Her Shadows

CHAPTER TWO

AMELIA POV

The ridges of the rooftop dig into my thighs as my feet dangle over the edge. So close to the edge that with one shuffle forward, I'd be off the edge, on my way down, down, down to oblivion.

Seated on the edge I look out at the sunrise. The vibrant oranges, pinks and yellows of the sky jumping and leaping between clouds, breaking through the cracks and lighting up the grass below. Sometimes I wish I were the sunrise.

Free to roam the world, to see all the beauties of the Earth, to be a force that fights back the shadows and brings light rather than darkness.

But I guess in many ways I am that sunrise. Both of us just as trapped as the other. The colours forced to crest through all the windows of the townsfolk every morning, made to wash over the sky and eventually hide again on the horizon. Awaiting its queue to jump over the world once again the next dawn.

But unlike the sunrise, I do not bring light and colour. I do not bring joy. I do not welcome a new day. Instead I am like a wraith of darkness, stealing colour, stealing happiness, stealing life. 

Maybe I'm more like the night sky than I wish to admit. But oh, what I would do to be a sunrise.

My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of footsteps easing closer to my doorway. I knows I am only able to hear that thundering of steps because he allows my too. He likes to alert me of his presence.

Looks like Aaron's up.

I turn, careful to balance on that precarious edge and wedge my foot in the one missing brick of the wall. Using it as leverage I place my other leg on my window sill, then ease myself inside.

"Yes Aaron" I finds him leaning against my doorway, an arrogant smirk gracing his lips.

"Just came to check on you, love."

"Oh, I'm sure that's not all you've come to do" I cross my arms, placing a barrier between us.

He pushes off the wall, sauntering over to me before whispering, his breath fanning my lips "maybe I wanted to check on the favourite plaything"

My lips quirk up at his mention of the favourite plaything. Oh, so this is about jealousy.

"Aww jealous babe? Is someone a bit butthurt that Eugene doesn't love him as much as a girl?"He glares at me, sneering, then makes his way to my bed, taking a seat.

I continue, "is this your ego bruising cause once again you were passed over for the top mission?" I fake pout, loving how easily I can rile him up.

Seeing his jaw tick is all the entertainment I need. I hate Aaron and knowing that he will always be second to my first never ceases to bring me joy.

"Aaron honey, it's been 15 years. How about you get over it."

With a taunting smile I turn on my heel and make my way to my closet. If he wants to sulk, then that's his problem. I honestly doesn't have the energy to care.

I never really have the energy to care about anything.

Aaron isn't done though it seems. He shouts loud enough for me to hear through the doors of my walk-in robe, "Love, if you think I'm sulking over a simple stake-out mission then you're more deluded than I thought."

I grunt. Sureeee keep telling yourself that buddy.

I begin to strip, my tank top coming off first, then my shorts. As I do, I sense Aaron's presence at my back. Like a slimy cockroach roaming my skin.

Before I can strip from my undergarments, gifting him quite the show, I tur around and walks toward him. That same slimy gaze torments my body, taking in every dip and curve as I reaches past where he stands to grab my towel.

I guess I should be bothered at my near nakedness around him. That would be the normal reaction. Normal... huh.

Instead I feel no shame and certainly no arousal at him seeing me. A body is a body. And it's not like I own mine anyways.

As Eugene likes to continuously remind me, my body, soul and life is his.Wrapping my towel around my torso, new set of clothes in hand I pushes past Aaron's crawling stare. Feeling it caked on my body like a vat of oil as I exit the room.

~~~

I stalk through the halls of the near-silent manor, watching as maids and servants scatter away like a mischief of rats. Desperately trying to hide from my predatory gate. Good.

As I near Eugene's office, the broad mahogany door creaks open and a plump, short man with a heavy moustache atop his lip and a gut straining against the buttons of his dress shirt, exits.

He is at least a head shorter than my 5'6.

The man's face is as white as a ghost, his few wisps of hair barely covering the sheen of sweat caking his skull.

His eyes are wide, the green orbs oozing terror as he shakes Eugene's hand goodbye, but not before wiping off his sweaty palms on his dress pants.

The man is an absolute mess and, if possible, seems to grow even more horrified as he turns to meet my eye. His pale cheeks turn ghostly transparent, his pupils dilating, leaving only black behind and his already trembling limbs mount to full body shakes.

The poor guy looks like his he's two seconds from cardiac arrest.

I simply stand, shoulders back, confidence rolling off my body in waves and that look of death and destruction I just know always graces my eyes in full swing.

I looked like a wraith of death.

Wobble-knees decides to speak first, "I-I-I-I um" then abruptly clasps his mouth shut, lips trembling... is he going to cry?

Then he briskly nods his head in my direction and scurries past. Again, reminding me of the servants. Rats. They all remind me of rats.

Following his escape with my eyes, only once he's turned the corner do I look back.

Eugene looks downright gleeful. "Lovely to know those eyes of yours can still cause a grown man to quake in his shoes".

In response I strut toward him, heeled boots clinking against the hardwood floors as I near the door, "I don't think it's my eyes".

And with that said, Eugene smirks and gets right down to business. Supplying me with the new character profile of this 'Charles Parker' and mission outline.