Shade and Shadow
"Okay, class. Cease babbling! Remember to type up the final draft of your fantasy story," said Mr. White.
A loud beep rang over the intercom, signaling the end of yet another day of school. Excited teens stampeded out the school doors. All but one. A fifteen-year-old girl remained seated at her desk, her long blond hair flowing over her shoulders. She stared intently at the blank paper before her, as if words would appear if she tried long enough.
"Serenity, finish the story at home, alright?"
Mr. White placed a warm hand on Serenity's shoulder. She jumped and gazed up at Mr. White fearfully, as if she had just been roused from a nightmare.
"Finish it at home," the teacher repeated calmly.
Sighing in defeat, Serenity's blue eyes portrayed all of her mixed emotions about "home." Daddy Dearest is never home because he works all day. At night, Serenity may catch a glimpse of him before falling asleep, but nothing more.
Grabbing books and belongings, Serenity headed out to the parking lot. Brightly colored cars made the lot appear as a giant rainbow checkerboard. Among the cheery colors, Serenity's black pick-up stood out like a sore thumb. Tossing her backpack carelessly into the passenger seat, she got behind the wheel. In response to the key turning in the ignition, the old truck shuddered and grumbled to life.
'Finish it at home,' Serenity quoted Mr. White in her head. Finish it? She hadn't even started yet! Today being Friday, and the story due Monday, that means she's been granted two days to write, edit and type the story. That's just great.
The drive home seemed too short to come up with ideas. Serenity parked to one side of the driveway, gathered her school stuff and started towards the house. The doorknob turned without resistance, meaning her dad forgot to lock the door, again.
Strolling straight through the house to the backyard, Serenity hoped to find some kind of inspiration from the trees or wildlife. Grabbing paper, pen and a chair, Serenity sat down. She gazed up at the sky, then down at the paper. Nothing. The single tree in her backyard was even less impressive than the clear sky. Nothing sparked her interest or her imagination. After staring at the blank pages of the notebook again, Serenity stood.
***
A young man stood in a field of tan colored grass. Wind softly whipped his long silver hair around his face. He had his eyes closed and began to tap his foot impatiently. Another man ran up to him. He appeared to be the same age as the silver haired man—between eighteen and twenty years old—and had long midnight black hair.
"Jeez, what took you so long?" The silver haired man asked.
"Sorry, I just wanted to get the fac—uh—rules straight."
Rolling his eyes, the silver haired man huffed. "You were about to say 'facts,' weren't you? For the last time Tori, we have no proof that humans exist!"
"Humor me. Legend says that humans loved to play sports. In one of the games, humans throw a "football" back and forth to each other. It looks kind of like this."
Tori plucked a red diamond shaped fruit off a dead-looking tree. "Go long!" he yelled. Tori's strange words didn't register anything significant in his friend's mind. The silver haired man just stood in place.
"The well, Sybil, go stand by the well so I can throw this to you!"
"Okay, okay." Sybil ran over to the stone well at the back of the field. Positioning himself to catch, he nodded to Tori signaling that he was ready.
Tori, however, was not ready. He lacked the knowledge on how to throw a football. After shrugging the thought off, Tori hurled the fruit towards Sybil by the well. The red fruit tumbled through the air with no elegance at all. When Sybil jumped to catch it, he missed. Instead of falling to the ground, the fruit fell into the well.
"Nice going, genius!" Tori called met up with Sybil and they both leaned over the edge. They strained to see through the darkness inside the well. It seemed to have no bottom.
"Well, go get it, Tori. You're the one who threw it wrong."
"You're the one who can't catch right."
"Ha-ha. Touché. How about we go to my house for now? I'll cook us something to eat and you can tell me all about the crazy myths you read about humans."
"Deal."
***
Serenity turned to walk back into the house when she heard a rustle and a thump as something soft hit the ground. She turned back around and went to inspect behind the tree. Something in the shape of a large red football lay by the base of the trunk. Picking it up, Serenity sniffed it. It smelled faintly of strawberries and watermelon. She took a small bite of the thick but soft skin of the odd red fruit. A plethora of tastes invaded her taste buds. Every fruity taste she'd ever known was present in the single bite she took from the odd red fruit.
When Serenity peered up, everything changed. Quite literally nothing was the same. Where the house stood just a second ago, a large field of tan grass was present. The tree that had been standing in front of her was replaced by a small stone well. The sky had darkened to pure black, and a red moon gave everything a nightmarish red hue. Black trees scattered throughout the field appeared to be dead and withering, but still bore fruit—the same variety of fruit that Serenity had bitten into before somehow transporting here. Turning around, Serenity observed the she stood at the end of a dirt road that leads to a small rural city.
