Shadow Heart

My personal favorite story!

   Dallas ran and ran, why were they chasing her?  These strange people who seemed to flow through dark places.  She turned around a corner, right into the waiting arms of these people.  “Thanks for being so easy to catch little Valkyrie, your kind is so stupid.” the boy couldn’t even be fifteen but his black clothes and tons of piercings made him seem like a monster. “Just make sure Nathan doesn’t find out about this.”  Another similar boy said. “Doesn’t find out about what?”  A voice said from nowhere, the chasers all froze where they stood.     Then a man walked out of the shadows.  Literally walked out of a shadow on a wall, same as someone walking through a gate or a door.  Dallas couldn’t stop a terrified scream. “Ouch, that was really loud miss.  If you would be quiet for a minute you will be free.”  Turning to the other people his expression darkened, the shadows seemed to deepen as well, “What is the meaning of this?”     The kidnappers seemed scared but stayed their ground, “She is Valkyrie, she will hunt us one day, better she dies now.”  The boy holding her answered. “Does she hold a weapon?  Did she attack you?  No, killing one of them while they try to kill you is one thing; but killing a innocent girl who knows nothing is murder.”      “She will come after us one day!”  He screamed defiantly, everyone else however seemed to be backing off.     “You seem ready for a fight, are you finally going to challenge me Arnold?”  Dallas had been pretty much forgotten at this point, only terror stopped her from running away.  That probably saved her life.     Arnold snarled and lunged at Nathan, who side stepped and grabbed him by the throat.  “You know its more of a battle of wills than an actual battle.”  He whispered, then threw him into a wall with inhuman strength.  The shadows on the wall turned into five chains, one around each limb and one around his neck.  “Once you can break those chains you are worthy of challenging me.”  He turned and walked toward the rest of the group, “Anyone else wish to challenge me?”  He spoke quietly but his voice seemed to come from everywhere that had darkness.  No one was even brave enough to move.  “Good, now leave, I’ll handle the girl.”     With that order everyone walked into shadows on the walls and disappeared.  When he turned to the terrified girl on the ground his face was totally different.  The darkness and emotionless expression had been replaced by a kind and loving older brother.  The girl was perhaps sixteen, maybe fifteen.  She was a bit on the short side and skinny in an attractive way.  Her hair was a bright golden blonde, a little past her shoulders.  Her eyes had been a light blue but as she looked at him they turned into a warm green color.  She had light skin but was slightly tanned.     She chose then to stand up and pass out, barely giving him a chance to catch her.