Forever this Shade

A Change Of Plan

~ Ashier ~

A dark figure stands only a few meters away, their face hidden by the shadows of the alley behind them.
Sharp shudders run through my body in silhouettes of terror. It's been a while since I was last in the presence of death. I'd forgotten about the chilling feeling its presence results in.
"What are you doing?" Death calls out. The voice is powerful but casual.
By the sound of its voice, she's female. It is deep, without a hint of insecurity in it. And though her words are few, and I have little to compare, it sounds awfully familiar.
When we don't respond, she clears her voice and repeats her question louder and more clearly. "What are you doing?"
The increasing familiarity of her voice makes me ponder. Have I seen her before? Surely not. The only black I have ever spoken to was... Laia.
As if reading my thoughts, she removes her hood, exposing her hair and face. Her sweet smile is an obvious gesture of reconciliation. She knows me. I know her.
I smile and wave enthusiastically. Thank goodness she is safe.
Her strides are graceful, but she has a slight limp that I hadn't noticed last time we'd met. Her walk becomes a jog, as if desperate to reach me. I can't help but smile. What if she has been thinking about me? What if I'm more than just a victim she refused to kill?
Suddenly, her face goes grey. Her eyelids snap shut and her head cracks with an unnatural click. Falling to her knees, she looks as though she were having a full on heart attack. She coughs violently and a thick, dark red liquid begins to trickle down her chin and neck from the corner of her mouth.
Callista screams in horror and Dan looks at me in confusion. I cannot move. I cannot speak. Questions spin around my head until the tension is unbearable. My vision blurs. All this happens in mere seconds.
Laia snaps to attention, her fiery eyes have a look of madness about it. Her gaze melts me to the core. She rises and begins to walk towards us again. Her movements are almost robotic. She starts running, her muscles bulging unnaturally.
Callisto and Dan run too, back towards the gate. Every inch of my body screams for me to run. Death is strong. Black is bold. It crushes life and light, I know it does. I've seen it happen. But my soul screams louder. I stand my ground.
Flesh meets flesh with utmost force. I tumble over, the gravel scrapes at my skin. I try to get up, but once again, I am knocked down. The gravel burns, burrowing further into my skin like maggots.
With every inch of determination and strength I have left in me, I reach for her finger and squeeze. Squeeze with all my might.
She drops to the ground, blacked out completely. I look at her fingernail, the paleness beneath it was starting to regain its colour. With one last breath, I fall down next to her in exhaustion and pain, and all goes black.