The Shadows Of The Night Fey

Part 2: Augustus

The site was horrifying.The eerie chill seemed to send shivers up my spine ,deep into the bones ,freezing the brain,paralysing my mind along with my body.I remembered that I was supposed to act but nothing else struck my mind .Even the stories I have been hearing since my childhood hadn't prepared me for whatever was I was seeing.

A girl .Probably seven year old.Dead. A corpse of a kid with mutilated featureless face.As if all blood had been sucked from the face.And it was. A shadow was sucking the blood from the left over of the face. Several minutes seemed to have passed while I stood there with a paralyzing fear while the blood was completely drained and the shadow seemed to turn its face to me,as if jeering before slinking away.

Not until a few more seconds did I realise what had happened and the pieces started clicking together. I had to do something immediately.But then, another thought struck sending me to the verge of panic attack.Victoria. I had left Victoria alone during my search.

Damn it.I screwed up everything.If anything happens to her........

I had spread started making my way towards the mall.I had spotted Victoria.She was out in the open. There were a lot of stuff to get in order but Victoria was my priority.I had to get her to safety first.

"Victoria!"

"Au..augustus.."Something seemed off with her voice.

"Victoria,I want you to get to the car immediately."

"But...but..You found what it was?"I then realised she was sobbing.

"Hey,Victoria.It's alright.Everything's okay."I gingerly wrapped my arm around her,thinking she might push away but surprisingly she didn't.Something was wrong.Much more wrong than I had thought.It wasn't just the fear of a blood curling scream.

"Victoria,what happened?" I tried to ask softly.

"Something seems to be...to be haunting me.....following me...." Victoria sobbed harder.

"What is it Victoria?" I was hoping the answer wouldn't be what I was thinking.

"I don't know.Something dark.Something like a shadow."No,I was right.I needed to take her home immediately.

"You need to go home now.Come on."I pulled her alongside me.As we walked to the front, I kept an eye on the surroundings. I had this feeling of being watched.But there was nothing I could do ,not with Victoria here.

The parking lot was empty except for my car.It was a sign that things were working right at last.I opened the passenger seat and gestured Victoria to get in.

"Augustus,you don't have to do this.I can get home by myself."

"Victoria get in."There was so much to get under control and here , the one thing holding me back was being obstinate. "Don't argue,Victoria.Just get in."

She seemed to be on the verge of saying something,but finally shrugged and got in as I held the door.The inside of the car was warm.At least it seemed so by my standards before I realised the chattering sounds were Victoria's teeth chattering.She seemed to have huddled up .

The Humans don't sense heat and cold the same way as we do.

I will have set up the controlling device next time she's here.I mentally noted.

Next time? Is she your girlfriend or what? Not your date certainly.Don't even dream such an impossibility. My inner voice chided me.Yeah,It was right.There wasn't any next time.

I removed my jacket and handed it to Victoria.

"It's too chilly.Take it."

Victoria eyed it for a few seconds before turning away."I don't need it.I'm fine."

"It isn't gonna bite you. And moreover the sound your teeth are making,I bet they can be heard for over a mile." She turned towards me ,a defiant light shining in her eyes.But it was gone before she spoke.

"Fine.Just get started."Taking the jacket without another word.

The first mile or two from the park were tense ones.I spotted many of the ones lurking in the shadows.As I hit the highway which passed by school and went further across her home ,I eased up and decided to make some light conversation.Of course only if she obliged.She seemed a bit more defiant in the last few minutes.

"I was wondering what your favourite colour is."

"Huh?" She had been staring out through  the window but the question seemed to have caught her out of guard

"Umm...I know it's out of place, but what's your favourite colour?"

"Oh....I..I like violet."

"Cool...!My favourite colour happens to be the same.Yeah..maybe it's a bit weird because boys rarely like that colour.But I do...I guess I'm one of a kind."

No reply.

I glanced at her.She was just looking down at her hands and......was that a teardrop?

"Victoria,are you okay?Just you know you can tell me anything you want to.Yeah,I might be a random stranger who asked you for a dance night.But...I would really like to be your friend as I said before.Okay?"

"I saw it before."It didn't make sense.

"What?"

"I saw the thing before.Once.The shadow like thing."

That wasn't good.Not at all good.My anger had surged again and was bursting to be let out."Where? Where did you see it earlier?"

"Riverside Park.Two weeks or so back."

Had it started earlier than I thought?

"Victoria...just tell me again when you see anything of that kind.And don't ever venture out alone.Never.Promise me you won't."

"No way am I promising you such a ridiculous thing."The defiant light was back. "Who are you to stop me from doing what I want to?You are just another stranger.Not even a friend.You have no right to tell me what to do.And for God's sake stop stalking me!!"

What am I supposed to do? Plead ?Order? I certainly can't leave it.

I decided to go with the first.It isn't my place to order. And she's right.Who am I to order? I am not even a friend.An acquaintance . My mind seemed to cringe at the thought.

"I am not gonna ask anything else from you.Just this one thing.Please don't go out without company.I guess it would be better to keep to the school-home road.Please .Do it. It's for your sake.Not for me."I pleaded as she got down from the car in the front yard of her house.

"Au-gus-tus."Each syllable spoke of suppressed anger. "It's no use asking me to do something .If it's a thank you you want for this ride today ,then here it is...Thank you for your help today.I would be more grateful of you if you stopped bothering me."And she turned her back and walked away not bothering a second glance.

I had no mind to drive back. Victoria wasn't going to keep her promise. I don't even remember her making the promise,boy pointed my inner voice.

Yeah,right ,she hadn't made any in the first place.And what when I was going to be away? Who was going to keep her safe? What happened today at the park could happen again.And what if due to negligence on my part,the victim ended up being- ....No.I can't let those thoughts invade my mind.But I knew I needed to put some sort of protection before I left for my errands.

A thought struck.Maybe.....I could trust him with this.A plan formed. Okay, I should stick to this plan.Even though it breaks quite a few rules.Not that rules ever meant anything to me.But it does to him though.If I could convince him....plan successful. I pumped my fist in air for a bit of special effect as if I had an audience and started my so called  car with a single thought.

Time for the midnight errand.

I have been really busy.But I hope I can post at least once a week now that my exams are done for the time being.And also,I will be naming the chapters after the point of view of whichever  character it is in the chapter,unlike the first few chapters.That's why the part one and part two.
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Have a lovely day 😊