My Shadow

Chapter 24:

He rushes over and threw himself into my arms. Stroking my hair he exmains me and wipes the tears of my face. Almost whispering he says, "What's wrong, what happened?" I tried to speak but I choked on my tears which began flowing down my face again. "Shhhhh, its okay, its okay. I'm here now." I just nodded and hurried my face on his chest when he sat on the couch. I eventually stopped crying and sat there, numb. I began speaking but all that came out was, "Mphm, hrmer." Zach gently pulled me away from him and brushed my hair from my face. "What?" "He killed me, stripped me part-for-part. Then he ate my ribs. It was so morbid,...so real." He looked at me strange, hesitated, then said gently, "Who did." "My Shadow." He look bewildered then seemed as if understood. "I remember you speaking about him, in your dreams, your first night home." I layed back until I felt the squishy back of the couch. Zach got up and said he was going to go get a wet washcloth for my head.  When he came back he pressed it lightly against my face and wiped off the blood fro a few mintues. The rag which was once a light brown, was know a dark brown, clumped up rag. I got up slowly and went to the gathering to examine my face. I looked in the mirror and gasped. There was a hole in my head, above my eyebrow. Shadow accidently, I think, cut it in my dream. I went beck to the living room and saw Zach on his knees cleaning the corner of the table from blood. I waled slowly towards him. "Thank you," he looked up at my face and just said, "I'm taking you to the hospital to get stitches." Blankly,I stared at him as if he was insane. "I ain't going back there. Noooo sir." He gave me "a look" and just told me he would do it himself. l nodded in agreement to this and sat on the floor until he came back with a very sharp needle, scissors and thread. I honestly could care less. I do have a high pain tolerance.

I closed my eyes and waited to feel the pierce of skin by the needle. I didn't cringe when the needle went through. I just concentrated on the sound. Whoosh-pop, whoosh. I felt a thin stream of blood roll down my eyelid. I ignored that. Before long I heard a snap, and Zach say I'm done. I pressed my finger against the newly sewn wound, I immediately regreted it. I cringed, Im surprised I didnt pop one. "Thanks," I uttered out while he was washing his hands. "No problem." I smiled and said, "I'm hungry." As if on que my stomach growled in response.  He laughed, and then turned his hands at the sound of the creak from the stairs.