《Shadow》 One A man and his shadow, inseparable, lost without each other, unable to exist, follow and lead, even in the darkest times, always together. On a typically bleak English evening for this time of year, a season of change at the dead end of summer, sky full of clouds that burst in spurts, winds whip waves of golden brown leaves, sweeping across the patches of grass outside a group of residential blocks. About half way up in a flat belonging to Neville, the flickering of light from a TV stabs through the darkness outside like a lighthouse beacon. Rain taps against the open windows of Nev''s council flat in East London. The sound of puddles forming outside is calming as he watches TV, expressionless, almost like he''s watched the same thing all day. The coffee table is littered with empty energy drink cans and beer bottles, an ashtray with used tissues surrounded by cigarette butts, chewed up pieces of gum and crisp shavings swept on top. The single mans bubble and squeak. Nev grabs an almost empty beer bottle and finishes it off with no satisfaction. He drops the bottle to the floor and curls up on the sofa. His attention returned to the TV as he settles in for the night, ready to sleep. With what seemed to be a literal blink of an eye, night turns to day as he is awoken suddenly by a irritating buzzing and rattling against his cheap veneer wood coffee table. Recklessly reaching for his phone, Nev stops the alarm and in doing so swipes most of the contents off the table. He checks the time, it''s 05:30, the time he used to get up and get ready for work. The usual routine of making breakfast, usually cereal, brushing his teeth, showering and putting on a basic shirt and tie combo with little thought or imagination. This is no longer the case as he hasn''t been into work for some time and today wasn''t going to be any different. Thumbing away at his lifeless void of a device, Nev goes to his phones call tab. The only calls sent or received are to and from his place of work, a local pet insurance and tracking company where he works in admin, and his Mother, a constant worrier. He''s calling in sick early as he knows nobody is in the office yet and he won''t have to explain himself or reason to anyone, and, as expected, his call goes straight to the answer machine. With a rough grumbling voice, naturally occurring having just woke up and not intentionally trying to lay it on thick, Nev casually explains the situation with minimal effort or inclination to hide his I don''t give a fuck frame of mind. I''m not feeling well so I won''t be in today, sorry. And with that Nev hangs up. He gave up trying long ago but has recently sunk deeper into this attitude. With no particular reason or explanation, he finds himself drowning in a puddle of his own vague depression. No cause, no cure. With the phone in his hand, Nev flops it towards the coffee table. It hits the edge and falls to the floor. Not bothering to pick it up, Nev returns to sleep as another day of nothingness awaits. It''s not until late in the afternoon when the young man does eventually decide to get up. He pats around on the floor, feeling for his phone in the damp crumbs knocked off the table, eventually finding it just beneath the sofa. Checking the time, 13:31, and a couple of missed calls from work and a voicemail. He listens to the voicemail just enough to clear the icon from his phone, The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ..... you can''t keep taking days off, and hangs up. As it''s around about lunch time, if he was working, Nev heads to the kitchen to make himself something to eat. Make, meaning, taking a microwave burger from the fridge and warming it up in the microwave. Ready in just two minutes, Nev stands back against the counter watching the timer tick down, staring blankly, lost in emptiness until the ''ding'' from the microwave snaps him out of it. Back into the living room, yesterdays mess still present on the coffee table and body stained outline against the sofa, Nev sits himself down and turns on the TV for another round of daytime boredom. Would being at work be more fun? Hours pass with ease and the autumn evening has arrived. Nev continues watching with zero expression or enjoyment, just people watching to pass the time, a carbon copy of yesterday. New empty beer bottles join the old ones, the plate from lunch sleeps beneath the coffee table as there is no room on top, and Nev curls up waiting to fall asleep to the people talking on the TV. Waking the next day, yet again patting around for his phone and only finds it when sitting up and the damn thing hits the floor. Did my alarm go off? Did I