Who Am I? (Book 1)

Chapter 7

"Hrnn!" I sat up very quickly and (ironically) hit my head on the nightlight I put above the bed yesterday. "Ouch ..." I rubbed my forehead and looked over at my clock, it showed 04.30. I still couldn't go out ... what a bummer. I was pretty shaken up by that dream ... or rather, that nightmare. Who was that shadow and why did it say welcome? My hands automatically touched my throat and my eyes went wide with horror. Big bruises had formed exactly where the creature choked me as well as burn marks. How was this possible?! It was only a dream, no, a nightmare ... was I losing my sanity? Panic ensuing my only wish was to barge out of the room and force Julia up, I didn't care for that stupid rule ... but ... I still obeyed it. Maybe it was linked with that monster, maybe that was why they didn't go out.

The clock was ticking so slow, I felt as if it tormented me as if it slowed down just to make me suffer. Five minutes more, only five ... and then I could safely leave my room. Then a voice pierced the silence. "Julie?" I froze, no one should be out at this time. "Julie! Open up!" What scared me, even more, was who it belonged to ... she had told me never to go out before 05.00 and yet the voice ... I wasn't unsure at all, that voice belonged to Julia. "Julia? Is it really you?" I said carefully, hands trembling. "Yes, please open up! Something's coming! It's almost here ... Julie! Open up!" Her voice was desperate and ... I made a silly decision ... I opened the door. Julia sounded so ... terrified, what if it really was her? The door slowly creaked open ... but nobody was there, and nothing happened. Everything was silent, that eerie silence, I despised it! I turned around and started to close the door, more terrified than I had ever been. Just as I was about to close the door something strong grabbed my wrist. I didn't want to scream, didn't want to admit my fears or cowardice ... didn't want to show emotions. I turned around and put on my best poker-face. I was now face-to-face with my attacker, its gaze sent shivers down my spine. The resemblance to the creature was terrifying, but this creature didn't have a face at all and yet ... it was so human-like, even its aura ... 

Just as I was about to give up the clock struck 05.00 and the shadow howled in pain and anger before it burst into flames. Strangely, it didn't hurt me, but I felt a sharp pain in my back as I fell down on the floor. 

I quickly walked towards Julia's room. "Open up!" I banged wildly at her door, and then I almost faceplanted when she opened up. "Wha ...?" Julia seemed a bit tired, not that surprising to be honest. "You won't believe what just happened! Some ..." I stopped and stared at her because she was asleep again ... "Julia!" I shook her quite harshly. "Yeah, I'm awake. Stop shaking me, it's not very comfortable". Julia tried to fix her hair, but as it reached her legs and was kinda messy at the moment, she quickly gave up. Mine was also very messy, but at least it didn't reach longer than my waist. "You seem very shaken up, and your neck ... Julie, what happened?" She touched the shadows mark gently and observed it, a frown slowly forming. "Ah, well ... I was chased no, I was caught by a shadow creature and ..." She interrupted me and looked quite ... worried? I wasn't sure. "Did you leave your room even though I told you not to?" I opened my mouth, but what could I say? It was true, I didn't heed her one rule. "Well, I heard your voice. You were calling for help". The groggy look in her eyes was instantly gone and she was fully awake. "Those shadow creatures are Death's servants. The shadow you dreamt of is Death himself. Death acquires his servants by leading them astray, he takes them down a dark path devoted to murder, violence and other sins, and with sins, I do not mean religious ones, they commit atrocities towards humanity. They forsake their humanity and soul and when they die he claims their very soul as something he's free to command. That is why you should never listen to his whispering, he plays with your insecurities, telling you exactly what you want to hear, tempting you, but it's a trap and once you've fallen into it there's no way back. They will only obey Death and his offspring if he approves of it. Death's presence is growing stronger, his corruption's slowly dawning on us. If his servants can't get back to the shadow realm by 05.00 they're destroyed forever". I felt overwhelmed and nauseous. It was a lot to take in ... and I had so many questions. "But ... it was just a dream ... right?" My hands were trembling, they were sweaty, but I was cold, really cold. "That dream ... those girls, they were me and you". The look in Julia's eyes, it felt cold and different, for a moment I was scared that she would become Death, just as it happened in my dream, but of course, nothing happened. She was still Julia ... Was that dream just a dream? Or was it a memory? If it wasn't a memory, how could Julia know about it? And if it was a memory, what connection linked me to Death?