Unraveling Shadows

Chapter 1

Masks of Normalcy

"In shadows cast, a figure dwells,

A soul ensnared in fractured spells..."

The sun's warm rays streamed through Emily's bedroom window as she woke up, the start of another seemingly normal day. However, inside, she felt a growing unease, a gnawing sensation that something wasn't quite right. The little oddities she had noticed about herself lately were hard to ignore. At times, she would be engulfed in a boundless energy that made her invincible, while other times, a crushing darkness enveloped her, leaving her feeling empty and detached from everything around her.

As she walked downstairs, the smell of pancakes filled the air, and her family, the Masons, was already gathered around the table. Her parents exchanged playful banter, and her younger brother, Josh, was busy spreading jam on his pancakes, completely unaware of Emily's inner turmoil.

"Morning, Em! Did you sleep well?" her mother asked cheerfully.

Emily forced a smile and replied, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit tired, I guess."

Her father glanced at her but didn't press further, and Emily felt the familiar pang of loneliness deepening inside her. She had always been close to her family, but lately, she found herself drifting away, keeping her struggles locked away from them, afraid they wouldn't understand or worse, see her as broken.

At school, Emily's friends surrounded her, chattering excitedly about the latest gossip and weekend plans. She laughed along, trying to drown out the persistent feeling of isolation. But even amidst the laughter and camaraderie, Emily couldn't shake the odd occurrences that seemed to follow her like shadows.

In the classroom, she noticed the flickering lights above her desk, and her heart raced for no apparent reason. A sudden gust of wind rattled the windows, but nobody else seemed to notice. Emily rubbed her temples, trying to dismiss the strange happenings as mere coincidences.

During lunchtime, Emily retreated to a quiet corner of the schoolyard, seeking solace in her journal. Writing had always been her sanctuary, a place where she could express her deepest emotions without fear of judgment. But today, her words faltered, and the ink seemed to dance on the page, forming mysterious symbols that she couldn't decipher.

"Hey, Em, what's up?" Sarah, one of her closest friends, interrupted, snapping Emily back to reality.

"Oh, nothing, just doodling," Emily said, hastily closing the journal and forcing a smile.

Sarah frowned, sensing that something was off, but Emily brushed it off as exhaustion from her increasingly restless nights.

As the days passed, the oddities intensified. Objects would move seemingly on their own when Emily was alone, and her moods swung like a pendulum, from the highest highs to the lowest lows. She found herself slipping away from her friends and family, unable to share her strange experiences, feeling more isolated than ever.

...

In the solitude of her room one night, Emily couldn't ignore the darkness any longer. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes searching for answers. But all she found was a tormented soul staring back at her.

"What's happening to me?" she whispered, her voice quivering with fear.

Her room suddenly plunged into darkness, and Emily felt a chilling presence enveloping her. Panic surged through her veins as she struggled to find the light switch. When the lights finally flickered back on, Emily gasped, her heart pounding wildly.

Unbeknownst to her, there was a reason for these strange occurrences, something lurking in the depths of her mind, waiting to reveal itself. Emily's undiagnosed bipolar disorder was manifesting in increasingly erratic ways, but she was unaware of her condition, and her family and friends remained oblivious to her internal struggle.

In the coming days, as the supernatural incidents multiplied, Emily's desperation and madness escalated. She felt like she was losing control over her life, her identity slipping away like sand through her fingers. With each passing moment, she became more convinced that she was alone in her struggle, that no one could possibly understand the chaos consuming her.

~A.N~

Word Count: 690

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A bit short, chapters will be longer as the story progresses. 

Thoughts? 

Favourite type of book genre and why. 

Mine is Mystery and Thriller, no doubt. There's something about not knowing what's gonna happen next that just grabs me. The anticipation of how things will unravel and trying to guess the unexpected curves ahead – that's what makes reading these kinds of books so darn enjoyable.

See you in Chapter 2!

~T.B~