Shadowless hunt: Bound by their desire

Shadows at school

I limped groggily towards my house due to wound from the scratches in the woods and cursed Derek,cursed myself and cursed the stranger a million times,seeing my old cabin that I call my house from afar, I had the strong urge to cry from relief.

It was old but it was home, I retrieved a spare key and opened the door…….the house was badly in need for repairs but i neither had the money or time to fix that, I went to my bed and threw myself on it, the bed groaned like a dying old man on the verge of giving up . Not wanting to think about what happened tonight I closed my eyes and passed out cold immediately.

The next morning, the sun felt too bright and spilled through the blinds.I hadn’t slept well. My arms were scratched by branches, My boots still muddy from the forest,My clothes torn and unrecognizable. My mind replayed last night and i cursed myself for being stupid and playing right into Derek’s hand

“That bastard” I said with hatred, he invited me to a party but I refused to go not wanting to see their judging but Derek guilt tripped me saying I only cared about myself and not his feelings then I caved

I tried to doll myself as best I could and being poor did not help at all so I gave up and went to the party

The moment I stepped into the loud posh house I regretted it instantly

The music was too loud

The lights too bright

The stares… too many

I stood at the edge of the room, fingers tightening across the red cup in my hands, wishing like always that I could disappear

Whispers followed me everywhere I wandered to

“That’s her”

“The one without a shadow”

“Cursed witch”

“Freak “

I tried to tune out their voice out of my head, just because I was used to it doesn’t mean it didn’t stung anytime they mentioned it

I swallowed hard and kept my eyes down.

This was a mistake.

I shouldn’t have come.

I shouldn’t have caved in when Derek begged . I should have known better.

“Hey baby”

His arms suddenly wrapped around my waist from behind, pulling me flush against him. I stiffened instantly.

“Relax,” Derek murmured into my ear, his breath warm… and laced with alcohol. “You look tense.”

I forced a weak smile, even though my skin crawled.

“I’m fine” I lied through my teeth

He turned me around, flashing that perfect smile everyone loved. The one that fooled everyone but me.

“Stay here, okay?” he said, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “I’ll be right back.”

I nodded.

Like I always did.

Minutes passed.

Then more.

I felt uncomfortable all over my body, all I wanted was to leave this place, go home and wrap my myself in a duvet and sleep

The music pounded harder, bodies pressed together on the dance floor, laughter echoing around me but I felt completely alone.

Something twisted in my gut.

Derek had been gone too long.

I pushed through the crowd, ignoring the looks, the whispers, the way people subtly stepped away from me like I carried something contagious.

“Where are you…” I muttered under my breath getting frustrated.

Then I heard his voice.

Low. Laughing.

Familiar.

I stopped just before turning the corner.

“…I’m telling you, she’s not going anywhere,” Derek said.

My chest tightened.

Another voice,a girl….giggled.

“What about your girlfriend?”

There was a pause.

Then Derek laughed.

A cold, cruel sound that made my stomach churn.

“Lyra?” he scoffed. “She’s just a toy. No friends, no family… she’ll take whatever I give her.” He said with an air of conviction.

My fingers went numb.

Toy…?

“And honestly,” he continued, his tone dropping, “it’s not like anyone else would want her. I mean… no shadow? That’s just creepy.”

The girl laughed again.

And just like that

Something inside me shattered.

I turned the corner wanting to see for myself and make sure my ears weren’t playing tricks on me.

And there he was.

Derek.

Pinned against the wall with some girl wrapped around him, her lips on his neck, his hands roaming like he didn’t have a care in the world.

My stomach dropped.

For a second, I couldn’t breathe.

“Derek.”

My voice came out quieter than I expected.

But it was enough.

He froze.

Slowly, he turned his head—and when his eyes met mine, something flickered across his face.

Not guilt.

Annoyance.

“Lyra?” he said, like I was the inconvenience.

The girl pulled back slightly, eyes scanning me with open curiosity.

“Oh,” she smirked. “That’s her?”

I felt heat rush to my face—but not embarrassment.

Anger.

