“She’s so beautiful.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle upon seeing Fallon admiring Victoria, a talented actress in her 30s.

“She’s a queen indeed.”

Aurora added while staring down at the screen of her phone and watching the actress act.

My gaze once again turned to the window. A chill crept down my spine as I caught sight of a silhouette, standing eerily still in the middle of an open field. The figure resembled a human, but the stillness made it appear as if it were sculpted from stone. The sense of unnaturalness that it exuded sent a shiver down my back, as I found myself unable to look away from the ominous sight.

No matter how many times I rubbed my eyes, the image remained the same; a human-shaped shadow, unnaturally still in the middle of the field. My heart pounded in my chest as I considered the possibilities, discounting the idea that the shadow could be cast by someone on the rooftop. The door leading to the rooftop was supposed to be sealed and only accessible by the utility staff. The impossibility of the situation only added to the growing sense of dread that was consuming me.

Feeling confused, I tapped my friend, Aurora with my eyes still on the shadow.

“Yeah?” she asked in a soft tone before diverting her gaze on me from her phone.

 “Do you see the shadow outside?” I asked.

Aurora's gaze followed mine to the window, her eyes scouring the expanse of grass in the field. She shook her head in response to my observation, "I don't see anything but grass," she stated matter-of-factly. 

Her words did little to ease my unease, as the presence of the mysterious shadow in the field seemed to defy any logical explanation. I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right, and Aurora's nonchalance only heightened my paranoia.

Still keeping my eyes on the shadow, I spoke again with a tone of persistence in my voice, “Can’t you really see it? There’s someone in the field, right in the middle.”

Aurora shook her head again, “I don’t really see anything,” she answered.

Fallon, who had been quietly sitting in a chair in front of us, perked up at the conversation that had now drawn her attention. She turned her body towards Aurora and me, eyes narrowing in curiosity as she waited for one of us to continue.

“What’s up?” she asked, visibly confused as her gaze lands on me who was still looking at the shadow.

“Fallon, take a look outside. Do you really not see the shadow outside? It’s right in the middle of the field,” I said, my eyes never breaking its contact from the shadow.

Fallon leaned over to peer out of the window, her eyes darting back and forth as she tried to spot the shadow that I had described. However, her confusion was evident as she failed to find anything out of the ordinary. Her gaze met mine, a mixture of puzzlement and disbelief clear in her expression. "I don't see anything," she said, shaking her head slowly.

“Lili, are you okay? I think you’re hallucinating,” Fallon said with concern before looking at me.

Before I could even speak to defend myself, the shadow turned into a more liquid-like form and strolled away, acting like a wind before it completely disappeared from my sight.

Shock gripped my voice, rendering me speechless as I tried to process the inexplicable sight that had seared itself into my memory. I continued to stare outside, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts, as I grappled with the possibility that what I had seen was either a product of stress-induced hallucination or a chilling reality. The more I tried to rationalize the situation, the more elusive the truth seemed to become, leaving me feeling more bewildered and uncertain than ever.

Aurora grabbed both sides of my head and gently turned my head to face them before speaking, “Lili, you’re just hallucinating. You’re just stressed because of school work. I’ll treat you to a boba and fries later, okay?” Aurora said in a soft tone before releasing my head.

Our teacher entered the classroom and began to start with the lecture. I gave one last look outside before closing the curtains, not wanting to get disturbed by my hallucination again. If it’s really just a hallucination.

§§§

“Lili, where are you headed to after this class?” tanong ni Aurora. She wasn’t looking at me, she was busy sketching on her sketchpad.

My eyes darted to her sketchpad where she’s currently doing her artwork before speaking in a sleepy tone, “I’m gonna help aunt Lena at the store later,” I answered before letting out a yawn.

It has been a long day. Although we’re just sitting and studying for 8 hours, it’s still boring and tiring either way, who says studying can’t exhaust us? 

Fallon turned to look at us, twisting her torso so that she could look at us clearly. Her long hair resting on our desk. Since our desk is actually connected to our chair, like the desks from Elementary schools, I guess it got popular in the year 2014 and 2015 before it got replaced by the new ones. 

“Wait, I thought your cousin was there to help her?”Fallon asked, the afternoon sun rays reflecting on her black hair and on her caramel skin tone.

I nodded, “Yes, but I still wanted to help her. She’s old and she easily gets exhausted,” I said before turning my head to the window. 

The memory of the shadow flashed through my mind once again, its presence so vivid and real that I was still struggling to believe it wasn't a mere hallucination. But the way it had vanished from sight, right in front of my eyes, was something I couldn't disregard. On the one hand, the possibility remained that it was a product of my imagination, a result of stress or fatigue. Yet, the fact that Fallon and Aurora didn't react or joke about something they couldn't see gave me pause. The question of what I had truly witnessed remained, leaving me in a state of uncertainty and doubt.

I heaved out a sigh before looking back in front of the classroom. It’s not that noisy, which is surprising from most high school classes and the teacher is not too strict to us since we don’t have anything better to do. We just answered an activity and that’s it.

“We’ll go with you, we also have a report next week so it’s better to do it now,”Fallon suggested before turning her back on us to pack her notebook and pens inside her bag.

I groaned, suddenly remembering the task I was given. I was too preoccupied supporting my mother and helping aunt Lena at the store. If Fallon didn’t mention the reporting, I would be dead and embarrassed because I would be the only one who doesn’t have any project next week.

Aurora gave me a look as if she’s sizing me before speaking, “You forgot about the reporting, didn’t you?”

I nodded. Earning a disappointed ‘tsk’ from both Fallon and Aurora.

§§§

“Bye, take care on your way home”

I waved my hands to Fallon and Aurora as I watched them enter a taxi, setting their backpacks on the empty space beside them.

