The Shadow's Play

1.Silence

"Colton?"

Silence surrounded me. Perfect silence like still water. You drop a pin, the sound echoes throughout. I thought this phase was over. It was done for. But why again?

"Colton?" I repeated again.
No response.

I stood up, just to fall back again. My hands shot to my ankle. Sprain?

I stood gently this time, my hands gripping the side of something. A table maybe.

I inched forward gripping the next thing I got hold off. I dragged my sprained leg so as not to apply any pressure on it. My hands slid through the wall, gripping it for support. Eventually, I reached the end of it, as my hand clasped over its vertical edge.

"Colton?" I called out again.

Something, some kind of icy, cold and slippery feeling gripped my heart. It's coming back again. The feeling, the sorrow, the-

"Colton?" I voiced, this time barely above a whisper, my voice quivering.

I moved into the passageway outside my room, my legs wobbly and paining. I continued walking, the thumping of my feet, the only noise, echoing and radiating in and out of my ear.

Where are you Colton?

I kept to the walls again, gripping it for support. My hands slid for a while through its smooth surface, before it disappeared altogether, my hands only feeling air. I turned my way to that emptiness, barging through it.

The wall is no more now. Only the air surrounds me. I stretched my hands about me, trying to feel sudden obstacles, if any. I continued my walking just to stumble over something on the floor and collapse. Pain shot through my ankle at lightning speed and I had to repress a scream that otherwise would've made this space return it back at me. I clutched my ankle to block out the pain, but all in vain. I gripped the thing which made me stumble and pushed myself off the floor. I returned to my walking with arms stretched about me.

The pain has become more agressive, tearing through my whole body. Not just the pain on my ankle, but the pain that has gripped my heart too. It's becoming unbearably agonizing.

I grabbed hold of something. I pulled at it. It didn't budge. I tried harder. It came off, making me roll on the floor again.

A coat?!

I sniffed it.

The same old smell. I'll recognise it anywhere. It's Colton's. So he's here. Somewhere. I just have to find him. He always does like playing around with me. And hide and seek is his favourite!

"Okay, Colton! I know you're hiding here somewhere. Please come out now. I can't walk. I have a sprained ankle."

Again silence greeted me. No response.

That icy, cold and slippery feeling gripped my heart again.

I know what it is. I've always known. I just didn't want to accept it.

But, I've to now.

It's fear! Plain and simple. Fear!

Did you really leave Colton?