The Life of A Shadow

Prologue

April 13, 1992

Mariah ran as far as she could. She couldn't go to her home, or the drunken man would corner her, so she kept running.
He couldn't catch her, or he'd harm her. Or worse. Mariah was an illegal immigrant from Latin America. She had brothers back home that she needed to earn money for, but many men assumed she did private work since she was cursed with beauty.
Mariah rounded a corner and stopped when she no longer heard steps behind her. She sighed heavily, her short brown hair brushing against her shoulders. She looked around, trying to figure out where she was. She always thought she knew every road, but she had never been down this one. It was darker here, the moon giving off enough light to see what was around her.
And that's when she looked down. She nearly screamed before realizing it was dead.
Before her was a bob cat, bullet wound on the chest. Being the curious person she is she got closer. It obviously wasn't breathing, but something was whimpering. She reluctantly picked up one of the bobcat's legs with a quiet gag. Upon closer inspection, there was a human baby, covered in blood. Once again, Mariah nearly screamed before realizing that the baby was whimpering.
She took off her jacket and wrapped it around the baby.
And that's when she noticed something that was a little off.
The baby had two little fangs and two sharp, grey ears.
"Shadow." Mariah quietly whispered before pressing her forehead to the small baby's. Mariah looked back down at the mother bobcat, with a sudden pang of sympathy, "Poor mama." She blinked tears away from her eyes, now thinking of when she was 12 and her mother was murdered infront of her and her brothers. She shook her head to clear away the thoughts. What do I do with the mama? She doesn't deserve to sit here and rot. Just as that thought ended, she came up with something. The road near her home was loose dirt. She took off her coat, shivering from the cold. She wrapped it around the mama and began carrying them both to her home.
When she got to her home she was greeted by her roommate, aka a woman who agreed to watch over Mariah after her mother died. The woman's name is Dahlia. She's around 28, but is very wise. Dahlia tilted her head, "Mariah, darling, what did you find this time?" Dahlia asked with a sigh.
"Is it to early to be a mother?" Mariah sat down the mama and handed Shadow to Dahlia. Mariah covered Shadow' s ears with the jacket to hide what she was. "Mariah! Did you kill a-" Dahlia began.
"No no no. I'll tell you the story." And Mariah did. She told Dahlia everything that had happened. Dahlia nodded with question and relief at the same time. Mariah inhaled deeply before taking the jacket off Shadow's ears.
"Mariah, I-"
"No one can know about her. Her mother is dead and she has only us. We can't give up on her."
Dahlia's face softened with a gentle smile, "We will raise her as our own, Mariah." She paused, "Now, let's the mama a proper send off, okay?"
Mariah nodded, blinking tears away, trying to avoid eye contact with Dahlia. Accidentally, Mariah looked up.
And Dahlia had tears dripping off her face.