The Shadow-- Bring Me to Life

 The Shadow
            
             "Everything is going to be just fine," the man whispered into his daughter's ear. "Everything is going to be okay. You'll be better in no time, just you wait, my darling..." Tears of worry rolled down his eyes. What if he doesn't help her? the man thought to himself. He stroked his daughter's sleek black hair. What if he won't save her? She's all I have... He continued to whisper words into his daughter's ear. Words that his daughter would never hear. He carressed her, releasing a single sob. No, I can't think like that... It's not too late, no, not yet... he HAS to help... He held onto that hope to stave off tears. Surely that Shadow would help him, this girl was simply too young... merely fifteen years old, it wasn't fair. Not when she had so much to live for.
             The man carried his daughter into the steeple where the Shadow had made his current stay. He had strange powers. Some called it dark magic. That would be the religous freaks or those craven enough to deem all who are different as being evil. The man did not think the Shadow was evil; the Shadow had never done anything wrong. He was a mysterious being, simply put. Nobody really knew where he came from, or quite frankly, anything about him period. The man remembered clearly the first time that the Shadow had made his appearance. It was in the middle of their village, near a antique shop, on a dark autumn day. There, a cruel man was assaulting a young woman on the street corner.
             "Please!" she cried. "Leave me alone!" 
             The man laughed harshly in reply. "Come on, baby, you know you want it," he crooned as he pinned her to the wall. "Quit that damn yapping and just accept it!" He squeezed her breast tightly.
             "Ah!" the woman cried out in pain. At this point she began to sob hysterically, crying for help. Everybody stood still, turning a passive eye. They knew it was wrong, but that was no ordinary man. He was the mayor's son Hidan, and anybody who laid a finger on him was as good as dead, and he knew it.
             "Come on you stupid w***e, I said shut the hell up!" he smacked her, knocking her head into the wall. She slumped over, only half-conscious. "Get up." He kicked her. "Damn it, I said get up." He kicked her again, harder. "Get up, you goddamn s**t!" He kicked her, again and again. 
             Suddenly out of nowhere, a cloaked figure emerged from the shadows. Nobody had ever seen him before. He was dressed in all black, from the cloak he donned down to his moccasins. He wore a hood as well, that hid his face. His figure was tall and menacing-- he was at least seven feet tall. He walked up slowly behind Hidan, not making a sound. His shadow leered over him, casting darkness over the two. Hidan turned around and faced the cloaked figure, who appeared to be staring at the ground.
             Hidan growled in anger. "Who are you?" he asked, spitting at his feet. The cloaked figure did nothing. There was an eerie silence. Everybody turned and looked. "What are you, daft? I asked you a question! Who the hell are you, you stupid lout? Huh?! I'll kill you, tell me who you are!"
             Suddenly, the cloaked figure looked up. He and Hidan made eye-contact. There was more silence. And then suddenly--
             "N-no," Hidan whispered. He dropped to his knees, trembling all over, skin starting to perspire. "No," he said again. And then he doubled over, screaming hysterically as if in an extremity of physical pain. After a few seconds,he stopped, gasping. He looked up at the cloaked figure, beginning to sob. Nobody knew what was going on; the cloaked figure hadn't moved a muscle. What made Hidan suddenly turn like this?
             Hidan trembled even more, his teeth actually beginning to chatter. His skin was shinning in sweat, and the scent of urine suddenly filled the air. Something was wrong. Who was this man...?
             "No!" Hidan shouted, his eyes wide in fear. "You b*****d! Noo!" Hidan rose to his feet, started to run. He got a few feet past the cloaked figure when suddenly he fell, much to forcefully to have tripped but nothing laid a finger on him. He landed hard on his arm, and an audible crack! filled the air. Hidan screamed in agony, and rolled onto his back, staring fearfully at the cloaked figure. By this time, people had begun to realize who this man was. His name was never uttered without a skittish shudder; to many he was nothing but a myth, but that day he made his appearance before many, confirming his existence from the many terror filled tales that were only uttered behind closed doors. The people of the village began to gasp in fear themselves as they watched the incarnation of darkness converge on the shaking Hidan.
             His name... was the Shadow.
             "No," Hidan sobbed, crawling backwards feebly. "Please, you can't do this! Have mercy on me!"
             The Shadow took a step forward, seeing to toy with Hidan by prolonging his fear. A sudden wind picked up.
             "Listen," he begged. "I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have called you a stupid lout, I apologize. Please... don't kill me."
             The Shadow took another step forward. The wind was picking up speed. Hidan backed up more, screaming and begging for mercy. Suddenly the Shadow towered over Hidan. The wind was suddenly a full gale, blowing dirt and rocks into the air. Was... was the Shadow the source? 
