Amidst The Shadows(A ShadowLand Novel-Vol.1)

So Bloody... Cruel

Vaguely, I was aware that I no longer stood in the restaurant peering at my bloody hands which were only a figment of my imagination at that point and that Sam stood in front of me his hands on my shoulders.

"Breathe, Avian." I heard him say. I'm trying. But it was hard to do so when what I'd been telling myself for the past two weeks was only a nightmare after waking up in bed, not a sign of the previous night anywhere. I hadn't slept soundly since, each time fearing I'd step out of the shower and find a dying man at my doorstep.

"Sit her down." Someone else commanded. I thought it was Audrey, but couldn't be sure that the voice was female. I felt my legs working in accordance to the hands on my shoulders as they steered me toward what I presumed was a chair.

"Avian, can you tell me what happened?" Sam spoke again, his voice sounding as if coming from a tunnel.

What happened? What happened was I saw a dying man walking around in perfect health and all this time I thought I had hallucinated after a long work day. But, I couldn't tell Sam that. If he didn't think me weird and pitied me then, I was sure that statement would make him think otherwise.

I knew by the constant string of voices surrounding me that I needed to say something. I just wasn't sure what would come out of my mouth when I forced my throat to clear as I peeked up from beneath my lashes.

"I... thought I saw..." What could I say? That I thought I saw someone? But then I'd be asked who and I wasn't sure I could answer the subsequent questions without being dubbed insane.

"You thought you saw..." Audrey trailed, gasping as she paused in front of me. "It was an ex wasn't it? I've noticed you moping and sulking for the past two weeks and I figured you'd gone through a break up. God, if seeing him did this to you then I don't want to know what your relationship was like."

A wave of relief washed over me. Audrey had came up with the perfect out for me. I nodded slowly, not willing to correct one iota of her assumption.

"Is this true?" Sam's voice softened, he knelt before me, his hands sliding off my shoulders. I only noticed fully then that he'd been touching me and I had let him. I shiver involuntarily.

"He... he was... so bloody," My words slipped and I flinched. "Cruel." I add quickly being the only word I could think of that would flow well with the previous. Sam's light brown eyes darkened with intensity.

"Don't be afraid, Avian. If you see him again, I want you to tell me. I won't let him hurt you, okay?"

"O-kay." I closed my eyes hurriedly to keep his searching ones from seeing the truth.

A tap-tap-tap sounds from the distance. Opening my eyes I found Harry Weiss hobbling with the aid of his cane from the elevator.

"What's going on here?" Harry groused, tapping his can against Sam's wingtip.

Sam stood slowly, clearing his throat as if something had prevented him from speaking clearly to begin with. "Avian, was frightened during lunch. But, she's fine now." Sam told his father. I didn't chance the older Weiss' gaze. He'd know I was lying. I gathered over the months that he was a very perceptive man.

"Avian, honey, are you truly alright?" Harry asked quietly, his cane coming into view before his shining loafers did.

"Yeah. I'm okay now. Just a little overwhelmed."

"Your voice is strained." He acknowledged. "I don't think you are okay. Would you like to relax here for a minute longer without the rest of the office bearing down your neck or would you rather go home?"