Sorry about the confusion, but I accidentally deleted the other version on wattpad along with the second chapter. Helen, if you read this, it wasn't my fault.
Rhea ducked into an alley off of the main roads. She knew it would be a lot more dangerous than staying in a crowd, but at least it would be harder for Them to follow her… At least, that’s what she hoped.
She silently slipped through the velvety shadows that always occupied the dregs of her city, waiting for the crunching sounds and the soft whispering that always accompanied Them. Then it suddenly came, as bone chillingly terrifying as it always was. She pressed herself up against a wall, muttering a small prayer to whatever god hadn’t already forsaken her. Still painfully conscious of the sounds drawing nearer, she whispered the words she had recited so many times before.
“I call to you shadows, whispers, mists, and all who heed my word. In the name of The Contract, hide me from all those who wish harm upon me.”
Even as she said this, the shadows seemed to detach themselves from the wall, snaking up her body and enveloping her. She felt her body dissolving, becoming a shadow itself completely disappearing. It seemed she had been just in time, for it was only a single moment after she finished that the owners of the sounds stepped into her view.
The two in front of her were ugly creatures. Their faces were covered in masks, and the skin that could be seen was a red-brown, shriveled and rough, as if someone had spilled blood on a piece of leather. It was, however, their very souls that were truly ugly. Contained in the shadows, she could see all that they could see, and what she saw now would have made an angry lion whimper in fear. The bloodlust emanating from Them always chilled her to her core, perpetually mixed with feelings of grief and desire for what They once lost.
Without warning, one of them stopped, holding up a hand and glancing around slowly. If Rhea’s blood could freeze, it would have. They never stopped, never hesitated, and never pondered what they were doing. A thought occurred to her, but she mentally shook herself. There was no way, no possible way that they had realized she was there. They lingered for a moment more before sliding off into the way They it seemed she had gone.
She carefully separated herself from the shadows after waiting a few moments just in case. She walked slowly, alert to every sound. She wanted to run, away from the alleyways, away from Them. But she couldn’t. Even a small flash of panic or fear would alert Them to her presence and location. For now, she had to hope that They just didn’t find her.
A figure stepped out from around the corner of the pathway in front of her. Rhea froze and a small squeak of terror escaped from her lips. The figure lurched towards the noise. It was a second too late when she realized it had seen her.
She stumbled backwards, falling down in an attempt to get away from it. It walked right past her, mumbling an apology and taking a swig from a bottle. The figure was a strange, drunk old man. She didn’t know what he was doing back here, nor did she know whether she wanted to, but she was glad he hadn’t bothered her.
She got up and hurried as much as she dared. Finally she got to a wide, open space in between the buildings. She sighed with relief. She was almost out. Her mind snapped back to the situation she was in. She couldn’t afford to let her guard down like that again, or…
“Found you…” a teasing voice echoed off the walls behind her.
∎ ∎ ∎
Claes stared for a moment at the strange girl who had just appeared as he turned the corner. She backed up, staggering, and fell down. Her fear was almost a physical sensation. He merely raised an eyebrow and continued walking, sipping from the bottle he carried in his hand.
