Shadow Girl

Chapter 5

I spent the majority of the night punching random objects in my room, but I was left with nothing but a sore hand. How did that happen? My hand just became a shadow?!  I would've continued attempting to 'become a shadow' again, but mum knocked on my door, and asked me what was going on.

"Nothing mum, there's just... a fly in my room" I said, but to be honest it sounded more like a question.

She looked at me quizzically for a moment. "Are you sure?"

"Yes mum. I wouldn't hide anything from you. Family are meant to tell each other everything, aren't they?" I replied, with an obvious edge to my voice. If she wanted to know what I was doing, she'd have to pay me with the answers I needed.

She hesitated, and then let out a deep sigh. "Yes, darling." And before I could ask her anything more she was gone.

                                                                                        xxx

I awoke early the next morning, which deeply frustrated me because it was a Saturday. My head was still buzzing with what'd happened the night before. So much had happened in the last few days, and it was driving me insane. Grabbing a pen and a notepad, I scribbled down everything that's happened since the nightmare:

 Nightmare, my English book, dead squirrel, the writing in the ground, mum telling me about dad, mum on the phone, shadows...

None of it made sense, yet it all seemed to link in with the nightmare at the beginning.

As I was walking downstairs I realised that the house was very quiet, and sure enough, mum was out. I quickly scanned the room for a note, but I knew deep down that there wouldn't be one. Picking up the phone, I called her mobile, but I heard the ring tone coming from her room. She'd left her phone at home. I sighed as I hung up, but then I froze solid in realisation; she'd left her phone at home!

I darted up the stairs faster than I'd ever run before, finally stopping when I slammed into the door. 

"Calm down Ciara... you need to slow down and breathe," I whispered to myself, before cautiously opening mums door as if there was some kind of monster on the other side. Mums phone was lying on her bedside table, as if it were beckoning me towards it. I didn't hesitate to unlock it and scan through everything. I planned to start with contacts and call history, but for some strange reason I decided to look through her pictures instead. There were only a few, and most of them were of me when I was a baby. However, one particular image struck my attention; mum was standing next to a man, and there was a girl who looked about 10 standing in front of them. They looked happy. But who were they?

Was it me and my dad? No, that's not possible, I would've remembered this. But still... The girl did look similar to me, but her smile seemed forced. It was as if she was holding back some kind of anger, but what kind of 10 year old has feelings like that? 

I quickly pressed the home button before I could see anything else, I had to concentrate on this, and I didn't want any distractions. Next up: call history. But of course, nothing's that easy is it? Mum had deleted all of her call history, so the screen was completely blank. Great, I hope she hasn't deleted her contacts. 

Just like her photos, mums contact list was almost empty. She only had me, the pizza take-out, and someone called 'S'. Just a simple 'S'. That was the only information on him/her, but I know one thing; this 'S' person knows something about me, and I'm going to find out whether mum likes it or not.