Shadow's Mark (Currently Being Edited)

Chapter 8: The Sword In The Stone

Dedicated to n9ne_teen & _theillumination_, my two biggest supporters 💕

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Kkkksssssshhhhhhhhhhh.

The noise was loud in my ear, making me jerk my eyes open. When my blurred vision and muffled hearing returned to normal, I realized that the loud sound was actually the sound of water hitting tile.

Instantly, my teeth began chattering as it registered into my head that I was laying naked on the cold floor, the water hitting me roughly and drenching my hair. I groaned as I managed to hoist myself up and turn the knob off. Then I grabbed my towel and quickly wrapped it around my body.

It was awfully quiet and I could not make out any sounds of other shower heads running or girls chatting as they had been just a few seconds ago.

"Steph," I called out to my friend as I stepped out of the shower. I pulled back the curtains of the stall next to mine, where Stephanie had been showering not too long ago, and found it empty.

As I staggered out of the showers, I found the locker room was completely desolate as well. When I wandered out to the gym, I discovered it was completely pitch black. Judging by the lack of sunlight that usually streamed in through the gym's windows, it was probably nighttime, which was almost impossible seeing as it was still daytime literally a second ago.

"No, no, no ," I whispered hysterically. "Please don't tell me I blacked out from another asthma attack!"

This must have been another 'daymare'.

I shut my eyes tightly and pinched my arm hard until it stung. "Wake up, Natalya. Snap out of it," I muttered to myself. "This is just a dream. Remember, it's not real."

"Don't fight it, child."

I instantly shook my eyes open and right in front of me, my grandmother's sweet face came into focus.

She looked exactly as I remembered her. Her round, wrinkly face held an ever-present smile, but she seemed to be glowing as her hovering form illuminated the once dark space in front of me.

"Gramma?" I blinked back tears and took a tentative step towards her. As I grasped her cold yet firm hand, I nearly cried out, "How are you here? Is this real?"

"Hush, Nana," she soothed as she placed a tender hand on my cheek. "You must embrace the mark."

"Gramma, what do you mean?" I cried out in confusion. "Do you know what these dreams mean?"

"Let the shade guide you," she smiled and released my hand as if her statement was supposed to give some clarity.

"Gramma, please don't leave!" I sobbed, my heart tearing apart at the thought of her leaving me all over again.

Blinking rapidly at the sudden empty space of darkness before me, tears streamed down my cheeks like waterfalls. That had seemed so real. Like my grandma was actually here.

I was desperately trying to think hard about what she had said and searched for any meaning behind it, when a low hissing sound caught my attention. It sounded as if it was coming from the locker room, where I had just been.

Reluctantly, I retraced my steps towards the locker rooms. I realized the hissing sound grew louder as I neared the boy's room instead so I headed that way.

Once I entered, I carefully treaded towards the showers to where the sound came from, and realized it was not a hissing sound at all, but the sound of a shower head running water. Warily, I began to approach the stall, mostly out of curiosity. As I peered inside the stall, I was immediately taken aback with dumbfounded shock at my discovery.