A Shadowlander's Dream: Book Two - Policy of Love
By Kathryn K Williams
Part Four - Slingshot Dreams
Chapter Seventeen
Kimberly slowly awoke and stretched, "Natalie?" She scanned her surroundings to find herself sitting in the middle of grey cement floor with no sign of any walls around her. She quickly pulled the blanket around herself for protection, "No... no... She muttered to herself as she searched for some sign of an exit from this new nightmare. Curling up into a ball Kimberly tightly closed her eyes, "Please go away." She pleaded, "Leave me alone. I just want to be left alone."
No one responded. Not even a noise could be heard in the darkness. Silence embraced the little girl as she huddled under the blankets with the scent of Natalie to keep her company. Something about that smell gave Kimberly a small amount of strength. It felt as if Natalie was there with her in some way and this make her feel not as alone.
Slowly she uncurled, but kept the blanket held tight around her shoulders. Again she scanned her surroundings. Still there was nothing to see. She glanced up into the darkness and noticed something off in the distance. High above her she could see a small square of light like that of a window. Excited to see any sign of escape Kimberly got to her feet and started towards the light.
She was so busy watching the window that she did not notice the stairs that had appeared before her until she stubbed her foot on a step and stumbled over them. "Oww!!!" She cried out as she sat upon the stairs nursing her throbbing foot. She set a hand upon the black step, "Why do you always show up when I'm not looking?" She asked the step in frustration. Standing to her feet Kim pulled the blanket around herself once again before ascending the dark stairs, cautious to make sure that none of them were going to disappear beneath her feet.
After a time she finally reached the top to discover they lead directly to the small square of floor and across the floor was the window she saw before. Excitedly she ran across the room until she stood before the window and peek within. Kimberly was surprised to find herself looking into washroom. She glanced around and noticed that Jenn was in the room with her two friends, Tanya and Cherilyn. The girls seemed to be distressed by something Jenn was staring at. Kim moved to the other side of the window, straining to get a glimpse at what could be holding her friend's attention. The moment she spotted May her heart shank like a rock into the darkest depths of the sea as she recalled her last encounter with the demon girl.
Kim shook her head in disbelief. There was no way that could be the same girl she encountered in Jenn's dreams. She saw the Sisters of Death take her with her own two eyes and she was sure of it. There was no way May could come back, could she? Or was that just another nightmare? Kim's fears quickly turned to concern for Jenn. She needed to find a way into that room even if it put herself in danger. "JENNN!!!" She screamed as she began to pound frantically at the window, "JENN!! I'm over here!!!" She punched at the window with all her might, however all her shouts seemed to go unheard for none of the girl payed any attention to her.
*****
"M... may...?" Jenn swallowed hard as her mind reeled over what she was seeing, "I was told you died." She stated in dismay.
Tanya waved her hand before Jenn's face, "Jenn?" She snapped her fingers in front of the girl's eyes, "Come on snap out of it." she pleaded, however Jenn did not seem to respond to Tanya's presence. It was as if she was somewhere else.
May shook her head, "That is what they want you to believe." She explained bleakly, "Haven't you figured it out yet Jennifer?" She inquired gently.
Jenn rubbed her head in bewilderment, "Why? Why would they lie to me?"
"Tanya..." Cherilyn glanced at her friend with worry in her eyes, "Is she really talking to May?" She inquired, terrified by the very thought that there could be a ghost in the room.
"Because," May grinned at Tanya, "They want to keep you in this dream. Keep you from me." She held out a hand to Jenn, "We belong together. Can't you feel it?"
"This another dream?" Jenn inquired in confusion, "They told me that the other place was just a dream."
"This is reality!" Tanya cried out, "Why can't you hear me? Jenn listen to me. Don't listen to her."
Jenn's wrists twitched with increasing intensity, "This can't be a dream. It is too real." She clenched her wrist in an attempt to keep the tingling feeling down, however the feeling was getting unbearable.
"Good." Tanya smiled in the direction Jenn was looking, hoping that May could see her delight, "She is fighting back."
"I know it is hard to believe." May stated then offered her hand to Jenn, "Come on, I'll show you the way home." She stated with a smile, "Just come with me and I'll take all the pain away."
*****
"NOOOO!!!" Kimberly screamed at the top of her lungs, "Don't go with her!!!" She cried out in frantically. She backed away from the window and turned to find a desk chair standing not far from her. Without considering where the chair came from Kim grabbed the chair and tossed it at the window. The chair spiralled through the air as if it were flying through mud. The moment its legs struck the window it exploded in a flurry of rainbow coloured glass and feathers. The glass pin wheeled through the air and formed a face that smiled at Kim.
"Get out!!" The glass face commanded, "Leave here feeble speck."
