Falling Shadows

“Why did you leave me?”  She whispered.  “Why didn’t you take me with?”  Suddenly Alex awoke, opening his eyes and jumping from the small bed.  Taking a moment to scan the room with his eyes wide, he realized it was only a dream, yet… another dream.  He had been receiving countless dreams about her.  She haunts him even after death, leaving him with guilt that never fades.  He often asks himself, why did he leave her?  Was it meant to keep her safe, or maybe it was to keep him safe.  That night, four years ago…1

”Come on!”  Alex shouted.  “Don’t let them catch us!”  Running quickly through the forest, Alex and April ran for their lives.  Alex looked over his shoulder seeing April run as fast as her feat could bear and the dark phantom figures in the distance behind April swerve from tree to tree rapidly closing in on them.  “Here April!”  Alex shouted, pointing at a small ditch in a dirt hill.  Alex squeezed inside followed by April.  Alex’s chest was to April’s back, they barely fit into the crack.  Alex noticed the heavy breathing coming from April’s mouth.  He gently put his hand around her and placed it on her lips while trying to steady his own.  The terrifying noises made from the creatures made the hairs on April’s neck stand tall.  After a while the noise became silenced.  Alex entangled his fingers in April’s beautiful brown hair, as he caressed her arm with his other hand trying to keep her and himself calm.  “Wait here, I’m going to see if it’s safe.”  Alex said with boldness.  April held to his hand until out of reach clearly not wanting him to go.  Alex looked around and saw nothing but trees and dead leaves.  There was no sound, not even the insects creaking.  Alex took many paces ahead and began to hear the sound something grinding against an object.  Alex followed the sound being stealthy.  The phantoms were only present when sound is silence; every living thing curls in fear and keeps quiet until their presence is no more.  When silence is no more, the phantoms are no more.  Alex dipped his head around the elderly tree and saw one of them… a black creature.  A race we know not of, feared throughout the Eastern parts of the planet.  Covered in deep black rags, its teeth curled out around half a foot and its hands always stained with crimson.  Alex acknowledged that it was feasting upon a mere rabbit enjoying it ever so much.  Suddenly a scream of a female echoed throughout the forest.  Alex quickly hugged the tree with his back and the black creature arose with its head.  It screamed with the terrifying sound and flew across the forest ground swinging from tree to tree with great haste.  Alex’s mind raced with fear.  He began to run back to where he left April.  About half way the forest began to make noise again, a sign that the creatures had gone.  Alex was filled with terrible ideas of what had happened.  Reaching the crack, he looked inside and saw nothing.  Looking onto the ground below his feet, he was standing in a pool of blood but had seen no corpse.  Tears immediately rolled down his face.  He fell to his knees and cried, “APRIL!!!”2

Thinking back on that day four years ago, he still doesn’t know why he left her…  At times Alex would hallucinate, sometimes seeing April walking towards him with a smile and suddenly turning into a phantom.  Other times he would hear her ask him all the previous questions she’s asked him in his dreams.  Why did you leave me?  Why didn’t you take me with you?  Why didn’t you look for me?  Why didn’t you save me?  Eventually Alex would cry out what he felt, “I did look for you!  I looked every day for 2 years!  I didn’t leave that forest for 3 weeks after you disappeared!”  But perhaps it was just the winter air getting to his head.  Or maybe it’s true what they say about “love will drive you crazy”.    3

Alex was miserable; he had no life without her, nothing without her.  At times he would beg to fall into a dream just to be with her and eventually beg to be awoken from the dream that elapsed into a nightmare.  Love beckoned his heart, eating it away day by day.  Would he still be sane by the time he found the purpose to her?  If so or not scares him the most.  Alex turned to the corner of the echoing room and stepped toward the chest that lay on the wooden table.  Unraveling the fairly large box from its tying of string he opened it upwards.  On the inner side of the top half of the box was a dusty mirror.  Taking his cold bearing hand he wiped the dust off of its self reflecting image.  Looking into the mirror, he stared at the man staring back at him.4

The gray eyes pounded his head like a heartbeat.  His brown hair dangled down his face and gave a curl or two around his ears.  His personality shattered more each day forward.  5

In the chest was a pair of tan gloves poorly crafted and a fancy black cloak that wrapped itself tightly around his thin waist.  He laced his fingers into the gloves and tied the cloak tight.  After clearing the chest, he walked towards the corner of the room where the dim sun's reflection came off the blade of a flawless sword.  At the hilt of the sword was a ocean blue sapphire, so mesmerizing that it could take hold of your soul for moments.  6

Alex lived in a unique world... the world of Bookem, known for its dreadful yet beautiful novels and words.  Named Bookem for the use of books, something that can be a joyful memory, or a horrifying nightmare.  The present world, full of phantoms and fiends, love of people, and destruction nearly all over the world.  Yet there was an escape from this world to another.  The world of chapters, take example a mere book.  As one would begin to read the book, he himself would become the book and live the chapter in another world.  He himself writes the story on his actions inside the chapter.  At the end of each chapter you may withdraw from the book or continue its story.  Finish the book and a wish may be granted.  Yet no one has lived to finish a book.  There are no easy books... fairy tales don't come true, there is no mercy, and there is no love.  We do not speak of 'books' in bookem.  Fear has overcome this world.7

Holding the extravagant blade in the air, Alex began to think about her again.  Each day he thought about her.  Where is she...  Whats holding his sanity to him.  Alex readied himself, turning towards the tan colored door.  Walking along the cracked and cold floor boards, he stepped down out the door and sunk his feet into the snow.  Taking a deep breath inhaling the frost biting air, a new story awaited Alex.8