Forlot - Books 1-3 {Completed}

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Ah!" I yelled.

"Greetings, you poor soul," the shadow said, waving a shadowy hand. "Welcome to your new—" It eyed the match that I was holding and freaked out. "H-how did you get fire?!"

My body tensed, and I took deep breaths. "I-I found a box that contained matches," I responded.

"And you decided to make a fire?!"

"Why, yes. I am using the fire as light. The place is so very dark."

"It is supposed to be dark! We are in the shadow realm!" I heard the tapping sound again and noticed that the shadow was banging an object against another object. "Put the fire out! Now!"

I frowned and shoved the box of matches in my pocket. "Why should I?"

"Because I said so!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you...afraid of the fire?"

The shadow hesitated before speaking. "No!"

"Aha!" I brought the match close to its shadowy face. I finally knew a shadow's weakness.

Fire.

"Stay back!" I warned.

The shadow took a couple of steps back...

...and blew on the match.

And the fire extinguished.

"Hey!" I protested. I tossed the match aside and was about to take out the box, when the shadow grabbed my arm.

"I know that you are scared," it stated.

Do ya?

"You do not know where to turn to," it continued. "That is what I am here for." It held out one of its hands for me to shake. "I am Karla. I will be your tour guide for the day. And do not ask me what my last name is. I do not have one."

She does not have a last name?

That is probably because shadows do not have last names!

"And what would your name be?"

I did not answer her or shake her hand and instead, examined her. She looked thin, just like all of the other shadows that I had seen. A fat, black line, in the form of a ponytail, bobbled behind her head. She was carrying two things, a long, black stick that she was twirling between her fingers in her left hand, and a flat, black object that was in the shape of a rectangle in her right hand. Her red - no, blue - eyes shined in the blackness.

"Are you going to answer my question or what?" Karla asked, lowering her arm to her side. "Please state your name for the record."

I ran a hand through my hair and pondered her question.

Should I tell her?

"Nigel. Nigel Sanders," I finally confessed. "May I ask you a question? What exactly are you holding?"

"A shadow pencil and a shadow clipboard. Everything in the shadow realm is made of shadows."

I glanced at my pocket. Not the box or matches.

"So you are Nigel Sanders."

I nodded. "Yes."

Why was I talking with a shadow?

And calm?!

Karla dropped her pencil and clipboard and poked me in the stomach, and I shook.

What was she doing?

"You," she spoke. "You...you are not a shadow."

"Duh," I said. "What else have you been having a conversation with? I am human."

"And you are...Nigel Sanders."

"Uh-huh. I confirmed that a minute ago."

For a shadow, she was not acting that bright.

"Oh my gosh!" Karla squealed. She leaped at me - and hugged me. I think.

"Uh, what are you doing?" I asked.

"I am hugging you."

"...why?" I tried reaching for my pocket, but I could not.

"Because you are our hero!"

My eyes widened. "What?"

"You are the hero! You have come to rescue us!"

"Rescue who?"

"The shadow people. The ones who died due to the Nerians."

I took a quick step back. "You must have mistaken me for another guy."

She shook her head. "Nope! No mistake." She brought her face closer to mine. "What is the plan?"

"Um...plan?"

"You need a plan. You know. How to free the shadow people." She poked my nose. "And you had better hurry. Or else."

"Or else...what?"

Karla sighed. "If you stay in the shadow realm for too long, about an hour, then you will cease to exist."