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Under Shadow: Chapter 4

Leah

The little green Camry puttered down the road as Leah turned onto the on ramp, merging carefully onto the highway towards Zuzu City. She winced as large, green signs directed her towards the city. She felt a pull in her chest, begging her to turn around. There was nothing for her in the city, not anymore. She wanted desperately to return to the cabin in the woods where she spent the last few weeks in seclusion, focusing on her sculptures and her art. She smiled in the rear view mirror at her creations in the back seat and sighed. That was the life she wanted. But it didn’t pay the bills.

She focused on the road ahead, lost in thought. There were plenty of galleries in the city. That was the one good thing about living there. Maybe she could showcase her art and sell a few pieces. If she could do that in the city, she could make it anywhere. And then she could have the life she wanted, living alone in a cabin in the woods, focusing on her art. Away from Kel.

Leah cringed. She was not looking forward to returning to Kel. He was angry enough that she left without him. She hadn’t even turned her phone on yet. When Kel wouldn’t stop calling and texting the first day, she turned it off for the rest of the time without regret. She’d probably have a ton of missed calls, angry voice messages. He’d probably accused her of cheating, too.

Leah sighed. It didn’t matter. She was determined to end it all once and for all. Her time away was just what she needed to unwind, think about her life, and gain the confidence she needed to finally leave the abusive relationship. But the closer she neared her exit, the less confident she felt. Kel would not react calmly if she just packed her bags and left. He wouldn’t let go without a fight. A long, exhausting, fight, that she would likely not be able to escape unless she left the city for good. The idea was too good, tempting her to pull across the median, turn around, and never look back. She glanced in the rear view mirror once more and bit the bottom corner of her lip. He would have no idea. She’d never have to see him again.

She felt her speed slow as her foot subconsciously lightened on the gas. She hesitated as she peered out the windshield at the darkening sky, turning to unusual shades of dark grey-purple as an eerie haze quickly blocked out the sunlight. Headlights flicked on quickly on the highway and then brake lights brightened as cars slowed, hesitant. Drivers and passengers pointed to the sky and leaned out their windows to get a better look at the surreal sky, unaware of the war unfolding before them.

Cars pulled to the side of the road as people continued to gawk at the sky. Leah continued on slowly, curiously, weaving through the cars as they stopped in the middle of the road or pulled over. She watched the sky in awe until she finally got to her exit. She took the exit, getting off the highway and onto the main road just outside of the city. But the road was unnaturally deserted. No traffic. Not a car, not a soul.

It was too dark to see, now, except for what her headlights illuminated. She drove down the road slowly, looking ahead towards the city. It was not illuminated like she had expected it to be. Dark, shadowy masses marked the tall buildings of the skyline. The city was as dark as the world around her. A shiver went up her spine; something was wrong.

Headlights started to near her. One first, speeding quickly towards her, followed by another, then another. The cars flew past her at speeds higher than any highway allowed them. They honked and waved to her frantically as they drove by.

“Turn around!” they shouted to her.

Leah let the car slow more as she peered through the darkness into the city. What was happening over there? She fumbled for her phone and turned it on. She tapped her fingers on the wheel impatiently as she waited for the phone to boot and the messages to flood in.

And they did. Old messages at first. Kel looking for her. Demanding she come home. Yelling that she would regret cheating on him.

And then recent messages followed. Warnings.

Leah’s hands shook as she played the most recent voice mail. She strained to hear through the static.

“Leah… The Shadow People… are you alive? The city… They’re coming… Don’t… back…. Don’t… Leah…”

The phone dropped from her hands. The message was left just a few minutes ago. The Shadow People were in the city, and people were escaping, running for their lives.

Leah saw another set of headlights, but these did not seem to move. Someone was stopped in the middle of the road. Leah hesitated; a trick? Or someone with answers? Someone who needed help?

She looked passed the car towards the city once more. Headlights started to dot the roads and cluster at the bridge as everyone desperately tried to escape the city.

Leah pulled up to the car. A girl with purple hair seemed to be heaving on the side of the road. Leah threw the car into park and hurried over to her.

“Are you okay?” she asked, her hand on the girl’s shoulder. She was sobbing. Her shoulders shuttered.

“I don’t know what to do,” the girl gasped between breaths.

“What happened?”

The girl met her gaze. “The Shadow People. They’re attacking the city. They killed my parents.” She sobbed loudly.

Leah pulled the girl into her, rubbing her back. She didn’t know how she could comfort this stranger, but she knew the girl couldn’t be alone. She was young, frightened, and running for her life like everyone else.

“We can’t stay here,” Leah muttered.

“I don’t know what to do,” the girl sobbed loudly. “I have no where to go. I’m all alone. I’m going to die.”

Leah put her hands on the girl’s shoulders and narrowed her eyes. “You’re not going to die. And you’re not alone. We can get through this. We can figure this out.”

The girl sniffed, quieting for a moment, then glared coldly at Leah. “I don’t even know you.”

“And I don’t know you,” Leah pointed out. “But it’s everyone for themselves, now. We’re at a war. I don’t think you should be worrying about what I would do, but what those creatures will do.”

The girl hesitated as she considered this. She had already seen what they could do, the power they had.

“Did they attack you, too?” she asked.

Leah shook her head. “I was just coming home from vacation,” she said. “The world got dark… I got a call from my boyfriend telling me what happened… I don’t even know if he’s still alive.”

“Probably not,” the girl said glumly.

Leah swallowed, feeling guilty. A strange part of her felt relieved, and it sickened her. She cleared her throat and stood, pulling the girl to her feet.

“We can’t hang around here any longer,” Leah said, glancing towards the bridge in the distance. It was packed tightly with cars. People began to climb out of their windows, sprinting out into the road desperately. “The Shadow People will come after the escapees.”

“Where are we supposed to go?”

Leah hesitated. They could go back to the cabin. What were the chances that the Shadow People would search the wilderness for people? Or maybe that made it a prime target, searching for survivors in hiding. But it was out of the way. Way out of the way. It would be something, for now. A way to escape, a way to hide. Even if it was only temporary.

“I’ve got this cabin in the woods, far away from here,” Leah said. “That’s where I came from. We could go there, for now.”

The girl nodded sheepishly. “Okay.”

“We should take one car. Harder for them to track.”

The girl glanced at her car. “We can take yours.”

“All right,” Leah started. “Let’s get out of here.”

They climbed into the car, still running quietly. Leah threw it into drive and traced the main road back to the highway.

“I’m Leah, by the way.” She forced a smile.

She returned the smile. “Abigail.”

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