Colour My Shadow

Chapter Eleven - Fear

Storm's world was beautiful.

Have you ever seen an old photograph of something, not knowing what or where it was, or who took it, just that even in black and white, it was beautiful? It was like that here, completely alien, but totally captivating.

He lived - if this was his house - in what appeared to be an old, stone-built building, completely different from the usually ugly brick versions I was used to at home, and probably quite a bit larger.

I'd pulled him to a stop to look. "Stone was one of the few things we had here without getting it from your world, so the majority of buildings here are stone. I can only think of a couple made of brick, and they're very posh." He told me, gesturing around us.

I smiled slightly. "I like it." I replied. "It reminds me of Yorkshire. All the buildings there, that aren't very modern, are made of stone."

He laughed, then tugged gently on my hand. "Come on. There are things a lot more exciting than my house, I promise you." I'd forgotten he was holding my hand, almost, even with electric shocks running up through my arm. It just felt comforable and natural, and that worried me.

But only briefly. I was overwhelmed by this world, and that probably accounted for it; besides, I was too excited to care for long. Storm didn't seem bothered, so it didn't bother me.

We turned onto what would be a street; the lack of cars made it more like a double pavement. It was busy, and lined with shops - none of which I recognised, but I could tell what they were, from the displays. There were supermarkets, greengrocers, clothes shops: all the same as the ones at home, but with different names. 

"Do you copy  everything, or make your own too?" I whispered. There were more people - Shadows - around now, some walking at a normal pace, going from shop to shop, and others zipping by too fast for me to see their faces, but I was beginning to get properly spooked. This world was justtoo alien. All my excitement was draining away, to  be replaced by anxiety and a knot of fear twisting up my stomach. I was trying to keep interest, but I also felt faint, and was pressed into Storm's side, half hidden by him, trying to avoid the gazes of  the passing Shadows.

He didn't answer my question, just replied with one of his own, so I must've sounded and looked worse than I did. "Rosa, are you okay?" He breathed into my ear, managing to make the quiet sound full of concern. I considered nodding my head, but then my knees buckled and he ended up half catching me. Shadows were beginning to stare, but he just supported me over to the edge of the street, where there were benches at regular intervals. 

I collapsed onto the bench gratefully, leaning back against the grey, cold metal. "What's wrong?" Storm asked, anxiously. He'd let go of my hand to catch me, but now he took it again. I was beginning to shiver, and he rubbed my arms, trying to warm me through the friction. Although it was warm here - too warm; I could now understand why they didn't like the cold of my world - I was chilled through and through. 

I wasn't looking at the Shadows, and slowly, the anxiety was fading, but the weak sickness wasn't. I just focussed on Storm's handsome face and tried to breath right. Like a dead body, though, the Shadows drew my attention, and my eyes couldn't help but follow them. 

There was something about them that scared me, something that wasn't in Storm's face. They were all uniform, all the same; with tight, withdrawn expressions, looking around blankly. No one talked, there was just the drumming of feet, each pattern of footsteps separate but indistinguishable. No one was looking into the shop windows, window-shopping or just seeing what there was.

They went in, bought something and came out a few minutes later - the same Shadow. No one browsed, or came out without something. We were the only people sat on the benches that bordered the street. Everything they did had a purpose.