Those Who Live in the Shadows

Chapter 1

I removed my hand from the man's head and ended his nightmare, taking back my shadows. Ah, that felt great! His fright had refilled my energy. I went into my shadow form and slipped away through the window of the human's room. I flew to the roof of his house and turned back into my human form. Well, I must say it isn't really flying; I am more floating than anything else. I can't go too high or I'll waste all my energy.

I laid down and watched the night sky, dotted with shinny little stars. I liked watching a dark, shadowy sky like tonight's. I stared blankly at the moon. The humans were fascinated by it, but I did not understand why. The night itself was way more interesting than a faraway satellite. I loved the various tones of darkness melting into each other's tones, disappearing when near to a star, coming back right after its passage.

I sighed. I used to always watch the sky with Wish. He had been my only friend for so long... Eternity is long without anyone. Each time I think about him, it hurts. I close my eyes and I see him, smiling at me, proposing one of his crazy ideas. But he is gone. Forever.

You see, I am a normal Nightmare. I go into the human world when I need more energy. To feed, as we commonly explain it. We go see sleeping humans and create nightmares with their fears. The sadness, fear or despair that our... victim... feels, is released and we collect it, transforming it into energy, which makes us live. The humans get energy from meat and other food, and we Nightmares feed on feelings.

We respect humans because they are our source of "food". Without them, we would die. So we don't go messing up their lives and other stuff like that. They never did anything to us, except nourish us. Most of Nightmares don't see the point of being involved with them.

But sometimes... Nightmares go wrong. They turn mad, and make the nightmares of the humans so real it injures, or even kills the human in real life. Or the Nightmares mess with their things, until they go mad, or kill themselves. That's what happened to Wish.

I had to kill him myself when he went crazy.

I sighed again. I still don't know why he suddenly went mad. I stared at the night sky. The humans were missing something, sleeping instead of admiring the night.

Suddenly, a shadow pierced the roof just beside me. I quickly got up and prepared for battle. A figure appeared 5 meters in front of me.

"Aw, I missed..." the figure said childishly.

"What do you want, Ally? Wasn't your last defeat enough for you?" I asked, daring her to attack me.

Her body got clearer as she went into her human form. Her long black hair was flying in the midnight wind, her dark eyes piercing through the darkness of the night. Her white skin was illuminated by the pale light of the moon. Her beautiful face was ruined by rage and hate.

I looked like a masculine version of her, since Nightmares all had black hair, dark eyes and white skin, My traits were harder and I was more muscular and taller than her. I was also a guy, if you hadn't figured it out yet.

"You got lucky last time. I am less powerful in daylight, but now, I am at full strength. Tonight you pay, Desire," she continued, trembling with hatred.

Desire... How much time has it been since someone said my name with a nice tone? Looked at me with kindness? Wish was probably the last, and the only one, to do that. Ally had been pursuing me since I had killed Wish.

If he was my best friend, Ally was her hunting companion. They created nightmares together, while I fed alone. She had never forgiven me for killing Wish, and sought revenge since his death.

It was an endless fight, one that she could not win. I was more powerful than her, regardless of her efforts to avenge Wish by killing me. She was drowning in revenge, and by that, she could not mourn him and move on.

"You should stop this nonsense, Ally," I continued calmly. "You won't win. It'll only drive you mad."

"You only say that so that I don't kill you," she replied with assurance.

I sighed. Nothing could convince her. She was persuaded it was my fault she lost her friend, when I only did what was right. What was she thinking?! That it did not hurt to lose him?! I had to kill my best friend! Did Ally really though I did that on purpose?! That I had liked it?!

I concentrated myself on the confrontation. She was about to attack me. Shadows emerged from her body. We were made of shadows, and by that fact, we could control and shape them as we wished. Ally preferred to fight with her shadows, also used to create nightmares, while I liked to fight physically.

I turned into my shadow form. Long claws emerged at the tip of my fingers. Ally created a sword-shaped shadow and jumped in my direction. I avoided her by diving forwards and stood behind her. She pivoted and swung her weapon in my direction with a war cry. I flew upwards and dove on her back, taking advantage of the gravity. I was too fast for her. She was still in human form; to manipulate her weapon, but my shadow form was definitely faster and more dangerous. Ally knew it from the previous fights; and still tried the same offensive over and over again.

I dug deep wounds on her back with my claws. She screamed in pain and hit me in the face with another shadow coming from her neck. I wiped off the black blood coming from my superficial scratches and stood on guard. Ally had fallen down on her knees and was growling in pain, shadows covering her wounded back, trying to heal. The fight had ended. And I was tired.

I had to go feed before the humans woke up.