Shadows of the Night (Unforgiving AU) - An Afterlife SMP Story

Chapter 16- Oh Mercy me, Mercy my

(Title taken from 'Bury me Low' by 8 Graves)

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3rd POV (3am)

The moon was high in the sky above Shelby as she lay in the grass outside of her greenhouse, eyes closed, just breathing in the night air and existing...

Soon though, she hears a buzz from her communication bracelet, so she sits up and looks at it; a shiver running up and down her spin as she sees who the message is from. She swallows nervously as she reads it.

<Lauren> Shelby, have you figured out yet why you're giving everybody nightmares? It's getting on my nerves, and i've started seeing things out of the corner of my eye because of them.

Shelby tenses, scared. She knew this was bad, because if this continues, it could give Lauren an even bigger reason to come after her; to kill her.

<Shelby> I'm sorry... I don't. What do you mean you're seeing things?

<Lauren> I don't know! It's just happening now! You need to figure out what is going on, because I sure as heck don't know.

<Shelby> I'm sorry! I wish I knew but, I don't! I'll try and figure it out, but I don't know what I can do! Please don't kill me over this.

There's an eerie moment of silence as Shelby awaits a reply from Lauren. Her whole body shook from fear and confusion.

<Lauren> We might have to...

Shelby immediately runs inside at those four words. "No no no..." she mutters, slamming the door behind her, leaning against it, breathing heavily, before beginning to pace up and down her greenhouse, holding her head and trying to calm her breathing.

"This is not good...".

Why? Why Shelby? What did she ever do to deserve a life like this? Did she do something bad in a past life and now this is her punishment, or... what?

What cruel god out there decided to treat Shelby this way? Why should she have to suffer?

Shelby sobs into her hands, confused. But if she's being honest, she's feeling a lot of things at the moment. Sadness, confusion, anger, fear. Mostly, she was angry at the people around her.

How can somebody like the day so much? Shelby doesn't understand it, because all she knows is the pain the day, and lights in general, bring her whenever she's in their presence.

"My life would be so much easier if it was night all of the time!" she says. Sure, perhaps not for everybody else, but at this point, Shelby's too frustrated to care. Why should she have to suffer?

She pauses, stomping a foot on the ground, "I can't sit around and do nothing. I have to do something" she says and runs to her diary, ripping out an empty page and beginning to write a letter to the one person she knows that actually likes night time. Lizzie. Despite the fact that Lizzie was nervous around Shelby when she visited the raccoon lady's house, Shelby knows this might be her only chance at survival.

As she is writing, she can't help but feel a prickling sensation over her shoulders, like somebody is watching her. She shivers under the feeling, glancing around nervously, peering out of her windows to try and catch a glimpse of whoever may be watching her, but there's nobody as far as the eye can see.

She takes a shaky breath in and continues to write, trying to ignore the feeling, but it does not go away.

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