Both Fallon and Aurora smiled and waved farewell as the taxi began its journey, pulling away from the curb. With a sense of caution, likely instilled from a lifetime of living in a less than ideal society, I discreetly snagged a quick photo of the license plate, making a mental note that it was better to be safe than sorry. I took a moment to remind myself that in this world, evil sometimes lurked behind seemingly innocent facades.

I also texted their parents that they’re on their way home for their safety and not to make them worry about their daughters as well.

Both their parents are protective towards both and I kinda feel jealous of that, well not to the extent that I would hate on both of my friends. We’re just seventeen afterall, we’re still teenagers.

I was about to close my phone when a notification popped up. A small smile made its way on my face as I read the sender’s name and her message.

It has been a week since she last contacted me, she said that it’s because of her tight schedule and I still believe it every single time even though I know that our ‘mother and daughter’ bond is not that strong compared to other families.

“I wired 10,000 on your account. That’s your allowance for the week or two. I already gave allowance to Lena. Take care of yourself,” said the text.

Without even checking my account balance, I immediately opened my gallery and selected a photo that I’d taken earlier of myself with Fallon and Aurora, during a report session. With a quick tap, I sent the picture to her, eager to share a small snapshot of my life with someone I deeply cared about.

I didn’t bother to wait for her reply, I know that it would take her some time to reply but she doesn’t reply often. I shoved my phone in my uniform’s pocket before turning towards the house to enter. 

But I suddenly froze, feeling a gust of wind brush past me. It was no ordinary breeze; it seemed as if something had just passed by right behind me, uncomfortably close. I spun around, searching my surroundings for the source of the strange sensation.

Just as I was still trying to process the odd encounter from moments before, I felt another cold breath against my right ear, and this time, I could have sworn I heard something whispered. The words were too faint and indistinct for me to make out what it was, but their menacing presence sent a chill down my spine.

I spun around rapidly, eager to find the source of the eerie whisper. Yet, all I was greeted by was the empty darkness of the road and the deserted houses that lined the street. These houses, now converted into vacation homes, stood silent, their owners having relocated to other countries. The emptiness of the surroundings only seemed to amplify the sense of unease that was slowly enveloping me.

But what caught my eyes is the shadow again. The shadow standing right in the window of the house. Compared to the figure I had seen earlier, this entity appeared different. It seemed to have wings, a large body, and even a long tail. The sight was both foreign and otherworldly, leaving me feeling uneasy and out of my element as I tried to grasp what I was seeing.

And suddenly, the air around me became colder. I felt my body tense and my hair stand on end. It was as if I had been rooted to the spot, unable to move as I watched the creature’s form transform again, turning into a liquid-like state. The next thing I knew, the shadow was looming over my shivering body.

This was no ordinary shadow anymore. It had now taken the shape of a human body in its shadow form except for the wings and tail, which were still present. Its form was so distinct that I couldn't tell if it was still an apparition or simply a black mist. In that moment, all I was aware of was the tail that had somehow encircled me, wrapping around my body.

I could feel the grip of its tail on my body tightening despite its shadow—smoke-like form. I can feel its tail tightening its grip on my body until the end of his tail finally wrapped itself on my neck and squeezed it a little tighter.

I stood there, frozen and unable to speak.The grip of the creature's spell on me was becoming more apparent as I felt my body growing heavier, as though an invisible weight was slowly draining my strength. I struggled against its influence, desperately trying to break free from the insidious hold it had on me.

The creature did not speak at all but he raised his hand and placed it on my cheek. What feels like its sharp nail trailed down on my neck, then on my collarbone, between my chest, my abdomen before placing its hand on the left side of my hips.

I was terrified as I looked into its faceless face. I wanted to scream but I couldn't open my mouth, it was forcefully sealed shut. I can’t even let out muffled noises, it seems like the creature just muted me.

But one thing for sure, I’m not hallucinating. I could distinctly feel the tail wrapped around me, its weight pressing against me. Fallon and Aurora's words echoed in my mind, their belief that I was hallucinating now proving to be false. This presence was undeniably real, its hold on me leaving me overwhelmed and terrified. I can sense great danger in this creature, one wrong move and I’m sure aunt Lena will find my body on the cold concrete in front of her house. 

My eyes widened as I felt an excruciating pain on my left hip where its hand is placed. I tried to scream but yet again, no sound was coming out from me, not even muffled ones. I tried squirming but failed to do so. I can do nothing but close my eyes and let a tear fall down from my eyes.

It seemed the enigmatic creature had noticed me, for its head slowly lowered to my level, its face now disturbingly close to mine. Its face is so close to mine that I can feel the smoke coming out from its face and brushing on my cheeks that has tears rolling down.

Then I saw it, a faint red pair of eyes looking at me from deep inside its shadow-like form. Before I could even react, a long tongue-like shadow came out from its mouth and licked my wet cheeks. Its tongue felt wet and hard on my skin, its tongue’s movement indicated that it’s tasting the taste of my tears. Its tongue, which it had previously retracted, suddenly went back into its mouth.

I closed my eyes as the pain got intense, tears continued to fall down on my cheeks before it finally stopped.

Its grip on my body started to loosen until its tail completely left my body.

A strange weakness washed over me, my eyelids growing heavy and my vision beginning to blur. Despite my struggle to remain conscious, I found my gaze still fixated on the otherworldly creature standing before me, my strength rapidly ebbing away. 

But before I let the darkness consume me, I heard it whisper in my ear. 

“You’ll be mine officially soon, my demon”

The creature said it with the lowest voice I could even imagine, it almost sounded like a growl.

As soon as my body hit the concrete, the shadow was already gone as well as my consciousness that started to fade.