The Shadows

Two.

Everyone liked Alex, so when we all went to go separate ways after the football Emily invited him along to drinks with us that evening.

Friday nights were always crowded but not usually until later in the evening, it was 7 o'clock and already it was difficult to make way through the thick crowd of young people to get to the bar. We did it though, and finally our group of six sat at a tablet at the back.

"So what are you doing at uni, Alex?" Emily asked, turning her attention to him once we'd sat. I already knew the answer because we'd had many of the same classes together so we'd spoken about both doing a psychology major but the others didn't so they all leaned forward to watch 

Emily's interrogation begin. I meant to listen and join the conversation but couldn't keep up because I was focusing on the ghost following Alex, he'd shown up again not long after the game when we were away from the parking lot the shadow had been in.

He looked to be in his 50's with black, oily hair that clung onto his face rounded face in dark tendrils, his green eyes -which were almost the same shade as Alex's- had watched me with annoyance since he'd returned to Alex's side.

"Rory?" I snapped back to attention, finding Justin was the speaker of my name. "Another round?"

I glanced down at my drink which was still mostly full and finished it in two mouthfuls, "Yeah, I'll grab them." I stood up at the same time as Alex who announced he'd help me.

Once we got to the bar and where waiting for our drinks I turned to him grinning, "You enjoying twenty questions over there?"

He shrugged with an easily smile on his lips, "I don't mind, I was kind of expecting it. You get used to it when you move to new places."

"You move around a lot?"

Another shrug, "A bit; my dad never wanted to settle anywhere after his restaurant shut down and my mum was pretty dependant on him, would follow him anywhere he wanted to go."

"So where is home?"

"Ravenna, back in Italy." Just then our drinks arrived.

Back at the table Emily was done asking Alex questions and had turned to informing him on everything to do with his new home, I zoned out again without meaning to as my mind wandered back to the shadows I had seen the last few days. I didn't know much about the creatures because I hadn't seen them much in my life but I knew that unlike the spirits that I saw in everyday life they could very much interact with the living world. 

The first shadow I ever saw was when I was twelve years old, I was watching a stray cat sneak across our front yard outside my bedroom window late at night when I was supposed to be sleeping. I saw the shadow appear, snatch the cat up, rip it in half and eat the two halves in a matter of seconds. I didn't scream. Mrs. Benson, a small old lady that had lived in the house before us had placed her hand over my shoulder, the aching cold of the dead radiating from her hand and she warned me to keep quiet. "No one living can see them," she croaked, "only the dead can. And you."

"Do you believe in ghosts?" The question, though not directed at me, shocked me out of the memory. Emily leaned towards Alex, her eyes twinkling with excitement while the other boys groaned.

"Emily, don't start with this. The stories aren't true," Justin pleaded, but one Emily started telling her ghost stories we all knew there was nothing stopping her. Justin rolled his dark eyes and muttered something about getting another round before leaving.