Whispers of the Shadows

Chapter ???

*This isn't actually going to happen in this story. Although maybe it is, I've played with this scene for the past two days, so it might end up going in. Idk, but I'm putting it here just for fun. This story has been very near and dear to my heart for almost four years. I now present to you... Lily Reed, your protagonist. And her old best friend Carson Thomas.*

Carson breathed in the cool night air, letting the breeze gently wash over his body. Tonight felt right. He had Lily, finally home, albeit different from when she left. Her confidence shone bright even though she was still as modest as ever. She was calmer, fierce, and Carson knew he would still follow her to the edge of the earth. But she was also darker, more mysterious, carried a weight on her shoulders he wished she would share. She had always been independent, but he knew she was holding something back.

They meandered down the dark street. Although it was forested on both sides, streetlights shone in the distance. They were in the outskirts of town, on one of the roads through the farmland that bustled with horseback riders, bicycles, and dog walkers during the day. Now, it was desolate. Carson was used to taking walks at night. In fact, he quite enjoyed it when he seemed to have the world to himself. The Lily he used to know would have never agreed to come out with him. But then again, she wasn't the Lily he used to know. She was something else entirely.

He was so attuned to her that he felt a small shift in her beside him. Something was up. Lily confirmed his suspicion when she laced her gloved hand through his.

"Lily?" Carson questioned, turning towards her. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into two braids, and she wore her signature brown leather jacket. A dark green mask placed over her face hid the features from the bottom of her nose to her eyebrows, with the exception of two eye holes allowing Carson to see her big brown eyes in the dim light of the street. The mask was what separated her from her vigilante alter-ego.

Lily seemed to stand up straighter before she spoke. "Veridian."

Carson furrowed his eyebrows slightly. No one was on the street, she didn't have to use her vigilante name "Oh come on, it's just us, we don't need to use codenames."

"No, I mean..." She trailed off, looking out at the forest for a moment before turning her masked gaze back to him. "It's Veridian. The shadows are taking over, I can feel it. I'm not Lily right now."

A sudden pang hit Carson in the stomach. He could read between the lines. Lily was slipping into her dark side. Whatever psychological phenomenon was going on in her head had to be bad if even she felt that she wasn't in control.

"Lily, please, you're scaring me." He told her. He felt his voice catching in the back of his throat. "I'm worried about you."

She dropped his hand. Carson inhaled sharply. His stomach flipped.

"I am Veridian," she declared, "and Veridian is me. That's who I am, Carson. This darkness inside me? It's pulling me and I can't ignore it. Please trust me. I just need to be Veridian for a while."

Carson couldn't stop the tears from welling in his eyes. He wasn't a crier. Probably hadn't cried for years. But Lily - oh Lily. He grappled with the realization that she was slipping away, becoming something and someone he couldn't begin to comprehend. A hole started opening in his stomach; like Veridian was pulling Lily's threads out of him and threatening to cut them.

"Veridian." He whispered. But it was enough to start the tears flowing down his cheeks in thin, salty streams.

He knew what was going to happen. He knew the meaning hiding behind Veridian's words. He wasn't going to be seeing her for a while. The thought hit him in the stomach. His eyes blurred, and Veridian became a blob of brown and green. He sobbed as he realized that the girl in front of him wasn't Lily. She was something much, much darker. He could see it in the way she stood, in the way she was holding herself. And he wouldn't be seeing Lily for some time. He didn't know how long the shadows would take a hold of her.

"I trust you." He said through his breaking voice. "But please come back. I can't lose you, not again."

Carson felt strong arms wrap around him. He almost never allowed people to touch him, but he needed this hug. Especially from Lily. Or Veridian. Whoever she was right now. He hugged her back tightly, like maybe if he hugged her tight enough he could squeeze the shadows out of her.

Eventually, Veridian pulled back, but he kept his hands on her shoulders. His eyes cleared enough that he could see her masked face clearly now. He searched those brown eyes of hers, trying to find an ounce of Lily's character in them. Something of Lily remained behind, it just had to. But all he saw was unfamiliar shadows. His shoulders slumped in defeat.

This was it. "Please come back." He said quietly, wrapping his arms around Veridian once more. She squeezed back, and Carson savored the familiarity of her before letting go.

"I promise."

No sooner had she melted into the shadows of the night did Carson let out a sob that echoed through the streets.