             "Come on! Don't do this, she's just a stupid w***e! She's just a stupid w***e, man? What's it to you? You don't know her! You don't know nothing! What the hell makes you think you can decide to live and who gets to live and who dies? What he hell makes you so goddamn high and mighty?! Huh?!"
             The Shadow raised his arm and pointed his finger at Hidan. 
             Hidan shook his head. "PLEASE!" he sobbed. "I DON'T DESERVE THIS! I DON'T WANT TO DIEEEE! I WANT TO LIVE, PLEASE!" The Shadow didn't relent. One of the villagers started to cry. "You can't kill me!" Hidan suddenly shouted. "My father's the mayor, he'll kill you! He'll kill you, hear me you stupid b*****d?! You better let me go or else--"
             "Your father can't help you, Hidan. Nobody can." the Shadow suddenly spoke. His voice sounded one with the wind, not having pitch but at the same time somehow deep and chilling. Then dark wavy shadows, like black little snakes, appeared from under his cloak and began to creep towards Hidan. "Sleep now, wicked one." 
             With one, unpredictable movement, the shadows spiked upwards from underneath Hidan's body, impaling him all over in a splash of red like an animal in a Burmese tiger trap. His eyes widened. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out; it released only a torrent of red, red blood. It dripped to the ground from his numerous wounds. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he began to spasm uncontrollably... and then was still. The black spikes collapsed to the ground along with Hidan's lifeless body as the shadows slid back under the Shadow's cloak. People then screamed and ran away. One man didn't. "T-thank-you," he said. The Shadow turned his head in his direction. "Thank-you for what you did... Hidan would have killed that woman if not for you..."
             The Shadow said nothing, but acknowledged the brave man who had the courage to speak to him with a nod and left the village.
             That man was now carrying his deceased daughter as he sought The Shadow for help.  
      The man's name was Aaron. He tended to keep an open mind. He was a simple man who didn't need a lot to be happy. The only thing he cared about was his family. He had a lovely wife whose beauty, in his eyes, was unrivaled; she was his pride in life, from the very moment they met as children. She was his only love. He would die for her. He had a little boy, a cute little thing with a lot of heart and ambition. Aaron was sure that he would grow up to do great things. He also had an older daughter, who understood him sometimes more than his wife. His family was his life. Everything he did, every endeavor, every drop of sweat, every drop of blood, he did for his family.
             That changed. A year before the Shadow came, a terrible thing happened... Aaron was away at work, when... nobody even knows what started it. There was a fire. It completely engulfed the house. His daughter escaped. His son... his wife... gone. In the blink of an eye, they ceased to exist. It was the greatest pain he ever felt. But... he had his daughter. He had to be strong, for her. They helped each other through the pain of loss. She got a job too, to help her father with food and bills.
             She had worked late that night... and then... and then...
             The Shadow has to help... she's all I've got left...
             The Shadow had no origin. In the stories, he was just simply... there. His purpose in life was unclear, but his existence was made known by the stories told about him by other people who have seen his powers. He is said to be as old as life itself; nothing is for certain. But what was for certain was that the Shadow had supernatural powers. All of the stories he had heard described him of being an entity of sheer prowess, some went even as far as calling him a god amongst men. Many stories outlined him as a ruthless murderer of the night, but he heard a few that said different things. That he possessed powers of healing as well. Nothing was for certain, however. Most people thought of him as a demon, an evil being. Aaron didn't think so. The Shadow didn't just kill anybody-- he killed a cruel man who was a menace to society and didn't deserve to live. He removed a stain from the earth. And... he couldn't lose his daughter. He just couldn't. And he knew that the Shadow was the only person who would be able to help. 
             Aaron carried his daughter into the steeple where the Shadow made his current stay. It was fairly large; candles along the walls lit the room dimly, casting an eerie glow over the pews that lead to the back of the steeple... where the Shadow sat in his throne. He donned the same black cloak he always wore. There was something about the Shadow's presence that sent shivers up Aaron's spine, something unnatural. He suddenly felt skittish. He hesitated. No, there's no turning back now! he thought to himself. He carried his daughter to the back of the room where the Shadow sat and laid her stiff body in front of him. 
             "Please," he sobbed, tears rolling down his cheeks. "Please bring back my daughter! She's all I've got left..."
             The Shadow remained silent. He lifted his head slightly and looked at the girl in front of him. He felt a pang of dull pity for her. A pretty little thing, she is, he mused. So innocent... 
             He noticed the stab wound in her side. He was about to ask what happened, but Aaron told him before he got the chance. 