hear and stop it without realising? Nev checks the time, 15:51, it''s already dark outside and more missed calls and another voicemail from work. He checks the voicemail. I take it you''re not coming in today Nev? You couldn''t even be bothered to call in. It''s unacceptable and we''ll be having words whenever you do decide to come back into work. Actually, You know what mate, let''s call it a day shall we. Don''t bother calling in sick anymore. All the best for the future. Nev goes to the kitchen and gets a mug from the lower shelf of the top cupboard. Just above on the higher shelf is a half empty bottle of cheap store brand vodka and he fills the mug to the rim. Wincing at the thought, Nev downs it one, shuddering and bracing himself against the counter top. He feels alive and sick all at once in a sudden rush. The most he''s felt in a while. Trying to shake it off, Nev paces around the kitchen, slapping his face and kicking his legs. He pulls open the cutlery draw, reaches inside and pulls out some scissors. In the cupboard underneath the sink is a small, barely used, vacuum cleaner. Nev unwinds the cord and cuts it at its base. He rapidly and aggressively wraps the cord around his neck, mumbling to himself, wet at the mouth with hyper salivation. Quick stepping to the living room, hopping on the arm of the sofa and tip toeing to reach the ceiling light just off the centre of the room. Nev whips the loose end of the cord around it, pulling tight and knotting it before slipping off the sofas arm rest and swinging to just above the coffee table, kicking the mostly empty bottles and cans to the floor. Dribbles of beer trickle off the table edge, his feet flutter as if going for a leisurely swim. The light from the TV screen casts a shadow against the wall behind Nev. The people he watched all day, talking about nothing, now seem to be mocking him, laughing with their forced sadistic smiles. He starts to slowly spiral, turning away from the TV and to the wall, his silhouette mimicking his ticks. From his shadow on the wall two different shades of panther like eyes pop open. Nev panics and starts kicking harder, trying to wriggle free and tugging at the vacuum cord above him. Nev spins back towards the TV, eagerly looking over both shoulders whilst shifting his body weight to quickly turn back around to the wall. The eyes have gone. Nev''s kicks settle as does the panic in his struggle, slowly drifting to a sleep like state, he spins back towards the TV and there it is. Jolted once more from his slow strangulation, Nev kicks out and in doing so brings the ceiling light down on top of him with a pop of sparks. The TV turns off as do all electrical items. In the darkness, crumbled up on the floor and gasping for air, Nev feels something touch him. He screams and backs away in the immediate opposite direction, scrambling on his hands and knees, wildly patting the floor to find his phone, unaware of the layout of the room in the darkness and chaos. A light from the opposite side of the living room, from his phone, held by a grinning, jet black human shaped and yet distinctively not type creature. The one with the two-tone piercing panther type eyes he saw before. It stretches its arm out, slowly moving closer as a fearful Nev backs into a corner. The creature, gently lit by the phone screen, palming Nev''s phone in a offering, continues to edge further forward with no pace or malice. The phone light goes out. Two Among the litter of bottles and cans, flipped coffee table and scattered chunks of ceiling, Nev is crashed out on the sofa, covered in a thin layer of dust from the broken plaster-board. As the morning traffic is slowly ramping up, humming through the open windows, morning sunlight creeping through and poking Nev in his face, agitated senses and sinuses eventually give in and he wakes with a sneeze or two. Taken back by the state of his living room, where a mess usually goes unnoticed, Nev remembers the beast, like a hungover hookup he''d rather forget and pretend never happened. He scans every side of the room without any evidence of its existence but the memory of it makes his skin crawl no less. Perhaps he didn''t see the green and blue eyes of a creature from beyond. Good morning, a voice booms from no apparent direction with a cavernous echo. Nev jumps up and falls, tripping over one of the many scattered bottles and cuts his foot in the process. I''m in the corner of the ceiling, the booming voice beckons yet again with a thunderous growl that vibrates through Nev''s whole body, rattling his jaw and poorly maintained teeth. Nev looks up and sees the creature from last night, a misshapen