden frame gently. It slowly creaked open, the old metal mechanism sending a squeaking echo traveling down the foreign hallway. The hall was darker than the bedroom had been, the only light source now the candle-lit lanterns that hung along the corridor. As Key traveled cautiously down the seemingly endless hallway, they noticed a large window. Darkness shrouded the scenery from view; nothing but the shadow of nightfall visible through the rustic panes. Key glanced back as they continued walking, slowing their stride. 'Had it not just been daytime?'

"CHILD!"
A voice, booming with a domineering and officious tone roared. Key's breath caught in their throat as they briskly spun to face the giant of a man. Usually, this would be the part where they would ponder who the hell this man thought he was, calling them a child. But the Creature felt paralyzed in place, as though this body were not their own.

"Are you just going to keep your family waiting?" The stranger asked impatiently. 'Family?' Key's lilac orbs darted around with uncertainty, their gaze catching on the reflection of an adjacent windowpane. What stared back captivated the Creature even more than the bizarre question. A child, with overgrown brunette bangs and distressed features stood in their place. The reflection moved, though Key remained still.

"I don't feel good tonight." A meek response uttered from the child, their face upturned towards the man who was addressing them.

"You'll feel better after supper." Key heard the man say, watching as his overly large hand whipped through the air to grab the youth's wrist. The man's grip was firm and harsh against Key's lower arm, their eyes finally peeling away from the reflection and back onto the tall man. There was no sense in fighting as they were pulled along, away from the child in the mirror and further into the hallway of flickering lanterns.

"Your brothers and sisters...your mother and I—you owe us all an apology." The formally dressed male straightened out his overcoat, stepping out of the way to reveal a large dining room table. Seated were several more children; all with blurry, misconfigured faces. "I'm sorry I was late." Key heard themselves say, unsure of why they were apologizing in the first place. Decorating the table was an old, patterned cloth that looked straight out of the 1930s, along with several wooden bowls and plates. The entire table was organized in a neat, purposeful display, as though this were some sort of Holiday dinner. Some of the serving bowls were filled with typical fixings, salads and other mixes, while others contained more questionable contents.