Choices for a Fated Destiny

Chapter 11

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When you shine your light, that grip of fear the darknesss holds over you loosens.

"Darkness will always give you an opportunity to create your own light." - Iain Thomas
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No-no-no-no, no way, this is beyond creepy!

I must get into the light, I have to! Panic keeps me frozen despite the overwhelming urge to move back into the light.

Come on, come on, Carolaine! Snap out of it! Ugh, I hate these bloody fear-based panic attacks - it leaves me feeling utterly helpless, a soul trapped in a useless body!

Breathe, dammit! Breathe, breathe!

After what feels like forever but was probably less than a minute or so, I can feel the muscles in my body again. As if sleepwalking, I slowly lean forward to grab my shoes.

The panic's subsiding and the adrenaline is kicking in. I fully intend to sprint back to the brightly lit deck barefoot and as fast as I'm able to, no matter who may or may not see me!

Then, the moment I jump up, I sense the air around me suddenly changing.

Huh...?

Standing there awkwardly, still bent over, and still clutching my shoes tightly, I hesitate, warily scanning my unchanged surroundings.What on earth is happening now?!

Strangely, somehow, I know the danger has passed. I can't explain how I know, I simply know.

I have no explanation for this sudden feeling of safety. Well, that's besides the very obvious sign that I'm not afraid anymore. It almost feels as if I'm being coaxed into letting my guard down, to relax again...

What the hell is going on here?!

And what's up with my heightened senses all of a sudden?!

This is beyond weird...

I scan the darkened area around me again. There's not even a hint of movement anywhere. Nothing's been disturbed. Nothing's changed. And, there's definitely no wind, not even a breeze. I feel like a solitary figure in a spooky paint-

Great... now I have that uneasy feeling that someone's watching me, staring at me intently. Yet, at the same time, I sense it's more out of inquisitiveness than anything else. I'm convinced I have nothing to fear from whoever's watching me.

Now, how would I even know that?! Almost without thinking, I sit down with a deep sigh. I have no idea what's going on here...

Maybe someone's hiding in the dark, watching me? Slowly turning my head, I study the dark shadows and shapes around me. But I can't see anything out of the ordinary, just the dark shadows of the plants and shrubs in the garden,

Glancing back to the deck, it would seem nothing out of the ordinary has taken place. It's still only Paisley and the twin, and the elderly couple on the deck-area.

Nobody else is outside, and certainly no one with their eyes trained on me!

Am I going crazy?! Was this whole episode only a figment of my imagination?!

A dull pain pushes into my thoughts and I realize it's my hand that's starting to cramp. Looking down at the white-skinned knuckles on my left hand, I notice I'm still clutching my shoes tightly. I drop the shoes and stretch my fingers out.

No-ooo, oh no, I did NOT imagine any of it! I most definitely did not!

In fact, judging by the raised hairs on my arms, I know I'm still being watched. I can feel someone or something's eyes on me. As weird as it sounds, it almost feels as if I'm-