Amber's Shadow

Prologue

Amber sat on her couch, watching TV. Actually, she was just scrolling through the channels. There wasn't anything interesting on. She sighed, and picked up the bowl of popcorn on the table in front of her, which she had just made in the microwave. Her parents were out watching a movie together, and had left her home alone. She had tried to find a movie to watch herself, but all of the good ones that were on costed extra money to watch. She gave up looking after a while, and just left the TV on the channel it was on before, the news. It was pretty boring as well, since there were just commercials on at the time. She continued to eat her popcorn, and took out her tablet.

Flick.

Flick.

Flick, flick, flick-

The power went out. Amber sighed, then covered her ears, dropping her tablet beside her, as the TV started to make a horrible screeching noise. The TV screen turned to static, before shutting off. Amber started looking around, getting up to try and make her way to the kitchen to get a flashlight. But then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw it.

Amber stared in fear. A dark shadow stared at her from the window of her door.

"You better run," they said in a low, male voice, which seemed to echo throughout the room, as if they were in there with her. It wasn't muffled by the door like it should have been. However, Amber didn't get much time to think about the logic of it, as they continued to speak.

"I'm coming~!" The Shadow said. The doorknob started to turn. Amber, her mind finally returning to her, started to sprint away. The Shadow laughed mockingly at her, before she heard the door slam open behind her. She ran down the long hallway, panting, with her heart beating 100 miles per hour. The door was supposed to be locked! How could they have possibly got in? The voice echoed again, this time throughout the hallway. Yet, looking behind her, Amber couldn't see them anywhere.

"I can hear you!" they called. Amber ran into her room, slamming the door behind her in panic. She winced at the terribly loud sound. They knew exactly where she was now. She needed to find a very good hiding spot if she wasn't going to be found. But, she realized in horror, there were only three possible hiding spots in the room: under her bed, behind the small, 1 foot tall bookshelf, or in the closet. The window was locked. It would take much too long for her tiny hands and small strength to open it, and if they came in before she was out, or maybe even before she unlocked it... She knew it wasn't worth the risk. She chose the closet, and just in time. The Shadow was at the door.

"I know you're in there~!" they said, before she heard the door open. Amber quivered in fear from inside the closet, hoping whatever or whoever it was wouldn't check there. She heard their footsteps as The Shadow walked around in her room.

...

The room turned silent.

...

Then their footsteps started again.

...

They were going directly towards the closet.

Amber stared at the closet door in fear. Did they know where she was? What would they do when they found her? Would they kidnap her? Hurt her? ....Kill her? The footsteps stopped again, and she could hear her heart racing.

And then the closet door opened.