The Shadow People

Emily was playing on her swing set with Mia behind her, pushing her higher and higher. The little girl squealed in delight as the wind whipped through her curly milk brown hair, causing it to go everywhere. Her mother stood off to the side watching with a blank stare. Through the rough wind, Emily heard her name being called. Thinking it was mommy calling out for her, Emily jumped off her swing and went running over.

Her little hands grabbed at the hem of her mother's shirt and asked with a giggle "What's wrong mommy? Why'd you say my name?"

Her mother said nothing but dragged Emily inside, it was past her bedtime. After changing and brushing her teeth, Emily bounced into bed and waited for Mia and her mommy. Ever since her closet started opening at night, Mia liked to be in the room. She told Emily she likes the darkness. Finally after what seemed like forever to the little girl, mommy came and tucked her in. When Mommy left, Emily's closet began to open like it did every other night, but tonight the shadows came out.

Emily never liked the shadows, they whispered horrible things to her. They talked about how mommy doesn't care but Mia does, they said they could get rid of mommy and then Emily would be happy. As they whispered the things they would do to mommy, Mia opened the door slightly and slipped in just how the shadows could.

In the morning, Emily tried to tell her mother about the shadows but mommy insisted she was lying. Mommy despised talking about them and always yelled at Emily for bringing them up, telling her to stop making up stories. Sometimes on mommy's really bad days she would ignore Emily all day and night. Emily wanted to talk to me about what the shadows said last night yet she wasn't around. After mommy not listening to her, Emily just wanted her friend, someone to play with.

"Maybe the shadows were right... Mommy never what's to be around me and Mia does." Emily thought to herself as she scribbled messy drawings of Mia pushing her on the swings.

Sometimes Emily got really upset and would wish she had a different mommy. When they went into town Emily would see mommy's and daddy's and would become sad. Her daddy left when she was younger and mommy didn't like talking about him.

***

Mia hadn't shown up for a few days now and Emily was starting to get worried. Mia never left for this long, even when she did she always told Emily first. That's what friends do. Mia liked to talk about leaving and not coming back, that frightened Emily, she didn't have anyone else. She was all alone. Last night mommy went out and hasn't come back yet. The babysitter left earlier, leaving the small child to herself, promising to be back.

The house creaked and groaned as Emily wandered around, looking for secret rooms. That was Mia's favourite game to play when she was bored. Mia liked the darker things like looking in the closets, or the basement, even under the beds. She was a lot braver than Emily. Whenever Mia talked about getting rid of mommy, Emily would plug her ears, Mia didn't mean it, she had to be joking. She didn't like mommy at all, she wants mommy gone but would never kill her!

As Emily went back to her room, her closet was open just enough for a faint flickering light to shine out. Hopefully Mia was back! Emily threw up in the door and was giggling excitedly until she realized it wasn't Mia. It was the shadow people who always came out at night. Stumbling back, trying to get away Emily tripped over barbies she forgot to put away and hit the ground with a dull thump. The shadow people slithered out an advanced toward her, their misshapen face has became devilish grins on their fingers became talons that reached out towards her legs.

They started to claw at her, forcing her further back near the wall. It was like they wanted to attack her by their snarls and low pitched hissing but couldn't. The hesitation gave Emily just enough time to jump into bed and yell for mommy. No answer came, just her harsh ragged pants, and the shadow people's growls.

They caught up to her, clawing at her legs and feet, blood pooling around her ankles. A warm feeling around her as her vision turned black before Emily could scream again. Their claws sank in as she faded into the dark nothingness from which they came. Dragging her small limp body off the bed and into the closet, the shadows waited for their master. Mia would be very upset with what they did. They weren't allowed to hurt the girl, they disobeyed.

Mia return just as Emily started to wake up, a knife in her hand and blood covered her from head to toe. It wasn't Mia's blood although. In mommy's room she lay in a forever sleep. Wounds cover her chest, arms, and face is the blood seeps out of her lifeless body. It dripped off Mia's knife and onto Emily's hair and face, causing her to squirm. A shooting pain went through her legs she couldn't move.

Crouching down so she was level with Emily, me a raise the knife and brought it down, right into Emily's shadow. She gasped and watched as her shadow separated from her and became its own person. Emily was fading out again she was getting cold now. This wasn't good, she had to get up, to do something. She couldn't move, her body became heavy and everything started going black again. In the distance Emily could hear Mia laugh. She was scared, she didn't know what was happening until it all stopped.

"Welcome to the Shadow World Emily." Mia said as she watched Emily's Shadow twist and turn until it was unrecognizable. Until she was a shadow person like the rest.