Charlette instantly runs after her sister and the vines because she refuses to lose her sister again. She didn't understand why this was happening again. She had chosen a different path and now it seems as if her fate was going to be the same again.
As she is running, the shadow wraps around her saying," You lost your sister. She'll hate you now. You didn't even try to save her!"
Flashback
Charlette is running and says," You're right shadow." She then stops running. "Please.... Help me! Protect me!" Shadow then laughs and enters her mouth taking over her whole body.
Back to the present....
Charlette is running and snappily replies, "Shut up Shadow!"
Shadow says," Why so cold? Why so cold Charlette?"
Flashback
There's a door with voices yelling behind it.
"She's not mine and she never will be! You can force me to keep your mistress baby, but you can't force me to love her!
Little did the voices behind the door know little Charlette is crying right outside of the door and in her moment of sorrow, she sees a little blob on the open window ledge.
In that moment little shadow says," Why so sad little one?"
"My mother died, and my new mother hates me.", Charlette tells the shadow unhappily.
"It's ok young Charlette, I'll help and protect you from such hate because those people don't deserve your love. Especially that Ophelia! She has done nothing to deserve all the love she gets.", says the shadow with disgust and hatred.
"That's not Ophelia's fault. She can't help that she's loved. Who are you?", asks little Charlette as she looks at the shadow.
The shadow replies," Your protector shadow."
In that moment the shadow engulfs young Charlette in a hug and as young Charlette hugs the shadow back, the shadow gets sucked into her amulet. In that moment the purple amulet turns black and vanishes back to purple.
Back to present....
Charlette replies to shadow," I'm sorry for snapping at you shadow. I'm just trying my best to try to save my sister."
"It's ok Charlette. I will help and protect you regardless."
"Thank you shadow.", says Charlette as she comes to the clearing and sees the vines wrapped around her sister and they are choking her.
Charlette looks at her sister Ophelia as she is in painful agony. She is blistered, battered, and bloody from the vines rubbing against her skin.
"Ophelia hold on, don't give up. I am coming to save you!", shouts Charlette as she heads towards Ophelia.
"Where do you think you are going? I said I was going to protect you and you dare walk towards danger?", asks shadow as it engulfs itself around Charlette.
Ophelia struggling to fight the vines then notices her sister is fighting with no one and calls out to her.
"Charlette stop playing around and come help me!"
"Ophelia I'm trying to, but shadow won't let me come save you!", says Charlette fighting the air and struggling against an unseen force.
"Can't you see the shadow?", Charlette asks her sister as she is struggling to walk towards her.
"Charlette I can't see anything! There's nothing there.", cries Ophelia because she is in agonizing pain.
While hiding, Princess Ella of the flower people makes pink magic spew from the vines hitting Ophelia in the face. Her vision blurs but as her vision comes back clear she sees a horrible black shadow wrapped around her sister.
"I can see the shadow now! Leave my sister alone you filthy excuse for a shadow.", called out Ophelia with hatred.
With a quickness, the shadow left from around Charlette and flew right to the edge of the water towards Ophelia.
"The only filthy thing around here is you! You poor excuse for a human! I have no respect for someone who gets undeserved love. Charlette would be so much better without you. Lately she has been treating me like crap and you like gold. But we won't have to deal with you soon enough as you are close to death anyway! I protected your sister outside the door that day, not you! Rot in death filthy Ophelia.", said the shadow with malice Charlette have never heard before.
"Enough Shadow! The vines are hurting my sister, and you are being very spiteful and hateful. I'm going to do something I should have done a long time ago.", says Charlette as she steps in between the shadow and her sister.
In that very moment Charlette looked at her long-life best friend shadow and magically pulled the aura of his spirit from her amulet.
Crying Charlette looks at shadow and says," I'm going to miss you.
Before Charlette had the chance to do anything, shadow swirled around her and vanished into her body.
Charlette then hears shadow's voice.
"Dear, Dear Charlette. I know you didn't think you would get rid of me that easily. Why would you do this to me? I thought that you wanted me here...forever...to protect you. Who's going to do that if I'm gone? You know you're going to miss me.", said shadow in a half calm and half angry voice.
"Get out of my head shadow. It's about time I not only learn to protect myself, but my sister as well. You spewed such mean and hateful words towards her, and I've never seen you do that before. I love my sister and I would do anything for her. I do love you too, but I think it's time we separate. I'm learning.... growing even....and I need to take this new journey on my own.", Charlette said to shadow kindly.
"Charlette I'm not happy and I won't be leaving anytime soon.", shadow said in an upset voice.
Realizing she couldn't reason with shadow and had forgotten the aura was still in her hands, she takes the aura and burst it into tiny pieces and shadow has now vanished forever. Charlette is devastated but realizing her sister body has just hit the ground lifeless,
Charlette dives into the water to get to her but something doesn't let her arrive to the other side.
YOU ARE READING
Growing Pains
Short StoryTwo sisters are on this journey called life and one of them has to learn how to defeat her own demons in order to be strong for the both of them.
