Shadows

Six - Letters

I can't sleep. Dr Kennard had Kiki and me transferred into a new dorm room. It's located inside the main dorm building rather than on the outside. To get in you have to come through the main foyer, where the assistant dorm advisor sits at her desk, and then up a flight of stairs. The room is situated in the middle of the second floor, meaning there are no windows. To add to the embarrassment, one of the school's security guards has been ordered to watch our hallway.

Leo promised he wouldn't leave us by ourselves and he's stuck by it. He tried to get into the dorm by the front door but he was denied entry; "no boys in the girls' dormitory." So he went around the corner and shadow shifted in.

He's now sitting on the floor leaning against the cupboard door. I'm too overwhelmed to fall asleep so easily and he dozes off before I do. Kiki's gentle snores fill the room too as I stare into the darkness. Leo slides down the door slightly. I notice his shirt is still wet from when I had cried into it earlier.

Tomorrow will be interesting. Everyone will be staring even more than they were today.

I slowly sit up and the bedsprings squeak. Leo opens his eyes and sits up, suddenly on high alert.

'What's the matter?' he whispers.

'Nothing, I just can't sleep,' I reply softly.

He stands and comes to sit on the edge of my bed. He slowly sweeps my hair out of my eyes and brushes his thumb down my cheek and under my chin. I can feel the shadows flittering over me, slowing my breathing and heartbeat.

'Lie down,' he says.

He moves to kneel beside the bed as I rest my head on the pillow again.

'Close your eyes and focus on the warmth of the shadows,' he moves a single finger from the top of my forehead, down the bridge of my nose to the tip and then back up again.

The rhythmic sensation and velvety shadows sliding over have me asleep in a matter of minutes.

I wake to the sound of something solid hitting the ground. Someone gasps and another someone laughs.

'You ok?' Leo whispers through his chuckles.

'Yeah,' Kiki giggles from the floor, 'I must've been in a pretty deep sleep.'

'Yeah. A little bit like Ollie. She's been talking in her sleep,' Leo laughs.

I open my eyes.

'I talk in my sleep?' I yawn.

'Well, good morning sleepy head,' Leo smiles at me over his book.

'Morning?' Kiki says sarcastically, rubbing the back of her head and climbing off the floor, 'it's bloody two in the afternoon.'

'Did you fall out of bed?' I laugh, 'wait, two in the afternoon?'

I sit up and kick the covers off myself.

'Where do you need to be?' Leo folds over the corner of the page and places his book on the floor beside him.

'Nowhere, just surprised.'

'Oh yeah,' Kiki stands and stretches, showing the soft curves of her waist as her shirt lifts to reveal her midriff.

'Food, anyone?' Leo stands as well, making a point to not look at Kiki.

I nod and stand to walk towards the cupboard.

'Food,' Kiki and I both sigh happily.

'I'll meet you at the cafeteria,' he dissolves into shadows.