Day 42: Darkest Shadows - Part 2

The grey day slipped easily into the dull colors of twilight as the creature moved from the open valley into a crevasse in the surrounds cliffs. She ducked beneath an overhanging ledge that concealed the entrance to a hidden cave. This . . . this dark and desolate cave was that which she called home.

The shadows pressed in as soon as she entered the cave, almost as if they craved her presence or her touch. To the human ear no sound could be detected within this inky darkness, but to her the shadows were alive with whispers and breathy sighs. They called to her and told of their power.

A smile flickered across her lips that went undetected in the darkness, for no eye could make anything out in such a lightless place. However, with a flick of her wrist the shadows shot back revealing a dim living area. Not much can be said about what was around this creature, a single table, a chair, a bed in the corner that looked as if no living thing had touched it in years. This so called home was almost as desolate as the landscape just outside the door, but this was her home. Her beautiful, simple, dark home.

Delicate fingers reached out from the black fabric that clung to her frame and picked up two stones that rested in the middle of the single cave. Striking them together caused a spark to ripple across the surface and with another blow fire sprung forward onto the bramble that lay before her in the fire pit.

However, unlike normal fire, these flames seemed dimmer. Their brilliant light failed to push back the shadows that pressed forward even more, desperate to squelch the flame that had invaded their privacy. Yet a hiss from her pursed lips kept the shadows from taking over the source of light. Flickering and waving the fire danced from its place on the floor and like unmoving pillars the shadows on the walls did not shift.

The light had no effect nor power over the darkness that lurked within this cave.

Stretching up from her kneeling position the creature let out a noise much like that of a groan and with several blinks of her thick lashes she adjusted to the sudden illumination. Gliding across the rocky ground to the dejected bed, she slipped the black cloak from her shoulders and cast it off there.

The moment she did, shadows crowded forward and reached for her pale skin. Now rid of their biggest deterrence, the darkness took advantage of her strapless outfit and the amount of bare flesh. Sinking into her almost white skin the shadows coated her until she slipped from view. Head back in satisfaction, the creature allowed them to swallow her whole and felt a rush of soothing peace.

Yes, the shadows were part of her as much as she was part of them. Together they felt more at peace, yet there was something dangerous about their pull. They called to her always and when they entered into her, the pull was so strong she could hardly pull away. The shadows sunk deeper into her soul and there was enough pressure to make it feel as if she were a giant star on the brink of collapse.

From her invisible state, she reveled in the calmness they pulled away the chill that swept off the nearby ocean more than any flame every could. A prickle on the edge of her consciousness brought her attention to the familiar approach of another living being. The shadows alerted her to the intruder of the wildness and a single hiss from her lips reminded them of their very dear friend.

"Sayah?" A hesitant voice broke out from the entrance to the cave. "Are you in there?"

Turning and casting the shadows further into her soul the creature, or Sayah as she has been known to be called, appeared in the back of the cave and was met with a beautiful smile from the figure standing there. The smile belonged to the delicate frame of a human girl that seemed in appearance to be about the same age as the creature (no one has ever really known how old she is but in terms of human year might judge to be around four and twenty). Curly brown locks framed her rosy cheeks and a soft face adorned the body of a beautiful and light girl.

"Uri . . . my dear friend," breathed Sayah. Her voice was as thick as the shadows creeping closer to her and as light as the wind, it was a beautiful combination of breathless and mysterious. "What brings you to these dreary part? Isn't there somewhere else you might want to be?"

"Not for the world, I came to see you and to see how you're fairing as the colder weather sets in." The girl, Uri, sighed walking into the cave and plopping down near the fire.

With that she began her normal delicate review of the past few days. Information that seemed trivial to Sayah, yet the creature listened intently to the girls words for she knew how important sharing was to her. So she drew closer to the fire as well and slipped to the ground in order to better understand the bell light voice.

However, a dark rustling came from the shadow resting near Uri and in an instant her attention drifted away from the words the girl was saying to those the shadow whispered. Something dark and sinister crept from the shadow and crawled its way towards the creature, words unheard by the world were told directly into Sayah's ear.

From one observing the whole scene not much would have changed in her countenance, yet the second the shadow seeped through her skin a tingle of something flashed across the creatures eyes. One must be incredibly observant to have witnessed such a brief darkening, but there it had been . . . the shadow of fear.

To Be Continued . . .

To read the first part of this story click here to read the next section click here.

Until Next Time,
Lillian Merritt