Bloodlines of the Shadows

I find myself in a dense, foggy forest. The air is thick with an unnatural chill, and I shiver as it seeps into my bones.

Clutching my hands together, I try to make out what I am seeing. Shadows envelop everything, and the tall trees stand like silent sentinels. Suddenly, I hear footsteps rumbling from the shadows.

I freeze, my heart beating loudly, drowning out all other sounds. My hands tremble as I cling tightly to myself, not moving an inch. The footsteps grow louder as I reach out to steady myself against a gnarled tree trunk, its bark rough and cold under my fingertips.

The footsteps grow louder, crushing the dry leaves on the forest floor, forcing me to turn my head slowly. There, just beyond the reach of the moonlight, I see her. Silver hair glowing, shimmering with the intensity of her fury. She holds up a staff with a large purple diamond sitting gallantly on it, her blue eyes blazing as she approaches me.

My mind races as I try to process what I am seeing as my legs buckle and I fall against the cold root of one of the trees. She looks exactly like me-or rather, an older version of me. I try to scream, but no sound comes out. My mouth moves silently, and my throat constricts with terror.

She approaches me, a lump forming in my throat as she kneels to face me. Her hair is no longer blazing; it is calm, just like mine. She stretches out her hand, brushing the hair from my face and tucking it behind my ear, planting a kiss on my forehead. I hear her whisper, "Welcome," her voice sharp as the edge of a knife yet soothing to my ears.

Staring in shock, I remain silent. Her slender fingers take mine, and I realize there is no difference between us.

"We are the same. She is me, and I am her," I think to myself, staring into her calm eyes.

"You are wrong," she says in a hushed tone. "You are me," she continues with a sly smile, sending fear deep down my spine.

"Did I say that out loud," I ask myself but there's no response from her this time.

"I have something to show you. Follow me," she says in a low voice that I can barely hear as she helps me to my feet.

Without thinking twice, adrenaline courses through my veins, propelling me forward. I run, branches tearing at my skin and clothes, but survival is my priority. The icy wind bites at my face, my lungs burn, and my legs feel like lead, but I don't dare to stop.

Ahead, a clearing opens, bathed in an eerie dim light. I dash into it, only to find myself looking directly at her. Using my knees for support, I try to regain my breath, wondering what is going on.

Feeling her gaze on me, her blue eyes are no longer calm; they blaze with fury as she walks towards me and slaps me hard.

"You are such a hard nut to crack, aren't you?" she says, twisting my hair in her fingers. "You must follow the rules, sweetheart. No one is saving you from my grip," her voice echoes through the abyss.

Pushing her away, I plunge toward the opposite direction with no ray of light. A manly figure appears in front of me. As I struggle to free myself from his grip, I notice that we are standing on the edge of a cliff. I compose myself immediately.

Realizing I have calmed down, he frees me, and suddenly a shrill sound erupts everywhere, causing the forest to shrink. Clutching my ears, the figure pushes me off the cliff, and I fall forward into the abyss, the wind rushing past as I plummet into darkness.

With a jolt, I wake up drenched in sweat as if I have just taken a bath, my mind racing as I try to catch my breath. My hands clutch the bedsheets, knuckles white.

The moon, a solemn sentinel, casts its ethereal glow upon the night looking no different from where I had just been, veiling my surroundings and my humble abode in a shroud of silence. I look over my body for any scars or wounds but find none.

It takes a moment for the reality of my bedroom to replace the terror of the dream. But even as I sit on my bed, I can still see the woman in her purple gown with her staff; it feels like she is with me.

Waving off the thought and fear from my mind, I move to my standing mirror. After looking at myself for a while, I whisper, "It's just a nightmare," before moving back to my bed.

As I contemplate the enveloping darkness, my phone's shrill ring pierces the quiet, reminding me of the same sound causing me to hesitate.

With a sluggish pace, I approach the device, nestled beside my laptop on my reading table. Staring at the screen, I see one of my best friend's names pop up with her lovely picture indicating that she is calling me.

Still staring at the screen, contemplating whether to answer or not, a black parrot flies to my window, sending shivers down my spine and prompting me to answer the phone immediately.

"Where the fuck are you? Bitch, and why are you not answering your phone?" I hear her say, causing me to push my phone far from my ear because her voice is too loud.

"Are you not just calling me now?" I ask, pulling the phone away from my ear to check for missed calls.

Gasping immediately after realizing that she has called me once before, fear envelops me again. I start scanning my surroundings, shutting all the windows.

"What's wrong, Jenna?" Amelia asks concern etched in her voice.

"Don't tell me that your bitch of a sister, Juliet, stole your phone," she adds, anger rising in her voice.

"No, no. It's not what you think," I reply, trying to hide my worry.

"And that's by the way. What do you mean, where am I? I am at home, Amelia," I say, trying to change the topic while sitting down on my reading chair and staring back at the blank laptop that seems to mock me.

"What? What do you mean, Jenna? Don't tell me you forgot that I said we are going to have a girl's night out?" Her voice thunders through the phone.

"Shit, I'm sorry, Amie. I will be there in fifteen minutes," I say in a pleading tone.

"Okay, it's alright. I am almost there, so the only favor you have to do for me is to make all the boys here regret not having you because... I am seeing a lot of hotties going in already and I am already getting wet," she says, her voice dripping with happiness like it's her first time.

"If you continue talking, I don't think I will be able to dress up... You know what I mean," I say, sounding tired.

"Why do you sound like life has failed you? Is anything wrong, baby? Just say it and Mama will fix it for you," she says in a mocking tone.

"Anyway, baby girl, you've gotta come here and let off some steam. Come on, we just finished prom, so what's the worst that can happen?" She says, eagerly trying to cheer me up.

"Okay, I got you. I will be there before you say, Jack Robinson," I say, trying to lift my spirits.

"And remember what I said: you must dress hot. You get what I am saying," she says, almost sounding like she is rapping.

"Okay, bye," I say, trying to focus more on the thoughts that threaten to rip me apart.

"Hold up, baby girl, don't be in a rush. Your nerd boyfriend, Nathan, won't be here, so this night is for some extra shit," she shouts, hanging up the call, leaving me to drown in my thoughts.