Pure, burning anger, the kind that made me want to hurl myself across the room and scream like a banshee.

“You said you loved me,” I said, my voice shaking despite my best effort to steady it.

Derek rolled his eyes like I was being dramatic.

“Don’t make a scene.”

A scene?

I let out a hollow laugh.

“You’re cheating on me!!.”

“So?” he snapped, pushing the girl aside and stepping toward me. “What are you going to do about it?”

Something in his tone made my stomach twist.

This wasn’t the Derek everyone else saw.

This was the real one.

Cold. Controlling.

Dangerous.

“I’m leaving and it’s over between us, you filthy trash” I said, turning away.

But before I could take two steps

His hand shot out and grabbed my wrist.

Hard.

Pain shot up my arm.

“You’re not going anywhere.”

His voice dropped, low and threatening.

My heart started pounding.

“Let go of me.”

I tried to pull away, but his grip tightened.

People were watching now, some even brought out their phone waiting for the drama that would unfold.

But no one moved.

No one helped.

“You think you can embarrass me and just walk away?” he muttered, leaning closer. “Look at yourself, do you think you’re worthy enough to break up with me?”

Rage crept in. Hot searing rage, then I did the unthinkable.

I slapped him across the face, not the usual kind of slap.

Hard enough to make his head snap violently in the opposite direction.

The whole room gasped and even I joined them.

My hands ached from the intensity of this slap

The look he gave me at that moment was pure unfiltered rage. Murderous intent spread across the room

Then he whispered but I heard clearly ‘run’.

I didn’t need to be told twice before I sprinted away from the room

Then I heard my name and turned back. He was pursuing me now and the look in his eyes pure rage and something else that looked like it has been released from its cage

I pushed through the front door, the cool night air hitting my face like a slap.

My heart raced as my feet carried me forward..away from the house, away from him.

Toward the dark line of trees ahead.

“Get back here!”

His footsteps pounded behind me.

Closer.

Faster.

Panic surged through me.

The street was too open.

Too exposed.

Too easy for him to catch me.

So I made a split-second decision.

And ran straight into the forest.

And from there….history.

I comforted myself that it was all in the past and I would never meet him again.

I paused in front of the mirror brushing tangles from my hair, I had dark circles and looked like a freaking panda. The scratches were nothing, but the emptiness inside felt more hollow,deeper. I was alone,my parents gone,relatives indifferent,No one to check on me, no one who cared. Sometimes I wondered if that is why I put up with Derek, why I let him pull me back into his world even though I hated him; because I had nobody left.

I knew Derek was using me to brag, treated me like charity case and he probably had this twisted obsession with being the only one for me since nobody wanted to get close to me but I accepted it anyways; any crumb of affection he gave me,I gladly wanted it;it was the only time I felt seen……..human.

My reflection felt fragile. Even my missing shadow seemed to echo that emptiness, the absence of something i could call my own.

By the time I got to school, my arms and legs were sore and I moved through the hallways quietly ,hoping no one would notice and looked forward to my encounter later with Derek…..yes call me a desperate wimp and a psychopath but still a deep part of me still longed for him, for the longest time he has been my friend and when you know how it feels to have no one in your life, you’re welcomed to judge me then.

I knew he would beg me and when he begged it gave her this sense of importance,the sense of being needed in someone’s life.

Then a hush fell through the noisy hallways which was rare coming from these elite students.

I felt him before I could even see him………The stranger from yesterday,the hush that followed his presence was expected.

He walked like he owns the place, scratch that…..like he owns the world and all of them are beneath him,well except me cause his eyes pinned me in place.

Every hope of the forest being too dark for him to know I was the one vanished the moment their eyes locked. Beyond the familiarity there was another thing there. Possessiveness.

That blue magnetic eyes……it wasn’t the kind of sea blue that I’ll want to swim in, his eyes held promise of drowning me till i can’t breath again but in a good way .

My breath caught when our eyes met…..the butterfly in my Tommy wasn’t just fluttering, they trashed violently like they had seen their master and wanted to escape my stomach.

Then I realized.

He was the new transfer student!.