The Shadow's Girl

Big Brother

Alyssa's POV

I gasped as the shadows rushed in from beside the trees and I bit back a shout as I suddenly felt myself falling, instead choosing to tighten my grip on Sylva's arm. I feel air whipping at my hair and a tightening in my stomach. I begin to wonder when we'll hit the bottom and die, when it all just stops... And I feel myself drifting in the silence. The cool touch of the soft blackness makes me feel like I'm floating. I still refuse to open my eyes for the fear that this darkness would be like a poison to them.

"But it doesn't feel like poison."

And indeed it didn't. It felt like cool ocean water that brought back contented memories of a family I no longer had and a life I could no longer return to. I wanted to float in this sea of inky black forever.

"Let go."

And so I did. I let my grip on Sylva's arm begin to loosen so that I could drift away. It was only Sylva's sudden vice-like grip on my arm that snapped me out of my trance. The feeling of her nails painfully digging in to my arm reminding me that I could live here in these memories for the rest of my life, but it would never bring back what I had allowed to be destroyed. So I held on. Still relishing in the shadow's quiet, but choosing to be more cautious around the memories it presented and the voices that whispered in my ear. After an eternity that was probably just a few minutes, I felt myself falling again. And just like the last time, it all came to an abrupt stop. However, this time, I could feel a soft breeze carrying itself through the branches of trees and the light crunching of dead leaves underfoot. I slowly peak my eyes open to find myself crouched in the shadow of an overhanging tree. I look up at Sylva, who's standing beside me with a reassuring smile and I can't help the small smile that I offer in return. I slowly rise up to stand beside her. I open my mouth to say thanks when I'm interrupted.

"There she is!" I hear a voice shouting in the distance and my head snaps in that direction. That's when all the noise starts rushing in. It's a slow crawl at first, fueled by the stamping of feet that quickly start getting closer. Then suddenly, a hundred face appear right in front of mine and I stumble backwards, begging for them to keep their distance. My back collides with another person and I immediately turn to face them in shock, backing away warily when I'm faced with a wall of shifting bodies. The jostling crowd floods my mind with their chaotic and uncontrollably loud shouting. I instinctively cover my ears desperately trying to block out all the noise that's making my head pound like a drum. A sickening feeling twists in my gut as the crowd's close movements cause my claustrophobia and paranoia to set in. I'm close to screaming and crying in a mess on the floor when a random hand clamps onto my arm and pulls me out of the fray. I collapse on the ground in the dirt. My hands are still clamped over my ears and I just kneel there; a shaking ball of barely escaped terror crouched just outside of the crowd's reach.

"You alright?" I look up at my saviour, a boy with shaggy blonde hair and a warm smile. "Sorry if my grip was a bit tight, but you looked like you could use some help and I didn't want to accidentally let go of you."

"It's- it's alr-right um..." I stopped, realising I didn't know this boy's name.

"Will Solace." He finished with another bright smile, coming down to sit beside me. "You can just call me Will."

"Alyssa." I murmured and I could see the surprise that briefly lit in his blue eyes as he took note of my accent.

"What's your last name?" Will asked curiously.

"Do I need one?" I muttered rudely.

"No, no! Of course not!" Will laughed. "I gotta say, you got over your anxiety pretty quickly!"