Shadow

Chapter 20 - Breaking the Darkness

Silence is golden.

That is what her mother had always said whenever Abbie stopped throwing her usual temper tantrums. Now her mother's voice was implanted in her head and now she wished she could hear her say those words again. Yet, she found herself back at the Mirage, standing outside Jimmy's room, her arms folded, waiting for him to open the door with the card.

Once they stepped in, Jimmy set the card on the kitchen counter, then checked out the bar behind the counter, walked around and kneeled in front of the mini refrigerator.

Abbie closed the door behind her and stood in the middle of the living room. Jimmy pulled out a bottle of Coors Light and set it down on the counter.

'You want one?' he offered. 'Soft drink, of course.'

Abbie shook her head and then looked out the window. No drink, soft or hard would make things alright.

Unless you mean coke and not the soft drink kind.

Her cousin had a close call with death. And she thanked God — something she rarely ever did — that Valerie was alive. Maybe not well and kicking (especially kicking), but alive. And that was worth a hell of a lot because little Jack still had his mom, no thanks to her. She hated herself for what she put her cousin through. And more so, she hated that monster that lived in the desert that was the cause of everything that had gone awry for her.

If she tried to run, where would she go?

The Shadow follows.

That's what Dumaka had said. And what's worse, the power in the stone was beginning to run out.

She couldn't run, and she couldn't hide, and if she died, was there even an afterlife? Or would she succumb to the dimension where the Shadow would keep all its lost souls?

'Abbie?' Jimmy called, interrupting her thoughts. He stepped out of the mini bar.

She turned to face him, however, after the events of today, she was simply too exhausted and broken to even crack a smile or open her mouth.

'Are you okay?'

Abbie huffed, and her eyes shifted to her sneakers. She shook her head gently when all the while she was screaming out inside and wanted to express that emotion. However, she thought it would be best to conserve her energy.

What for? You're dying in a couple of hours anyway.

Maybe. Maybe not. She wanted to have faith. She wanted to have a glimmer of hope. Something she wanted to believe in. But when the forces of darkness surrounded you like a blanket on fire, how could you put it out? You would have to sacrifice a limb or so to get out alive.

Sacrifice.

Yes. Blood would be spilled today. Just how much was down to her.

Before Abbie could respond, there was a gentle knock on the door.

Jimmy turned and opened the door. 'Hi,' he said.

'May I come in?'

Abbie recognized the thick accent. Jimmy opened the door wide and Dumaka stepped in with a soft smile on his face. He was dressed in a cream-colored robe which was at floor-length. Safely tucked under his arm was a black box. The box, shaped from black oak, looked like an antique, quite old, with odd shapes resembling teeth and claws painted on its sides.