Locked Away

Chapter 1

Darkness crept in behind echoed footsteps as teetering dreams stood upon hastily piled bricks, each one a moment from collapsing despite the thick mortar clinging desperately to hold itself together as a man with pale skin ran his hand along the grooves of the exterior. He opened the door carefully and walked to a table where he cracked a smile at the two slim figures seated at a table tucked away in a corner of the pub.

"Laurence! Did you lose your watch?" The dark haired Laurence chuckled as he sat down and scanned a menu quickly.
"Something like that.... It's been a long week and they keep holding me back for overtime. Everyone's quitting at the bank." He sighed as he placed the menu down and fiddled with a button on his dress shirt sleeve. Drew watched carefully as his companion, Shane, clung to him like a sloth. He kept his arms wrapped around, making it difficult for Drew to drink his pint. Eventually Shane let's go and takes a small sip of his own drink, knees tucked to his chest.

"I see what you mean. At the hospital everyone's quit. The pay is absolutely awful and hours are unbearable. They've asked me to work over 100 hours this week. The other surgeons are all dropping like flies because a 15 hour shift is just not sustainable and probably illegal." He mumbles almost to himself as Laurence stands up and orders a drink. He comes back with the pint and sits down.

A crash is heard from the front of the pub which immediately draws the attention of the men. They stand up and look to see a pub owner barricading a man from entering. "Get out! Don't you see, we don't your kind around here!" He shoves the man wearing sunglasses which seemed odd as it was the evening but as soon as he fell to the floor and the glasses were knocked off Laurence could see him looking up and pleading with large, black eyes.
"I just- I just wanted a job! Please... I'm not a bad person, I'm quite skilled in the kitchen and I-" He was silenced by another kick to the ribs as he was dragged towards the door. Laurence stepped forwards.
"What's going on?" The bartender shot a look of disgust towards Laurence.
"We need a chef and this thing keeps trying to apply. We don't take Shadowborn you hear me!? We don't accept your filth!" He aimed to kick him again but Laurence put a hand on his shoulder.
"It's fine... I'm sure he doesn't need another kick to get the message. You should go... I don't think you're wanted here." He looked to the pale small boy with black hair matching black eyes. He nodded and quickly scampered off. With a look of fury he directed his anger upon Laurence.
"Don't tell me how to run my pub! That thief will be back. He always is. I just needed to teach him a lesson." He growled and shoved Laurence towards the door.
"You can follow him. I want you out! Now!" He barked and Laurence stuffed his hands into his pockets as he bowed his head and left. He was accompanied by Shane and Drew who kept silent.

"Laurence..." Drew spoke quietly and Laurence cut across him.
"I know Drew. I know. I shouldn't have done it, stepped in for that thing but he was being hurt. What else could I have done?"
For the first time Shane spoke in a quiet voice. "I thought that was really brave and kind..." Laurence smiled at Shane and continued down the road. He walked through the empty market stalls and paused as he heard a child up ahead.

"Mummy mummy! Mum, mummy, mum, mum-"
"What do you want Alex?"
"All the kids at school were talking about a shadowborn. What's a shadowborn?" An exasperated sigh came from her as they walked past.
"I told you. A shadowborn is when a woman has a baby in the shadow dimension. The darkness takes over the child and they're half human half shadow."
"Oh. But how do they get out?"
"Well people fall into portals all the time so they have teams of rescuers to save you!" She tickled him and he giggled whilst tugging on her hand, pulling her home. Laurence smiled as they passed and pulled out a key, opened the door to the flat and made his way upstairs where he quickly changed and passed out. Drew snickered as he saw him and the other two quickly followed suit.

The moonlight turned to daylight as the early morning sun danced upon the windowsill. An alarm screamed at him and he tried to turn it off, eyes shooting open as he fell off the bed. Cursing to himself he turned off the alarm and begrudgingly started to get ready. Dressed in his work clothes he made his way downstairs and slowly grabbed a piece of toast and a coffee. He sat down at the table as he sipped from it, Drew moving through the kitchen like a zombie as he was decked in surgeons uniform. "What shift are you working today?" Laurence chewed on his toast as he looked to Drew who slurred his words.
"I'm working the night shift... They've just asked for a few hours overtime this morning to help with an operation on a motorcycle accident." Laurence stood up and put his plate and cup in the dishwasher.
"Oh those are always the worst. Anyways, I need to run." He left Drew alone in the kitchen and hurried to work after quickly brushing his teeth. With a coat slung over his shoulders he walked to the bank and entered, a smile and little, "hello." Coming from the others as he smiled back and placed his stuff in the break room. He pulled up a chair and quickly went through the paperwork for that morning as he set up his desk, watching the door as the clock ticked down to opening time.

His manager unlocked and opened the door, Laurence staring blankly ahead as he greeted the trickle of people with the usual, "Hello, how may I help you?" And the classic, "So what can I do for you today?" He sifted through the crowds, all of them regulars, as they bored him with mindless chit chat.

As the hours passed he came back from lunch break and sat down, smiling at a man with flaming red hair who entered and kept his sunglasses on. As Laurence watched he looked around at the empty bank, everyone else on break.
"Um can I help you?" He looked to the man with the black hood over his head, hair poking out from underneath as he kept fiddling with something in his pocket.
"As a matter of fact... You can. I'm looking to make a withdrawal." Laurence raised an eyebrow and stared at the sunglasses. "Um okay... do you have an account with us?"
The man cracked a smile as he played with the labret piercing positioned below his lip. He pulled off his sunglasses and tucked them into his pocket. "As a matter of fact... I don't. Is that going to be a problem?" He looked up at Laurence with large solid black eyes as he stepped closer. He pulled out a gun and aimed it at Laurence, steady and calm. Laurence stared directly at him and muttered a feeble, "your eyes are captivating..." The stranger looked shocked and taken aback.
"Just give me what I need." Laurence nodded and scuttled away he grabbed as much money as he could and stuffed it into the backpack the man handed him. He quickly handed it over and hit an alarm under the desk. The man grabbed him and dragged him over the counter and towards him as if Laurence was a rag doll, flopping about. He stood beside the man as he held the gun to his head, people rushing forwards with little cries of, "Laurence!" And other various sentences. Laurence was pressed against him, feeling his breath and listening to his steady heartbeat as the shadowborn dragged him towards the entrance.
"Do as I say and I'll let you go. I'm not a killer but I'll do what I must to survive." He growled in a low tone and looked around as sirens sounded. Police were already mounted outside, perched and waiting for him.

"Drop the gun! Let the hostage go!" They called in pathetic attempts to free Laurence but ultimately it was to no avail. The robber kept a hold of him and backed into the shadows, the sound of a gunshot blasted Laurence's ear and he shut his eyes as he heard a scream of pain.