Abruptly Kimberly was thrown off her feet and plummeted over the dark edge of the room. Her arms flailed about wildly as she fell through the air. Suddenly she woke up to found herself siting upon the floor in front of Natalie's bed. Panicky Kim sprung to her feet and fled from down the hall.
******
"This can't be happening." Tanya stepped away from her friend, "May is dead. She can't be here." She remarked while searching the room for any sign of her ghost friend, trying desperately to convince herself that this was not really happening. However the more she listened to Jenn talk to the apparition the greater her worries for her friend became.
Jenn watched May sceptically, "Why should I believe you?" She inquired with as much calm as she could muster. She was unsure if May was telling the truth or not, but her wrist were telling her not to believe everything she heard.
Tanya looked into her friend in the eyes, "You shouldn't believe her." She stated coldly grabbing the girl by the shoulders, "Why can't you hear me?"
May pushed Tanya out of the way as she moved in closer to Jenn, causing the girl to fall against the counter, "I know it is hard to believe." May stated softly.
Tanya got back to her feet and glared at the emptiness in front of Jenn, "It is May alright." She snarled, "She never liked me much. I can say I never liked you either, Bitch." She swung at where she thought May must be only to stumble into a stall.
"Even I was a little confused at first." May continued not even stunned by Tanya's attempts, "It is true that I killed myself." She said as she raised her hands to show Jenn the deep cuts in her flesh, "Same as you."
Jenn shook her head, "I am not dead." Jenn replied.
Tanya was startled by what she was hearing, "No... This can't be happening."
"Tanya..." Cherilyn backed into the corner of the room, her eyes round with fear, "I'm scared."
"Well not yet you aren't." May said, "We are currently laying in a hospital and if you don't remember to your body soon you will most certainly die."
"I don't believe you." Jenn demanded, "What if you are just trying to trick me?"
May looked at the girl with hurt in her eyes, "Why would I try to hurt you? I'm your friend. "
Jenn glanced down at her wrists, "So if I go with you then I'll live?" She inquired sceptically, "Why should I believe that I'm in the hospital?"
Tanya frantically glanced from Jenn to where she figured May was standing while backing towards Cherilyn, "We need to find Kris..." She stated anxiously.
"Why would I lie to you?" May replied , "What am I to tell your mother when I don't come back with you? Hmmm?"
"My mom..."
"Quickly!!" Tanya grabbed Cherilyn by the hand and pulled her out of the washroom.
******
Kris and Natalie rushed towards the Eastern Dorms. Just as they were approaching the building they spotted Kai running in the same direction.
"Kai!!" Kris called out to her little sister.
Kai stopped in her tracks to watch the two girls approaching her, "Kris! Did you feel that?" She asked.
Kris stop in front of her sister, "Feel what? Where have you been?" She probed her sister.
"With Aunts Missy and Sophia." Kai explained then pointed at the upper floors of the Eastern Dorm, "There was a wave of emotion coming from within that building. It hit me so hard I was knocked out of my chair."
"I can feel it." Natalie remarked with a shudder, glancing up at the building, "Where are the Head Mistresses, anyways?" She inquired anxiously.
"Aunt Sophia is trying to keep Aunt Melissa from leaving." Kai explained restlessly, "So far she has managed to keep her at the house but it doesn't look good."
"Missy is leaving?" Natalie was stunned by this news, "How can she just abandon us?"
"She claimed it had something to do with you." Kris explained in dismay, "Something about you and Alyson."
"She just showed me the truth." Natalie remarked in confusion, "Why would that make her leave?"
"She wanted to tell you everything early, but wasn't allowed too so she blames herself for your suffering." Kai stated nervously staring at the building, "A dark force is building up inside there and it is hungry. It wants someone in there and is ripping its way to her."
"Why do these things keep happening to us?" Natalie asked in frustration, "Can't we even have one day's rest?"
Suddenly the front doors of the building burst open. Tanya and Cherilyn came flying out of the building directly at the girls, "KRIS!!!" Tanya cried out in relief, "We were going to call for you."
"What is wrong?" Kris rushed over to her friends side.
Tanya shook her head, "I don't know." She remarked shakily, "Jenn... she...."
Cherilyn stepped in, "She is standing in the washroom. It is like she lost her mind." She quickly explained, "She keeps talking to herself and will not snap out of it."
"Talking to herself?" Kris seemed confused.
Tanya took a deep breath and swallowed, "Not to herself... She is talking to May..."
*****
To be Continued . . .
*****
Note: The world of the shadowlands, Its stories, Characters and ideas are a copyright of Kathryn K Williams.
This story is based upon my manga of the same name. If you wish visit my site and see some of the art based on this series at http://www.KatAndNekoManga.ca
Also if you spot any typos or other errors please contact me at Kathryn@KatAndNekoManga.ca
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