ghostly shadows

[05] fearing for my life.

ETHAN'S POV

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Having something so dark trying to attach themselves to you is something you just can't shake easily. I don't know if he's following me or if he's not. I can't see the other side like Ady does and my back stings so much, I don't know why. I decided to head to Adylyn's and see if she can see anything on me or know what the fuck is happening to me. I want to know WHY this thing wants me, of all people. I didn't even do anything to it. Maybe because I keep calling him 'it' instead of his preferred pronouns. Maybe its because I'm friends with Adylyn who actually sees these types of things. I have no idea but I want answers and I want them now. I put on my coat and boots then headed to Adylyn's. I told my roommate whom was on his bed reading a graphic novel. He looks up from his reading and mumbles inaudible. I shrugged shutting the door behind me. My dorm was like a ghost town; nobody was walking around. "Where the hell is everyone?" I asked as I exited my dorm and headed to my best friends. I'm pretty sure she has no idea what's happening but she makes my anxiety ease down.

I arrived at Ady's. "Coming!" I heard her muffled voice as I knocked at her door which was covered in posters. I moved back and forth on my feet. "E? What's wrong?" she asked worriedly. "It's him" I say fear bubbling up inside me again. "The Dark Matter?" Adylyn asked. I nodded as the burning sensation started up again. "What happen?" she asked. I told her about my side of the dorm room looking like a tornado hit it and I also told her about the burning. "Lift up your shirt" she instructed. I nod and lifted my shirt. "Holy hell" her eyes widen. "What?" I asked. "There's four long scratches on your back" Ady sounded scared, she's never scared when it comes to this shit. "What?" I look at her. "Here, let me take a picture" she gets out her phone to take a picture. "God this is chilling to look at" Adylyn touches the scratches. I flinch not because it hurts, because I wasn't expecting it. "Yeah" I say.

We headed to library to be normal college students for a change. We did research for a while until I announced, "I need to do some homework for a change." Adylyn agrees. We clean up our research and dove into the homework until closing. After we finished our homework, we went to get takeout at our favorite place to get Indian food. Then we went to my dorm to finish Game of Thrones and literally smash the Indian food. "Did you eat anything today?" Ady asked as I stuff my face as soon my ass hit my floor. "No, you?" I asked. "Just coffee and some almonds" she shrugs taking a swig of smart water. "We need to eat more" I say. "Agreed, so agreed" Ady nods as I turn on GOT. I love how Ady gets so into our TV shows. "Are you kidding me!" Ady throws her hands in front of her for emphasis. I laughed with food in my mouth. She looks at me with wide eyes, her green-brown eyes bore into mine. But then she turns her attention back to the TV shoveling food in her mouth and takes her time to chew then swigs back water.

We finished season two at around two am. "I'm so tired" Ady whines. "Me too, you sleeping here?" I asked. Every time we watch TV or hang out really late Ady sleeps over. "Yeah" she nods yawning. "Do I have clothes still?" she asked. "I think so" I say nodding my head to her drawer. Adylyn pulls out the drawer to reveal clothes and her makeup. "Awesome" she smiled taking out a shirt and shorts. I turn around so she could change. "Okay, you can turn around" Ady tells me. I turn around as she takes off her bra. I felt my face flush in embarrassment. "I'm going to the bathroom to brush my teeth and whatever" I say making it not awkward. "Okay" Adylyn nods as she yawns wiping off her makeup. I grab my tooth paste and brush and walked to the restroom. "Sup man" a guy says nodding his head. "Hey" I say. I remember him from class, I think his name was Keaton. "You're with that girl, Adylyn right?" he asked after he spat out his toothpaste. "Yeah, why?" I asked. "You guys are dating, right? There's some rumors flying around about you two" he smirked. "Um, we are friends, just friends" I replied wetting my brush. "Oh, so you think I have a chance?" he asked as his face lit up. "I don't know if she knows you" I replied as Ady comes in.

Keaton's face lit up when she walked in. Adylyn looks at him and her face flushes. "Ady, hey" I say. "Hi" she softly smiled walking to an empty sink which was next to Keaton. His dirty blonde hair falls in his face and he pushed it up. I don't like the way he's looking at my best friend. "So, Ady" he puts his back to the countertop. "Adylyn, only Ethan can call me Ady" she says wetting her toothbrush then puts paste on it. "Right, Adylyn Ethan told me that you're single" Keaton smiled which caused Adylyn to choke on her toothpaste. "What?" she looks at me then at the blonde. "You're single, right?" he asked. "Um, yeah I am" she says. "How about you and I go off campus" he smirked. "Um, sorry Keaton I don't know you that well" she smiled politely. I can tell she's getting uncomfortable, she's never shy when it comes to guys. He's different, she knows he is. "We can get to know each other more" Keaton says. "You have a week" I hear Ady say to him as I enter a stall. Is she crazy? Yes, yes, she is. "Cool, a week to get to know each other then I'll take you off campus" I hear him smile. "Okay" she simply replied.

I hear him walk out of the bathroom and hear Ady sigh. I walk out of the stall and look at her, her face was super pale. "He wasn't a person, E" she whispered. "What?" I look at her startled. "He. Wasn't. A. Person" Ady says pausing with each word. "What was he?" I asked afraid of the answer. She looks at me dead in the face and says the four words that would make things more complicated. "He's the Dark Matter" Adylyn whispered.