Forlot - Books 1-3 {Completed}

Chapter Thirteen

"What?!" I shook in fear.

The room where we were in was starting to get cold. The lights dimmed. I hugged myself.

"Aw," the shadow spoke. Its red eyes bulged from the sockets.

At least, I think that the shadow had eye sockets. The shadow was all black that I could not tell.

"Is someone cold? Or perhaps frightened?" The shadow leaned towards me, and I could feel its cold breath. "You are a chicken."

I looked at my feet. It was right about that. I was a complete goofball, and there was nothing that I could do about it.

Was there?

"What is the matter? Cat got your tongue?" The shadow gripped my face tightly. A smile appeared. "The leaders were not in doubt. You are not a threat."

My teeth chattered. Its hands were so cold.

So cold indeed.

"Are you not going to ask me a question, like who I am or why I pretended to be your precious Maxine?" It let go of my shoulders, and I dropped to my knees and coughed. "You might as well. You will meet your doom soon."

I gulped at the sound of that. "D-doom?" I finally said a word.

"Yes, young boy. I am going to destroy you."

I let out a yelp. My heart skipped a beat.

This has got to be another shadow dream!

"No!" I proclaimed as I quickly got up from the floor. "You are not real! None of this is! You cannot trick the readers that this is not a dream when it is a dream!"

The shadow giggled, and its giggle echoed throughout the house. "So sorry to disappoint you," it said. "But this is not a dream." It grabbed my wrist. "And I am as real as you."

I breathed heavily. My legs were shaking.

Well, there was only one thing left to do. And no, not to fight.

Run!

I broke free from its grasp and ran upstairs. I hurried down the long hall, not looking back, and went into my room and closed my bedroom door. I put my body's weight on the door to make sure that the shadow would not get in.

"I am fine," I told myself. "There are no other openings for the shadow to get in my room. I am safe now."

"Are ya?"

"Huh?!" I spun around and saw the shadow standing by my bed. "H-how...?"

It giggled again. "Who says that you cannot teach shadows new tricks?" it stated.

I opened my door and tried making a break for it, but the shadow was faster than me. It gripped the back of my neck and hoisted me up.

"Ah!" Pain shot throughout my body. I could feel myself choking.

The shadow brought me close to it and whispered in my ear. "I would suggest that you do not try any funny business. Or you will meet an early death."

I let out a whimper. What else could I do?

"Why do you not ask me some questions before you die?" It dragged me out of my room. "The readers and fans out there need to know some things. Besides, it would not be fun if I did not reveal anything to you. I so do desire to tell you!"

I frowned. How could I ask when she was barely letting me breathe?

The shadow stopped in its shadowy tracks. It tilted its head towards the ceiling. A pull chain dangled from the ceiling. It slowly swayed back and forth. The shadow waved its hand, and the pull chain pulled down, revealing a row of stairs.

"W-what?" I questioned.

"This is the attic, moron," the shadow informed me. "Did you not know that you have an attic?"

"No. Dad and I never noticed the pull chain."

It dragged me up the stairs. "Morons."

We came to the attic, and I looked around.

"Wow."

The attic was very dark and very dusty. A round window was at the end of the attic and showed the outside, but no light due to the purple sky. Cobwebs were everywhere. On the walls. On stuff. There was not a place that did not have cobwebs.

Objects were scattered all over the floor. Boxes. Clothes. And dirty, white blankets covered most of the objects.

The shadow went over to a tall object that was covered by a sheet and ripped the sheet, revealing a mirror.

"Here it is," the shadow said. "Nerquina. My home."

"Um...what is a Nerquina?" I asked.

"A place where all shadows live." It pulled me close to the mirror. "You should do your research."

"Excuse you, but I have not heard of it until now."

It growled, and then giggled. "I have an idea." It grabbed both of my arms and squeezed them ever so tightly, and I let out a cry. "Humans die when they are in the shadow realm. Let us see what happens when I put you in Nerquina!"

"No! Please!"

Then footsteps pattered themselves into the attic. "Nigel?"