Chapter 6: The Unseen Bond
The motel room was quiet, the air thick with an unshakable sense of dread. Mai sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, flipping through her mother’s journal. Each page detailed cryptic entries about the Shade and its ties to their family. Maria, her foster mother, sat near the window, peering through the blinds with a watchful eye.
Mai's thoughts were interrupted by a buzzing phone. She glanced at the screen. Brian.
Her classmate's name stared back at her like a lifeline to her normal life. She hesitated, unsure if she could let him in on the chaos engulfing her world.
“Hello?” she answered, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Mai, where have you been? You missed school again. Everyone’s talking about you,” Brian said, his tone laced with concern.
“I… I’ve been busy.”
“Busy? Mai, you’re acting weird. You don’t answer my texts, and when you do, you’re vague. What’s going on?”
Mai’s grip on the phone tightened. She couldn’t tell him about the Shade, the journal, or the haunting whispers that followed her even in daylight.
“Brian, I can’t explain right now,” she said.
“Is it something to do with your parents?” he pressed, his voice softer now.
Her stomach churned. Brian was perceptive, more so than she’d ever given him credit for. Before she could answer, Maria’s sharp intake of breath drew Mai’s attention.
“Mai,” Maria hissed, pointing to the corner of the room.
The lights flickered. Shadows began to writhe and stretch, coiling together into a humanoid figure. The Shade was back.
“Brian, I have to go!” Mai said, hanging up abruptly.
The Shade’s form solidified, its dark, hollow eyes locking onto Mai. A deep, resonant voice filled the room.
“You cannot run from me, child.”
Maria stepped in front of Mai, clutching the journal tightly. “Leave her alone!”
The Shade tilted its head, amused. “You think a book can save her? Foolish mortal.”
Suddenly, the journal flew from Maria’s hands, pages ripping themselves apart mid-air. Mai screamed as a gust of cold wind filled the room, extinguishing the lone lamp.
Meanwhile, at School
Brian sat in the library, staring at his phone. Something wasn’t adding up. Mai had been distant ever since her parents’ accident. She was jumpy, paranoid, and... scared.
He decided to do some digging. Logging onto the school’s database, he searched for any articles related to the accident. What he found made his blood run cold.
The police report mentioned strange markings at the scene of the crash, markings that investigators couldn’t identify. Witnesses claimed to have seen an unnatural shadow hovering over the wreckage.
Brian’s fingers hovered over the keyboard as he read the final line: Cause of death—unknown.
A chill ran down his spine. What had Mai gotten herself into?
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Back at the Motel
Mai scrambled to her feet, pulling Maria toward the door. The Shade’s voice echoed around them, a sinister melody of promises and threats.
“You belong to me, Mai. Your parents tried to defy me, and they paid the price. You cannot escape.”
Tears streamed down Mai’s face as she reached for the door. Just as her hand touched the knob, the Shade materialized in front of her, blocking their exit.
YOU ARE READING
◦•●◉✿Mai:The heart of a blue spirited girl ✿◉●•◦
RomanceThis is the story of a girl who defies expectations, a girl who embraces her vibrant soul even when it clashes with the world around her.
