The Shadows

Revelations

Stranger kisses me again, her parted lips meeting mine softly and closing slowly, her hands supporting my back as my legs begin to sway under her. She supports me in her arms, and sets me gently on the sofa, smiling at me gently as she pulls away. Her skin pulsates with colour, matching the heartbeat I can hear emminating from her chest slightly. She leans down to my level, her lips gently planting a kiss onto my forehead.
"I'll make you some tea." Her voice is calm and orderly, her cold and jagged exterior from a minute ago gone, melted like ice in the summer. She heads from the room into the kitchen, Dark following her in from the doorway where he was previously planted.
I can hear the two of them chatting in the kitchen and it makes me smile. The two of them are so damn alike, it's like their related! I could even swear I saw colours on Dark, like the one collected on Strangers hands. But maybe not. Maybe....
Is that why I view Anti so similar to me? He bahaves like me. He even kind of looks like me, and I could swear his eyes go dark when he's upset. Maybe..... Could he be?
I zone out, thinking. I need to observe Anti later, look at the way he works. Is he really that similar to me? I look down at my arm, observing the wound. Nice stitching work.
I jolt when the air around me goes cold, feeling the chill from upstairs.
"Dark!!!" Antis voice rings out and I look up and see Dark as he dashes past me, frantically running up the stairs, his feet pounding loudly against the floor. Stranger comes into the room, the same panicked look on her face. She comes to me quickly, and I look at her, taking in her facial expression. I feel my heart convulse in my chest and my throat feels like sand when I speak.
"Whats going on?!" My voice trembles as I force the question from my throat, looking at Strangers face, hoping to get some details. I go silent when the chill sets in again, filling the room. I could swear the room gets darker.
A siren sounds at the window and Stranger leaves my side, checking out the noise after squeezing my hand reassuringly. She tenses and I can feel the fear rolling off of her in waves. I sit up straighter as she runs up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
I can hear a faint chuckle from upstairs and relax into the sofa. Anti must have run out of toilet paper, I heard him go in there. God, that is just like him! Wait... how did I know that?
Whats going on here?
Hannah's voice rings in my head and I shake ym own head, I have no clue whats happening to me right now.
Stranger comes back down and brings in the tea and biscuits, and I flash her a warm smile as she does so. I take ym tea and my touch instantly cools it, so I begin to sip at the top of it as Stranger sits next to me and grabs her coffee. Dark fucking inhales his hot coffee I don;t know how he hasn't burnt his tongue yet.
I hear Anti plod down the stairs, and look at his face fall as he sees the sofa taken up. His face turns bitter and I wonder whats happened to him. He's normally so chipper, right?
"Guess I'll sit on the floor." His tone is cold and he speaks in a mumble. Okay, something is wrong here. Why is he so pissed off? Dark pats his lap, supposidly to eleviate the tension and Anti laughs at him. Stranger shifts farther over on the sofa, clutching my body closer to her as she does so, and Dark dows the same thing to make a space for Anti, who graciously sits next to Dark.
Stranger looks in front of her, seeming to drift from reality. Her brow furrows and she looks in pain to me, her face contorting slightly. I start to worry and decide to speak.
"Stranger?" She flinches and looks at me, the pained look there for a second before she banishes it. "You okay?" My voice portrays my worry perfectly and I can see her looking at me, but I wonder if she is actually seeing me at all. I frown at her and am met with a weak and tired smile, which looks fake and forced on her face.
"Yeah, I'm fine love. Just remembered something, thats all." Her eyes look tired and she blinks a few times, trying to fool me into believing her. She looks so tired....
I am about to say something else when I sneeze, my head shooting forward. Stranger immediatly grabs a tissue and hands it to me, and I look up to see a look of confusion and horror on Antis face as he watches the blood form my sneeze drip down my face.
Dark is doing the same thing as Stranger, and she pokes him. But I'm still concerned about her to be honest.
"You sure? Something doesn't look right...." I frown and look at her as she diverts her eyes, diverting the conversation with her.
"Hey, thats just my face!" I frown as she uses humour. Why won't she just tell me whats wrong? I want to help!
She stops me from talking again by studying my arm, looking intensely at the stitching. But it doesn't fool me.
