The Shadow Man

EightTeen

"Let's go again!"
She says.
"So, you actually like the Farris wheel huh?"
I ask, raising an eye brow.
She gives me a smirk.
"I do admit, they have their perks, but roller coasters are way cooler."
She says.
We get back in the seat and strap ourselves down as the wheel begins to round again.
I feel the warm summer breeze brush my hair aside, and her hair blows into my face.
I don't mind.
I place my hands on the handle bar as we reach the top, and pull the energy from the hydraulics, freezing the wheel in its place.
The operator tries to figure out what's wrong with his machine as Alice and I hold hands, taking in the sight.
The stars in her eyes twinkle and flicker as she watches the cars drive by on the highway.
"Why did we stop?"
She asks.
"Don't act like you don't know."
I say.
"I'm trying not to raise suspicion."
She says, gesturing to the other passengers tossing puzzled glances in every direction.
"So, I have my weekly video chat with my parents tomorrow evening."
She says.
"That sounds fun."
I say.
She looks at me.
"I want you to be there."
I feel my cheeks grow warm.
"What? You've got nothing to worry about. They will love you! Besides, they watch Dr.Who So you can always bond with them over that."
I laugh.
"Do they know about me?"
I ask.
"Of course they do."
I shake my head.
"I mean, the Real me. The Shift. Do they know who I am?"
I repeat my question.
"No Donnie, I want them to know this You. The man I Love. The Hipster guy who takes pictures of trees and lives in a cabin and wears bow ties and cool socks, not the You who fights monsters."
They're both me.
"Both of those parts have to be kept in their place, Donnie."
I nod.
"I love you, Alice. More than anything."
I whisper.
She smiles and places her hand on my cheek, tossing me a pleasantly confused glance, asking me why I'm telling her.
"I just need you to know that."

I stand above bodies of those who were sent out here to kill me.
I'm bruised and beaten, bleeding in several places from open wounds.
But I'm alive.
"You're still standing."
Calls the voice.
I'm too distracted to think about him.
Alice, she's died by now.
To her, I vanished.
I left one day, and I never came back.
Or maybe I ran off and cheated on her.
Who knows what she thinks of me.
And there's nothing I can do to change that. I can't go back. I can't get to her.
I tried escaping, but the walls are made of some kind of negative energy, that repels me away at the slightest touch.
There's no way for me to get out.
I'm trapped here, fighting and fighting until I die, either from exhaustion, malnutrition, or I'm slain by one of the monsters this man sends after me.
At first I killed them out of rage.
They had it the worst.
If Alice were here, watching me, I'm sure she would scream in fear of the things I am capable of.
She would be horrified.
Her voice anchors me to sanity.
I still hear her voice, telling me she loves me.
I don't even have the ring anymore.
All I have are the memories contained in this staff of mine.
The crack indented in it over a year ago still mends itself together.
What's the point of fighting anymore?
I can't go anywhere, I can't prolong my own life.
My friends are all dead.
They died within an hour of my arrival in here. By my estimation, it takes about an hour for a human life span to pass in here. 
I've got no one.
I'm alone in here.
"You are impressive, Shift. Your sheer brutality, it almost frightens me. Your ferocity...what have I taken from you?"
He asks, inquisitively.
Another challenger enters the arena from behind me.
I clutch my ribs as I turn around to face my next opponent.
The crowd cheers as the blade ignites in my hand.
I'm exhausted.
But I'll have plenty of time to sleep when I'm dead.