SHADOWS OF THE PAST
977 Words
The darkness felt suffocating as it pressed in, thick like a blanket tightly over her face.
She couldn't breath nor could she move .
She ran, as fast as he barefeet could carry her in the harsh cold weather . The halfway felt long, unending but she continued to run,or thought she was running - she couldn't tell anymore. Everywhere was dark and the space around her seemed to stretch endlessly. The only sound she could hear was the echo of her racing heartbeat, heavy and uneven, chasing her like she was some prey.
Then came the mocking laughter that seemed to pierce throughout the darkness-low and cruel. It slithered closer, curling around her neck like invisible cold hands strangling her. The air grew thicker , damp and had a stench that made her stomach churn.
She opened her mouth to scream,but her throat seemed to betray her. The sound was crushed before it could even reach the air. Her hands clawed at her throat as though she could rip the silence away,but nothing came.
Suddenly,a certain shadow moved. Shapes without faces closing in,hulking and oppressive.
Her chest felt tight,her arms weak,her breath seizing. She tried to push them all away but her movements were sluggish and her efforts futile as though her limbs were tied by a certain force.
Then a voice- deep,laced with venom sounded right beside her ear,”No one will believe you. Not even your own family”
His knees buckled and she fell into the group- or so she thought.
The ground felt as though it had opened and she felt like she was falling into an abyss.
And she screamed - jerking awake from the scary nightmare in the dead of the night.
She immediately sat upright,her satin sheets tangled and soaked with sweat. Her night gown glued to her body like a koala due to excess sweat. Her chest heaved violently as she desperately gulped for air that refused to fill her lungs . Her heart thudded against her ribs so loud it resonated against the silence of the night.
For a long moment she sat still, frozen staring into the dark corners of her bedroom. She hugged herself tightly and shut her eyes,half convinced the shadows would crawl out and follow her.
But the room was empty - she felt safe.
Slowly, she pushed the sheets aside and moved her legs over the edge of the bed. The floor felt cold , biting beneath her. She stood up from the bed,her steps uneven as she walked across the vast room,the click of her anklet faint against the silence.
She walked towards the nightstand,on it a crystal carafe gleamed faintly in the moonlight. Slowly,she reached for it ,her hand trembling so much that water splashed across the table as she poured water into a small glass cup. Lifting the glass to her lips, she drank the water greedily until the coolness soothed the dryness of her patched throat.
Then her gaze drifted upwards. The mirror placed above the sideboard caught her attention.
She froze and stared at the stranger looking back at her.
Her hair, which was usually arranged neatly,sleek and polished, was a tangled mess right now . Her eyes, normally sharp and commanding,were wide, filled with unshed tears. Her skin looked pale, her lips trembling. She looked fragile.
She looked weak, and she hated it.
The glass trembled in her grip. She clutched her hands so tight that her knuckles turned white.
“No” she whispered to herself, her voice rough and hoarse.”Not anymore”.
She puts the glass down on the table and slowly places her both hands on the cool surface of the table leaning closer towards the mirror.
“Never will I be weak . You are not that girl” she said to her reflection and her voice grew steadily with every word. “You are not a victim. Not anymore”.
The woman in the mirror blinked, and I a twinkle of an eye, her fragile shell cracked, replaced by something sharper, something stronger. Her trembling body stilled, jaw tightened and her chin lifted.
It was as though a mask had been worn covering the once fragile person seconds ago.
By morning,no one would see the shadows beneath her eyes . No one would be able to glimpse the fear crawling beneath her skin. The world would only see what she allowed it to see; a woman untouchable,a woman impossible to break.
She exhaled slowly, moving her hand around her face. Then she turned away from the mirror.
The room was silent,but a million thoughts ran through her head , the events of her dreams echoed,still clinging to the corners. She crossed the wide windows and pushed the curtains aside.
The city stretched out below her , glittering with a thousand lights against the night sky. The road was a bit silent . Towers glowed with the promise of endless ambition.
This was her city, her kingdom
And she was its ruler.
Her silhouette reflected against the glass window-her eyes a bit read, her lips trembling slightly but even that faint crack was something she would make sure no one would ever see.
“Never again. Never powerless. Never weak “ she said to herself .
The city lights flickered back at her, as if promising to keep her secret.
She turned away from the window at last, sliding back into the bed though she knew sleep wouldn't come . Instead she lay still , staring at the ceiling like it was some fascinating element.
Dawn would soon arrive and with it her make would return
By morning the woman who had woken up in fear would be gone,buried .
But tonight, just for tonight - she let the shadows linger in the corners for her room.
- Writer
