Shadows

A Chapter by Joshua Kyle

Chapter two! Next chapter is August and Willow, plus you'll find out more of the weird s**t thats going on!

Chapter Two. Shadows

Raven looks down at the tray and instantly regrets having forgotten to pack lunch. He looks around the room hoping to catch a sign of August or Willow but he can't find them. He takes a detour on his way to his regular table to eye out some of the new tranfer students. Willow and August would never let him hear the end of it if they caught him ogling the preppy guys. He had come out of the closet a year ago, only to find out everyone already knew. He guessed having the ringtone "Barbie Girl", and drooling over the latest romace novels hadn't exactly convinced his friends otherwise. Raven was about as straight as a square knot. Satisfied with his view Raven sits down at a table on the far side of the cafeteria. With a heavy sigh he pushes the slop the school calls food away and pulls out his phone. He glances left and right and types in his password and drags his finger to unlock the screen. "Hello Kitty Gurl? Cute password." Raven looks up at the tall, muscular, goth boy with jet black hair. "Uhmmm uh. Hey, do I know you?" Raven asks awkwardly. The boy sets his bags down across from him and pulls out a chair. Raven puts down his phone and stares at the strange newcomer. The boy folds his arms and tightens his choker. "Hello?" They both sit in awkward silence. "Who are you?" Raven asks, "And if you're one of those transfer students why are you sitting at the loser table?" Silence. "Well?..." The boy tugs on his choker and c***s his head to the side. "Shadow. My name is Shadow." Raven drums his fingers on the table. "Hi Shadow, I'm Raven." Raven looks him up and down and then again. It isnt everyday he has a lunch partner this attractive. Shadow pulls a pad of paper and several small needles from of his messanger bag. Without meeting Raven's eyes he says. "I need to know something from you." He lays out several sheets of paper on the table. Raven's head swims a little and the room around them grows blury. "Okay? What is it?" Shadow pulls off his choker revealing a tattoo of a half moon in a triangle. Raven's eyes grow wide, as the tattoo moves, changes, and grows down Shadow's chest and spreads to his arm. Shadow slowly slides the needles into the tips of his fingers. Raven looks up at the room as the walls shift and disappear and fade to black. Shadow stretches his hand towards Raven. He tries to get up but he is held in place by unseen forces. The tattoo oozes down his fingers and drips out of the needles onto the paper. "Tell. Me. About. August Faye Quinn." Slowly the pieces of paper rip part and mold themselves to form a porcelain doll. Fear and panic consume Raven. "What the f**k are you?" He gasps. Shadow picks up the porcelain doll of August Quinn. "You don't want to know."

Light pours into the darkness. The walls begin to crumble and collapse. Shadow tilts his head back and laughs. A voice cuts through the dream. "Hey dork. Wake up." Raven lifts his head off the table to see Brittney Meyers standing over him. "Ew! You're covered in drool!" Raven's mind races trying to comprehend what just happened."A dream" he mutters "Just a dream." He wipes his face off with his sleeve and runs his hand through his hair, adrenaline still coursing. "Anyway" Brittney continues. "I'm supposed to let you know there is this senior party thing, and yo..." Raven cuts her off with a concerned look in his eyes. "Brittney, where is August?" Shadow sits across the room alone at a table. He holds up a porcelain doll and locks eyes with Raven. He turns away and shudders. Brittney replies. "How should I know? Last I heard she went home sick or something, why?" Across the room Shadow's face curls into a sickening smirk. He slowly drags the needles in his fingers over the delicate porcelain doll. Etching a half moon, resting in a triangle. Without a word Raven grabs his phone and heads towards the exit, leaving Brittney, Shadow, and the bustling cafeteria behind him.

Raven pushes opens the cafeteria door and walks towards the lockers. *vrrrrrrrrrt* He glances down at his phone. *1 new txt msg* He opens the text message. *From August* It reads. *Hey! Its August. I had to go home sick. You still cool for tonight?* He opens the keyboard and starts to type a reply as he rounds the corner. "Oof!" Raven sees stars. He sits up and looks at the group of Jocks he walked right into. "Sorry! I didn't see.." The Jock brushes off the front of his letter jacket. "Watch where you're going f****t." "Yea!" the others chime in. "Shees I was just walki..." "Next time we'll break your f*****g face." "L..ll..lll.look it won't happen again guys." Raven stutters. The biggest Jock grabs him by the shirt, lifting him off the ground. "We got time." He presses his face close to Raven's, his hot rank breath filling the space between them. "How about we make sure he doesn't, right now. "Wait please," Raven pleads. "We don't have to do this." They drag him across the hall into the bathroom. "Someone help!" He cries but the students stand and stare to stunned to do anything. "Shut up." One of the Jocks yells. They kick open the bathroom door. "Get out now" they scream as the students scatter. Raven kicks and struggles to get free but two of the jocks hold him tight. The lead Jock kicks him in the ribs. "So f****t," he asks. "Whats it gonna be? A beating you won't forget? Or I know, since you're such a little b***h how about we carve it into you." Raven's eyes go wide as the Jock pulls out a switch blade. "No! What is wrong with you! I didn't do anything." The other Jocks laugh and rip open the front of his shirt exsposing his chest. The Leader looms over him with a devious smile. "Be a good little b***h, and scream." Raven holds his breath. The room goes dark.

"Hey!" The Jocks yell. "Who cut the lights?" Raven breathes slowly. His mind races. Nothing makes sense. The Jocks fumble around in the dark. "I can't find the switch!" Raven looks around forcing his eyes to adjust but its no use. A soft glow appears on the wall, and a shape materializes from the darkness. A shadow. "What the f**k?" The Jocks leave him, and slowly walk towards the apparition. "Who the f**k are you and what s**t are you pullin dickhead?" The lead Jock says as he turns the knife to the being. The shadow dissapates revealing the goth boy with jet black hair. Shadow. Shadow walks slowly towards the lead Jock and speaks. "Leave, while you still have your life." The Jock stares stunned. "Excuse me? no one f*****g tells me what to do. You hear that? No one!" Shadow lunges forward and grabs him by the neck and with one hand pins him against the wall. "Humans. You pitiful creatures. Do you think you have power? I will show you power." The Jocks stand with eyes wide and mouths open. He tosses the lead Jock through the wall with a flick of his wrist. He turns to others, as the dust settles, his eyes burning in fury. "Have you no respect? Kneel!" With a wave of his hand Raven and the Jocks drop to their knees. Shadow's laugh mingles with the Jock's screams as writhing tentacles drag them off into the darkness. The goth boy brushes his hair to the side, locking eyes with Raven, he beckons. "Come to me, we have unfinished business." He backs away slowly, his mind in unfathomable fear and confusion. Shadow appears behind him. "You will not escape this time." He stabs his needled fingers into Raven's exposed skin. "I will ask you again." His eyes glow transluscent as the tattoo seeps from his hand into his chest. "Tell me about August Quinn." Raven's body goes limp and a half moon in a triangle appears on his pupils and chest. "You will remember nothing." He whispers as he closes the boys eyelids. Shadow smiles, this was going to be easier than he had thought.

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