Marina

Chapter 10- I'm not ready to accept who I am.

He felt refreshed when he made his way to Oscar's store.

"What got you smiling like that?" Oscar asked with a raised brow.

"It's nothing"

"Come on...tell me!" Oscar said with a smile.

"A girl" Alek shrugged.

Oscar smile went away.

"You aren't going to...hurt her? or..... did you already do it?"

Alek flared his nostrils.

He wanted so bad to fight him on it and to feel offended that he would suggest such a thing but he knew why Oscar would say something like that.

His record would make anyone think the same.

"No. And I don't plan on ever hurting her" Alek's tone was curt and low.

"Okay, I see you" Oscar said with raised hands, sensing Alek's Anger.

Alek no longer wanted to talk to Oscar and his mood soured.

He could hear his shadow chuckling,

'In due time, You will hurt her'

"No, I won't" Alek whispered.

Alek went upstairs.

----

'I wILl pRoVe YoU wRooOooNg, mR. oWeNs' His shadow mocked what he had said earlier on the day to Mr. Owens.

The thing hadn't stopped mocking him all night. Laughing and reminding him of who he is to the point he yelled. "SHUT UP" in the middle of Mr. Octo's lesson.

Mr. Octavius looked at him surprised.

"Sorry," He mumbled.

"What was that all about?"

"Nothing...."

"It's clearly something"

"It's just mocking me"

Mr. Octo put his chalk down.

"Who is?"

"My Shadow, the thing that follows me around. You have one too"

"Ah yes, that. Why is it mocking you?"

Alek looked at his paper.

"It's nothing"

Mr. Octo frowned grabbed a chair and sat in front of him.

"This torment is only going to get worse Alek. I wouldn't be surprised if you haven't got an increase of nightmares too"

Alek looked up at him in shock, "How do you know- I- I have been getting nightmares lately"

"That's because you haven't learned to reach true liberty. You are letting your fears control you you just have to accept who you are and go with it-"

"But I don't let my fears control me-"

"Our shadows are a reflection of who we really are on the inside. We may try to oppress that side or hide from it but the reality is we are those shadows. They are the reflection that stares directly back at you when you look at yourself in the mirror. Because you are afraid of that side of you you are letting that fear control you because the more you run from it the more you suffer from it."

Alek stared at him blankly, "So you are saying because I don't accept who I really am that shadow will continue to mock me or give me nightmares?"

"Yes, you may not like it but it's just lashing out to give you a wake-up call. "