Shade (Revised)

Chapter 11: A Nightmare

Jason's POV:

The walls were once papered in white, but now they were torn and messy. I couldn't resist peeling off a piece, curious to uncover what lay beneath. Secret passage? Nah, this ain't some fictional story. This is the real deal!

In hindsight, I probably should've left it alone. The bare cement underneath gave me the creeps. I plopped myself on the bed, but sleep eluded me.

Screech! What was that noise? It seemed to come from somewhere near the window, I think. Well, probably... I don't know! Shaking, I stood up and made my way towards the window, covered by a thin, useless curtain. Seriously, it wasn't doing its job!

My heart raced as I slowly pushed aside the fabric to get a closer look at whatever was out there.

Thud!

Suddenly, a loud thunderclap startled me. Followed by a flash of lightning. Wait, when did this storm start? I peered through the cracked window pane, but there was no rain.

Phew... Thank goodness! It would've been tough to get home in a rainstorm. But then, something sent shivers down my spine. I could see a figure standing outside. With each lightning strike, it became more visible.

It was a girl, her back turned towards me. I screamed and sprinted towards the door, panic coursing through me. As I reached the main hall, Natasha was nowhere to be found.

She didn't seem like the type to venture out alone in the dark during a thunderstorm, especially at her age. And why didn't it rain a single drop? The storm was intense. A cool breeze swept over me, leaving me numb and unsure of what to do.

"Hello? Anyone here?" I fumbled, desperately searching for something to hold onto in the darkness. Silence.

"God, help me," I whispered, hoping for some guidance. My mind was filled with confusion and I struggled to make sense of everything. So many questions swirled in my head. Where is she? And where is that mysterious ghostly figure?

Oh my gosh, did I just say "ghost"? No way! I started running, not knowing where to go.

Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks as I heard a strange flapping sound, unsure of what kind of trouble I had gotten myself into. Please don't tell me those are bats!

God, where am I? I couldn't let anyone see me like this. My feet trembled and I struggled to stay upright.

"You're sweating hard... kid," someone said from behind me. I quickly turned around, expecting to see a ghoul. But instead, I found myself face to face with Natasha.

"Hey, you scared the heck out of me!" I exclaimed, pointing my finger at her. She smiled.

"It was obvious," she replied with a smirk.

Oops! Did I say that out loud?

"Yes, you did," she confirmed.

I felt like something was off. It was like I wasn't myself anymore. I don't usually get scared so easily.

But why did I act like a scared little kid? Why did I say things out loud? That's not like me.

Maybe it's just fear messing with my head. There's nothing else troubling me. I could sense something strange, but I saw nothing.

Maybe I really did see nothing. Maybe that ghost or whatever it was didn't exist at all. I've been seeing things.

I sighed and looked at her face, "Okay, I'm not getting any sleep." She raised her eyebrows, "It's the thunderstorms, isn't it?" She smiled.

"Okay, I admit. I've been terrified. I'm seeing things too," I opened up to her.

"Well, what did you see?" she asked, coming to sit right beside me after finding the light switch. In the dim light, I could see her smiling.

I couldn't help but notice how her smile lit up her whole face, radiating innocence and beauty. I found myself captivated by her.

"Hey, you didn't answer me earlier. Who was that story about?" I suddenly remember.

"Nah, you're already scared. I don't want you peeing your pants " Natasha teased, dismissing my suggestion to continue the story from earlier.

"Well, I guess you're right. But I still can't sleep. Any other ideas?" I shrugged.

As Natasha stared at my face, a mischievous smile played on her lips. I couldn't help but smile back, our eyes locked in a trance. The room fell silent as we kept moving closer to one another, the suspense growing with each passing moment.

With anticipation, I closed my eyes, expecting something magical to happen. But instead, I felt Natasha's warm breath on my face as she whispered something unexpectedly, "The story I told... it's all real. And it's Natasha's story."

My eyes flew open, my heart racing. I looked at Natasha, my mind filled with questions.

What did she mean?
Was she playing a prank on me?