             "She was murdered," he whispered in a raspy breath. "Damn thief came out of nowhere and impaled her with his sword... she was only fifteen. She never did anything wrong. Why her?"
             The Shadow sighed. Only few people have asked him of this favor, of Resurrection. He denied them all. For two main reasons. One, he didn't know how, and two... he didn't know what would happen. 
             But still... he never tried it. He had been studying the possibilities of human Resurrection for a while now. Suppose it worked? Suppose he bring back the smile of this grieving father? He liked Aaron. He was the first man in over a century to not fear him. He thought about it... he could cure pnemonia. He could heal a shattered leg. Close a wound. But... could it be possible to bring back the dead?
             The Shadow rose from his throne and crouched next to the dead girl. She had been dead for a little while-- rigor mortis was starting to set in. Would the time of death affect it? He felt the girl's cheek; stone cold.
             "Can you do it?" Aaron asked. 
             He thought. "I've never tried it before. I don't know if it will work." That was partially the truth, but there was something he wasn't telling Aaron. 
             "Please," he begged. "You have to try."
             The Shadow ran his hand through her hair. It saddened him to see something so pure.... so innocent succumb to the evils of the world.
             "What's her name?" he asked.
             "Alex," he whispered.
             Alex, the Shadow thought. That was my mother's name... Did I ever have a mother? That was such a long time ago... The Shadow sighed and stood up.
             "I'll do it," he said.
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             They carried the girl to the basement of the steeple. 
             "Disrobe her," The Shadow ordered.
             Aaron slipped the navy blue dress off of his daughter.
             "Place her in the middle of the pentagram seal."
             He did so. "What are these markings for?" he asked.
             "It's for the spell, hush." Suddenly he bit his thumb and began to draw a pentagram on the girl's stomach with his blood. "It's for the sacrifice, blood of the spell-caster." he explained. Then he placed his hands over her heart.
             "What are you--" 
             "Still your tongue!" he snapped.
             Aaron said nothing. The Shadow lowered his head and begun to mutter something. It started out incoherently, but steadily grew louder until it became a chant. A deep, red light began to emanate from his hands, caressing the girl in an eerie crimson glow. Aaron whimpered worryingly.
             Hours seemed to pass. Finally, after what seemed like a thousand years, something happened.
             A light wind began to blow in the basement. What the...? thought Aaron. But then the stab wound in his daughter's side began to heal! The wound seemed to close at ultra high speed, and color began to return to her face. 
             Aaron gasped. "Is it...?"
             The Shadow ignored him and continued the spell. Was it working? Could Alex actually be revived?
             Suddenly her entire body spasmed as it came back to life.Her chest was lifted into the air as she took her first breath. Her eyes flew open. She was ALIVE.
             The Shadow suddenly felt a burst of euphoria. It had worked. It didn't last. He knew as soon as Alex opened her eyes that something was wrong, terribly, terribly wrong. She was breathing and blinking, but...
             Aaron didn't see it. He ran up to his little girl and pulled her close. "Alex!" he cried. "I was so worried about you... Don't ever do that again, please... it hurt so bad... Oh Alex..."
             The Shadow backed away, a heavy, cold feeling arising in his chest. "Damn," he muttered.
             Her father saw it too. He pulled away from Alex. 
             "Alex?" he called. "Alex, it'd me! Your father!"
             Then he saw her eyes. The once brown color of her iris was gone. Her eyes no longer had color, not even a pupil. They were completely glazed over, pure white. "Alex...?"
             The girl moaned. It was a dull, sad sounding noise. The Shadow sighed. He walked up to Aaron and placed a hand on his shoulder. 
             "What's wrong with her?" he asked. "What the hell did you do?! 
             He sighed. "It's as I feared," he said, his voice low and sad. "I re-animated her body, but--"
             The girl moaned again, interrupting him. He looked sadly at her. "I re-animated her body, but in the end, I couldn't revive her soul. I'm sorry, Aaron. Your daughter is still dead."
             Aaron looked at the Shadow with mortified eyes, and turns back to Alex, who is drooling stupidly. Her head is cocked to the side, brain dead. "No," he gasped. "NO! ALEX! ALEX! ALEX!"
             He shook her body frantically, sobbing madly. "Alex darling, you have to wake up! Wake up, you're just sleeping and having a bad dream, you just have to wake up, please Alex, don't leave me alone! I can't live without you, please, you have to wake up! ALEEEEEEEEEEEEEX!"
             The man shook her and called her name for hours, but in the end, she never did wake up.
             He brought her back to life, but in the end, he couldn't bring back her soul.