Chapter 1: Disappearance

"Shadow come back here. Now!" called a girl of about ten. She had black hair and blue eyes, though she wasn't tall she was an excellent athlete.

Her black Labrador dog just barked and kept running.

She had got her just before her parents had divorced and she went to live with her grandparents. She hadn't seen or heard from them since, she sighed and ran after Shadow. How could they even forget their only daughter?

"Shadow … come … back!" she called through breaths. Shadow looked round at her, wagged her tail and kept running to the alleyway at the back of her grandparents' property.

She saw where Shadow was going and stopped dead, clasping a stitch in her side. Her grandparents had told her about that alleyway a long time ago. Her grandmother had said that an old wizened lady had lived down there and that she had died, but her body was never to be found, and that it was now haunted. She hadn't believed her, and she went down there one day, seeing a pile of old bones huddled in a corner in the darkness, she had screamed and ran back home and hadn't been there since.

Shadow's tail disappeared into the dark alleyway. She heard her bark joyously before a cackle of laughter made Shadow stop and whine.

"You dog get out of here!" the voice like a whip, cut through the evening air.

"Sha … Shadow, come here girl. Come on, come here," she called but Shadow would not return. "You won't get your dinner tonight. Come on girl," but Shadow did not answer. Tears trickling down her face she called and called for Shadow, till evening came and her grandfather came to look for her.

"Jenni what are you crying for?" an old man with sparse brown hair flecked with white. His eyes were a sad grey as he found her looking down the alleyway. "Where's Shadow?" he asked quietly as he hugged her to stop her crying.

Jennifer sniffed, "she went down there, and won't come back," she started to cry again, clinging to her grandfather.

He sighed, looked down over his granddaughter's head to the gaping entrance. His eyes widened slightly as he saw an old lady down there, she nodded her head and disappeared. "Come your grandmother is worried about you."

He picked her up and walked back to the house, Jennifer watched the entrance for any sign of Shadow as she was carried back.

"Jen what were you two doing down here?" he asked her as the house came into view.

"We were playing out the front and I let Shadow off and she just started to run this way. I called her back and she wouldn't come."

"I see," he put her down so she could walk beside him.

"Grandad, you will look for her won't you?"

"Shadow? Yes tomorrow."

Her grandma was waiting at the door for them, the light of the kitchen framing her in the doorway; her arms outstretched as Jennifer ran to her. "Jen I've been so worried about you," she hugged her tight. Looking up she saw her husband walking to them, "Harold where was she?"

"Down near the alleyway. Shadow went down there."

"Oh dear," she let go of Jennifer and knelt down to her level. "Promise me you won't go looking for her."

Jennifer cocked her head to one side, "I won't," she said in a small voice.

"That's a girl. Go upstairs and wash yourself up, dinner's not far off been ready."

"Yes grandma," she walked slowly upstairs to wash her hands.

Dinner was a quiet affair that night; Jennifer ate in silence and went up to bed soon after dessert.

Dressing quietly she turned the light off and climbed under the covers, closing her eyes.

"Sleep well darling," murmured her grandmother when she came to check on her. She closed the door softly and went back downstairs. "Harold how do we say to her that Shadow is gone for good," sitting down in the armchair and staring at the fire as her husband gave her a glass of Scotch.

"Belle we don't know that. I saw her when I went to get Jen," he sat opposite his wife and took a sip of Scotch.

"The old lady?" her gaze reproachful. "Harold she died when Jen came here."

His shook his head, "no I saw her today. She looked better, she was standing without a cane."

Belle laughed softly, "sometimes your imagination gets the better of you Harold. She's dead," she looked at the fire, lost in thought. "But if she isn't, where did she go all these years?"

"Can't you guess?"

Belle widened her eyes in shock. "That is pure fantasy. That place doesn't exist anymore. The Keeper died, she died."

"Then why did Shadow not return from there?" he said pointedly. "It is a dead end, she had nowhere to go but the way she came from."

Belle shook her head, determined not to believe him, "but she could just be hiding, playing a game with Jen. You know what those two are like."

"Yes she could've been. But she always answers her name, and Jen was calling well before I got there."

"But if she is back, why did she not take Jen with her?"

"When I got there she was at least well behind that line, we drew." He looked at his wife. "Shadow will come back. She must, Jen is now the Chosen One. The Keeper died when Jen came here, right? Our daughter Emily was the Chosen One, but she ignored her calling. Jennifer won't, I won't let her ignore it. She must find out why she came here," he rose to his feet. "I'm off to bed."

Belle kissed him on the cheek and said she would be up soon. If her husband were right she would have to prepare herself for a visit from an old friend. She stood stiffly and went up to bed.