The morning after the entity's silent return,Jay moved through the day as if in a fog. Her alarm had gone off at the usual time, and she had dressed for college ,but her memory of the figure in her room lingered like a shadow ,refusing to leave her mind .
She kept her head down as she walked across campus ,clutching her laptop bag tightly .In her first lecture ,she sat at the back of class ,her notebook open but untouched .The professor's words blurred into meaningless noise ,and her classmates 'chatter felt like static.
Jay tried to shake it off during lunch break .She sat at her usual spot outside away from crowds ,nibbling on a sandwich . Yet ,her mind kept replaying the moment the figure appeared .Its presence had been overwhelming ,but not hostile .What did it mean ?
By the time she arrived at her part time job at the bookstore ,her nerves were frayed .She kept her hands busy shelving books ,trying to focus on the mudane .She caught herself glancing at reflective surfaces - mirrors ,windows,even the glossy covers of books - half -expecting to see a hint of the figure .But nothing came .
That night ,she returned to her room after her convinience store shift ,with a mixture of dread and anticipation .The door creaked as she pushed it open ,and she hesitated before stepping inside .The air felt different heavier somehow .
The room was empty.
Jay exhaled a shaky breath, a mixture of relief and dissapointment .She dropped her bag on the floor and sank into her chair ,her eyes driffting to where the entity stood the night before .
She turned on her desk lamp and tried to focus on her coursework .Hours passed ,but her progress was minimal .Her thoughts kept circling back to the figure -its towering presence ,its silence ,its unshakable stillness.
"why me?" she wispered to the empty room,her voice barely audible .
The light flickered ,and her heart leapt .She froze , staring at the lamp ,but it steadied after a moment .Jay shook her head ,trying to brush off her paranoia.
She eventually crawled into bed ,leaving the lamp on .sleep came fitfully ,plaqued by dreams this time of herself .
The following days unfolded in much the same way .Jay's routine remained unchanged on the surface ,but beneath it ,a growing unease stirred .She felt as though the boundaries between her world and something far greater had begun to blur .And in the quiet moments ,when the noise of the day faded ,she felt it : something waiting ,watching in the shadows .
YOU ARE READING
In Shadows and Starlight
FantasyIn a world where her past is something she'd rather leave behind , Jay - a quiet introverted ,plus size girl with a guarded heart - finds herself at the center of a whirlwind.between her brooding "friend" ,Arion,who hides more than his feelings, Ra...