The houses were small one-story houses built out of black wood. Most had square windows on either side of the front doors. Dropping the fruit, Serenity snuck over to the closest house. Peeking into the window, she saw two men sitting across from each other at a small table. One man had silver hair, the other had black hair. They both looked to be around nineteen years old. Serenity tried to listen to their conversation, but couldn't distinguish anything reasonable from the muffled voices. While trying to sneak a little closer, Serenity crushed a twig underfoot. She looked down for a split second, then back up through the window. Only the black haired man sat at the table now.
Serenity's instincts told her that she needed to escape. Before she could act upon that instinct, she was grabbed from behind. Strong hands held her arms just above the elbows, rendering her unable to move. Turning her head around to see her captor, she was shocked to be staring into the silver haired man's face. His eyes were cold and menacing. They glowed with an odd yellow-green hue, and the pupils were just vertical black slits. Flawless pale skin was stretched over his young face.
"Why were you eavesdropping?" he asked. Chills ran up Serenity's spine while listening to his demonic voice. Fear immobilized her. The black haired man appeared in front of Serenity, as if out of thin air.
"So what's the problem, Sybil?" he asked the silver haired man.
"A youngling," Sybil confirmed, "She was eavesdropping, but refuses to say why."
With every word, Sybil tightened his grip on Serenity's arms. Eventually, the pressure became too great for her to stay quiet about it.
"Ow!"
"Quiet you!" Sybil demanded. Then he scowled as he looked up at the black haired man. A hiss escaped his throat. "Tori, you don't think she's from the neighboring kingdom, do you?" He shook Serenity slightly as he spoke. His claw like nails threatened to break skin. Realization glowed in Tori's red eyes.
"I don't think the neighboring kingdom has any reason to send a spy," Tori admitted, "but she might be a…" His voice trailed off as he noticed how ridiculous he sounded.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes. Look at her eyes and her hair. Does she look like a Shadow to you?"
"Well, no, but still. Tori, as I've said before, we lack proof of humans' existence!"
Serenity couldn't believe what she was hearing! Humans don't exist? What does that mean? If Serenity wants to escape, she needs to step in.
"What are you talking about?! I am human! Now let me go…please, it hurts." Serenity choked out the second half of the sentence. When the tears rolled down her cheeks, Tori became adamant about his conclusion.
"Let her go, Sybil." Tori demanded. "Her tears are clear. If she were a Shadow her tears would be black."
"As you wish." Grumbling, Sybil released Serenity slowly. Collapsing to the ground, Serenity continued to cry while holding her arms close. She had never been so scared or confused or hurt in her life.
The two men stood side by side now, whispering to each other now. Sybil didn't appear so menacing anymore for some reason. Instead, he seemed almost sad.
"So what's our focus now?" Apology was clear in his voice. Tori shrugged.
"Humans are fragile creatures, in both mind and body. Once they're hurt and trust becomes void, much time is needed to mend the emotional wounds."
Kneeling in front of Serenity, Tori gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Serenity recoiled from the touch and fell backwards. She didn't want to be here anymore. These guys hurt her. They were talking about her as if she was some animal caught in a trap.
"I want to go home," Serenity whispered. Her throat was sore from the many tears, and her voice became almost inaudible. Tori again reached for Serenity, trying to help her to her feet. But she didn't want to be on her feet, she wanted to be home. Shaking her head, Serenity gathered what little strength she could and darted for the fields.
Behind the well, out of sight of town, Serenity wept long and hard. What seemed like hours had only been a few minutes. An illusion is what she hoped all of this madness was. A bad dream. The throbbing soreness made convincing herself difficult. Rubbing her arms helped dull the pain a little bit. When Serenity heard grass crunching under someone's sandals, her breath caught. She held it until the crunching stopped, then exhaled slowly.
"Um, excuse me? I know you're here, Youngling, and I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I'd like to help you, if you'll let me. My name's Sybil. May I ask your name?"
The odd name definitely explained his mood swings. Sitting in silence, Serenity thought over Sybil's words. She wanted help. She needed help. Yet she was horrified by this strange world that she'd stumbled into. Silence ensued for several minutes. Sybil waited for an answer. Then he spoke.
"I understand. You need more time, I guess."
Just as the grass started crunching again, Sybil got his answer.
"Serenity."
Sybil stopped, and then appeared before Serenity, again out of thin air. The sudden movement startled Serenity.
"Sorry," apologized Sybil. He held out his hand. Serenity took it and was helped up. All of the crying had sapped her strength, making her a little wobbly.
"Dizzy," she said.
"Um, would you like me to carry you?" Sybil offered.
Without thinking, Serenity nodded. In an instant, she was on Sybil's strong back, getting a piggy-back ride. These guys must have super-human speed, she thought. The smooth motion of Sybil's steps almost put Serenity to sleep, but she forced herself to stay awake. Somewhat accepting her grogginess, she laid her head on Sybil's shoulder. His silver hair flowed all the way down his back and was soft to the touch. Serenity watched the ground as it slowly crept by. This is when she realized just how tall Sybil was—close to six feet tall.