"Sorry the stitching at the top is messy, that was me before Dark took over. I should probably dress that actually." Her voice is flat and I see Dark nod at her from the corner of my eye.
She gets up slowly and I watch her as she moves across the room and picks up the bandages from the medical kit I have. Anti leans forward on the sofa and looks at me. I meet his gaze as he speaks.
"How did you get a permit to keep anaesthetics? Isn't that technically illegal?" I feel my face flush. Shit! Thats something I would rather not answer. No way in fucking hell are these guys finding out what my fucking job is! I laugh, nervous energy flooding my voice.
"It's a long story? I'll try and remember to tell you another time." I smile at him as Stranger comes back over, her ahnds slightly shaky as she cleans the wound and quickly wraps it in a bandage.
"Wanna see what films are on?" Dark makes an attempt to divert all of our attentions and so we all comply, too awkward to think otherwise. Shit, speaking of work, I'm gonna have to go back.... tomorrow! Fuck me! Ugh, god I hate my job. Too bad I have to do it, since I'm a fucking demon and shit.
We all surf the channels and find a string of films to watch, and we atke it in turns to make drinks and bring in biscuits once we ahve all mauled what we have. The last run is mine and Anti's job, and Stranger goes on the phone as we make the drinks.
He looks at me when we are in the kitchen, his face tired and worried. I smile at him, my brows furrowed to ask what is wrong. He sighs when he sees my face.
"Are you sure we've never met before? Like never?" I raise my eyebrows, caught offf guard yb his question. The kettle dings and I focus on pouring the drinks as I answer him.
"I honestly don't knwo anymore, Anti. I didn't think we had, but now..... I don't know. We'll figure it out though, don't worry."
He sighs again but seems tohave calmed down, helping me pour the drinks due to my arm, and bringing them out with me.
Stranger seems to be in an intense phone call and I flash her a confused look as she hangs up and holds her finger up to me. She calls another number and talks again, though I'm not listening anymore, sitting on the sofa.
She sits next to me after she ahngs up and Dark and Anti grunt at the close sitting positions. Anti pulls himself onto the back of the sofa and I watch as eh hooks his legs around Darks torso. Something I would do.....
I look back at the Tv as they start to bicker, and addresss Stranger.
"What was that phone call about?" I stare at the Tv as I ask, but look at Stranger as she places her hand on mine, and her heat flows through me. She looks back at me, and there is a glint in her eye.
"I.... have been offered a job." Anti and Dark stop bickering and we all look at Stranger, our curiosity spiked by her statement. "Urm...." She sounds nervous and I want to hug her.
"I have been given the chance to dance a main part in the ballet Dakini." Dark and Anti give her puzzled glaces but I light up, Hannah screaming inside my head. Thats a high paying job, and so much recognition! This is how dancers are made! "It's a paid job! I'll be getting paid the amount of a soloist... which is a lot!"
Dark smiles and pats her on the shoulder while I squeak, no longer able to contain my excitement. Stranger hugs me, laughing and Anti pats her on the head. Something I would do.....
"So... that means that I'm actually officially in the dancing career. My next agreed practice is tomorrow, eight to one." We all nod at Stranger and I cringe at tbe inevitability of having to go to work tomorrow.
I blank out as we all start talking about jobs, both me and Anti staying quiet about our jobs. I listen as Dakr and Anti bicker about how Anto does leave the house. I look at Stranger as I zone out, and she looks down at me and smiles, which I return.
Their bickering finishes when Anti stands up and stretches, but my mind is too riddled to care at this point. Stranger pulls me up next to her, saying we should all sleep. I watch Anti as he moves, kind of like a cat. Like me........
Dark speaks but I don't hear him, and I turn the light off as we all move, and I fucking swear I see something on his back, and I think Stranger see's it too. Anti heads up in front of Darka nd I snap out of my daze as I giggle at Strangers tired state.
"You look like you're gonna pass out, love." Stranger grabs my hand and begisn to head up the stairs when Abnti kind of cuts us off at the base.
He looks up at me and my hand falls from Strangers. He looks troubled, and his eyes are flashing like headlights.
"Hey, can I talk to you?" His voice is soft but I can tell he wants to yell. I look up at Stranger in questioning, and she smiles to show it's okay.
"I'll go take my stuff form the spare room and clean up a little." Dark nods at her and we break off at the base of the stairs.