The Shadow's Grip • bxb [COMPLETED]

-9-

Dimitri's P.O.V.

We finally decided to meet up after hours of talking on the phone about useless things. Mostly him crying that it's his fault and me comforting him, or trying to, at least.

Now we're sitting in a diner, a plate full of fries in front of us and a coke next to me. He's anxiously playing with the straw from his lemonade, avoiding eye contact as much as he can and keeping his head down.

As much as I understand that he's worried about me, I genuinely think that the nightmare from last night wasn't something to overthink this much. Why would a monster want to haunt me anyways?

If anything, I have the most boring life ever. Even some scary ancient vengeful ghost would get bored and leave me for someone that is worth following around.

"Look at me"

Of course he does it, but only for a split second and I sigh, taking a fry from my plate and chewing it, my eyes still on him. I'm planning my next move carefully. If words don't work on him, then I should make him look at me in another way.

Before he can realize it, I sneak my hand across the table and catch his in mine.

He jumps a bit, embarrassed before finally looking at me, with the same guilty look that he came out with when we agreed to hang out.

"Are you still feeling bad?"

"A bit"

He's lying.

"Why don't you tell me more about that... Um... Monster? Creature? Whatever you call it"

After all this time, his eyes rest on me and he actually seems interested in the conversation. At this point, I wouldn't mind if he talked for hours non stop about the mysterious thing from last night. As long as he doesn't feel like shit anymore.

"I don't know much about it. It first appeared to me when I was 14 years old and since then it's been following me around everywhere I go" he rests his face in his hands and sighs out loud.

"So how many years has it been?"

"4 years"

That's a long time to fear for your life with every step you take. I don't know what I would have done in his place. Probably lose my mind and be in some kind of hospital now.

"That long? And with no clues on what that is whatsoever?"

He takes a fry from my plate in silence and furrows his eyebrows, having an expression that is very hard to read on his face. I can't tell if he's thinking about an answer or if I said something wrong.

"It's hard to look for clues when you're focused on staying alive. I know that it doesn't have any shape, it changes constantly. Sometimes it's just a shadow while other times you can see its eyes shining in the dark"

"So... Like a spirit?"

"I guess? But it can take the form of other people... Once it looked like a girl... I don't know who she was though"

"Random people? That you have no idea who they are?"

"It seems like it. Maybe it's to seem more human? Or to scare you away" he shruggs and takes a sip out of his lemonade.

"But how does it choose its victims? Uh... We're victims right? We can call ourselves that"

"I have no idea. It can be based on fears and vulnerabilities. It depends on what you're most afraid of"

"I'm not afraid of darkness, yet that's how it appeared last night at the gas station"

He has a puzzled look on his face and I don't even know what other questions I can ask because at this point we're both clueless. We have no idea what it is or why we see it in the first place.

I can't help but wonder. Why me? Out of all the people in Felix's life why am I the one who sees it? The only one.

"Did it looked like someone in your nightmare?" he asks after some time of sitting quietly.

"Nope. It... Just was. I saw it there. Like it was at the gas station. A big shadow engulfing my surroundings and leaving me in darkness"

"Ahh... This is useless" he rests his forehead against the table and I scratch the back of my head.

"Do we have to live like this? I mean... With that thing following the both of us?"

"Unless we can get rid of it... But we don't even know what it is..."

"Then let's find out"

"What?"

I can't give up without even trying. If that monster thinks it already has the upper hand then it's wrong as fuck. One way or another we can figure out what to do so it will leave us alone.

"We'll work as a team. Try to find out how we can get rid of it. Nothing is impossible, right?"

"Sounds good but... How?"

"Let the monster have its way with us. Bring it on. Nightmares and following around and shit. Then we can meet up and talk about what we see. Putting all the information together we might get a clue or an idea"

He doesn't seem as sure as I am, but there are high chances it'll work out. Even a monster has its vulnerabilities. We just have to find them and then take advantage of it for as long as we can. Over time it has to give up.

"The best way to find out more about it is fighting our fears?"

"Yes. And finding its weak spot while doing so"

Now he actually looks more sure of himself than before. I hope he accepts and helps me with this. I won't be able to do it on my own. Plus he has more experience since he's been followed around and scared for 4 years. Even if he can't tell right now, he probably knows more about that thing than he thinks he does.

"That's our target right now. Find a weak spot" he smiles at me and I do the same, happy that I'm not alone in this.

It can't be that hard.