They made it to a house finally—the same house Serenity had been eavesdropping at. After opening the door slowly, Sybil walked inside. Tori was sleeping on the couch, taking up all the room and snoring obnoxiously. Sybil helped Serenity off his back and onto her feet. Walking over to where Tori lay, she saw his fangs exposed as he snored. She was too tired to be afraid, but she wanted to touch them.
"I wouldn't." Sybil advised.
Ignoring the warning, Serenity lightly touched the point of one of Tori's fangs with her pointer finger. Tori's snoring stopped almost immediately after. He brought his jaw up, gently trapping Serenity's finger as a tease.
"I dare you." Sybil jested, suddenly defensive of Serenity.
Tori laughed and opened his eyes. After releasing Serenity's finger, he stood. Then he bowed toward Serenity, his silky black hair spilling over his shoulders like water.
"Forgive my rudeness. My name is Sartorius. Prince Sartorius if you prefer it, but Sybil just calls me Tori, as may you."
After introductions, Sartorius explained that they lived in the kingdom of Shade. Instead of people, citizens are Shadows, like Sybil and his self. Sartorius's father, King Asch, has been conducting research on the existence of humans. Sartorius's older brother on the other hand thinks the whole concept is ridiculous. His brother believes that humans would be nothing if not a threat to the kingdom.
"Who's your brother?" Serenity asked.
"Hilariously enough, his name is Luke. He sits on the right hand side of father. I think his name is funny because 'Luke' means 'Light of the Sacred Flame,' but we live in perpetual darkness. Also, he is very cold to everyone, even civilians. He doesn't accept help from anyone, and is completely adamant about any decisions he makes. He's been like that for over two hundred years, and he isn't changing anytime soon." Tori's voice was thick with acidic distain for his brother.
Serenity asked a follow-up question. "So both of you are over two hundred years old?" After they nodded, she added, "I'm only fifteen. Humans rarely live past eighty."
Suddenly, there were three short raps on the front door. Sybil took a defensive stance in front of Serenity. Peeking around him, Serenity waited for the invitation for the guest to come in.
"You may enter." Sartorius said formally.
A Shadow had come inside, wearing armor as well as holding a sword and shield. He nodded toward Sybil, and then reported formally to Sartorius.
"Lord Sartorius! Your father, the king, has been slain! Your brother, Lord Luke became infuriated about the research being conducted about humans. He threw the throne doors open, stalked across the room and struck down His Majesty where he sat on the throne! Obviously, this is an outrage, but Lord Luke now has the right to claim the throne and nobody holds the courage required to oppose him."
Sartorius's eyes began to glow a bloodthirsty maroon. An animalistic growl erupted from his chest as he spoke. "I do."
Those two little words acted as ice does, freezing everyone in the room. Serenity discovered herself clutching the back of Sybil's cotton-like shirt. Sybil ordered the guard to leave, and he did. As Sartorius skulked to the back room to prepare for battle, Sybil turned to Serenity.
"You have to get out of here. Come on, I have an idea. You said you came here after biting that fruit, right? Well, I accidentally dropped a fruit into the well in the field. I think you can get back through the well."
Leaving Sartorius to prepare, the two headed out to the well. Serenity tried to convince Sybil to let her stay, but he wouldn't hear of it. "You have to, Serenity. You said yourself that humans live short lives. I will not be responsible for your life being cut shorter."
When they made it to the well, Sybil kneeled down to Serenity's eye level. Serenity wrapped her arms around Sybil's neck in an embrace. He understood and returned the gesture, chuckling. "Are you crying again? Okay, I promise we'll see each other again. I'll sneak a fruit down the well when Tori's not looking. But it'll have to wait until there's no danger involved, alright?"
Serenity nodded, and then pulled back from the embrace. Climbing on to the stone well, she took Sybil's hand for balance. Sybil lowered her slowly into the darkness of the well. She went lower and lower, until Sybil could no longer feel her hand in his.
***
By the time Serenity couldn't feel Sybil's hand, she stood in her backyard once again. Then she realized that the sun had shifted position. What time was it? She bolted to the kitchen to look at the digital clock. The clock read six in the afternoon on Friday. A whole day in Shade equals one hour on Earth. The next day—Saturday—she found a red fruit in her backyard. Biting into it, she appeared in the kingdom of Shade. Sybil was delighted to see her, as was the new king, Sartorius. Serenity got friendly with all the citizens, and learned about their way of life. When the day in Shade was almost over, Sybil once again helped Serenity return home.
Upon arriving home, Serenity booted up her laptop. She has acquired the inspiration to write an excellent fantasy story. Placing her fingers on home row, she began typing.
"Okay, class. Cease babbling!"
Oh, yeah, this would be easier than she thought.