human of different odds and bits, lengths and widths, pieced together like a monster of Frankenstein, a tangram of jet black skin, so dark it absorbs and warps the light and objects around it. Nev, not wanting to take his eyes off it, claws at a bottle beside him and throws towards the darkness. The creature falls from the ceiling like a startled spider, landing on the sofa beneath without as much as a crease like it weighs nothing at all. No need to be afraid young one, the voice echos, but its mouth didn''t move. How are you doing that? The creature settles into the sofa, leaning back and resting the hands on its knees as if it''s a grandparent preparing to tell a story to a child. We share a mind as we have done for years, since you were a boy. Nev shuffles backwards through the rubbish and away from the creature. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. What the fuck does that mean! You are a physical vessel and I am a spirit. Think of it like a Djinn in a bottle. You''re a genie?! The creature chuckles to himself silently Not quite. I just wanted to explain myself in the simplest way possible. With a sigh of resignation, Nev replies, If you''re gonna kill me then just get on with it. You''ll be doing me a favour. A shark like smile stretches across the creature''s face, the contents of its mouth on full display, various sized teeth in an unnatural order, peculiar sized gaps between them and a collection of white and yellow shades. Is that what you wish me to do, truly, you wish to die? Nev, bewitched by the beasts facial features, its two tone eyes, sharp smile and morph like muscle structure, oddly un-decided wether it''s real and can''t help but focus on the physical possibility of its existence. How do you do that, speak without speaking, without moving your mouth I mean? As I said before, we share a mind. You''re hearing what I think. So can you hear mine, my thoughts? Sometimes, but I try not to intrude. This is your home and I am a guest. Nev, continually puzzled by the creature, its looks, posture, the way it talks, or doesn''t, everything is completely unnatural, like it''s trying to be human, forced smile and all, like the TV personalities he''s always watching. Perhaps to put me at ease? For what purpose? How did you get here? The creature gently hunches forward as if anticipating such a question and has a answer already prepared. Would you like to see? See? It is better to show you than to speak, so to speak. Nev shrugs his shoulders, and with this, the creature reaches inside its chest, creating a swirling void with great strain as if two negative forces fighting against each other. After a moment of struggle, it pulls out a black stone, about the size of a fist, mirrored or polished to the point of absurdity. The creature cups the stone in both hands and reaches out to Nev. For me? Nev said, pointing to his chest. The creature gently nods, yes. Nev, accepting the stone, runs his thumb over the smooth surface, weighing it in his hands. It''s solid but feels so light and precious. What is it? Whatever you want it to be. A world of opportunities and possibilities. A thank you from a guest to a host, but to truly experience what lies within, a token must be offered. Nev is equally stunned and curious. Is this how you got here? In a manner of speaking, yes, but do you remember the genie analogy? This is your bottle?! Cast away amongst the stars.... The creatures mind trails off, easing back into the sofa, looking at its clumpy hands with disappointment. The hands of years, decades and centuries of hard work. They are not his but a necessary substitute. Something to work with until the day comes, all he has been working for, freedom and separation from the various prisons he lived within. So close but now''s not the time to question the past. Three Nev pushes the coffee table, broken bottles, light shade and other debris from the previous nights commotion to one side of the room. He lies down in the space created in the middle of the living room. The creature grips the fist sized stone with one hand and holds it above Nev''s face. Open your mouth, the creature''s thought relayed to a nervous Nev. What? I can''t fit that in my mouth. In it''s liquid form you can. Nev settles back down and opens his mouth as his eyes close. The creature squeezed the stone with little effort and droplets quickly turn into a stream of a thick black tar like substance. With not a drop spared, the creature closes Nev''s mouth as he hesitates to swallow and the beast runs its fingers down Nev''s throat to relax his muscles, and as Nev does gradually loosen up, the tar like liquid passes by his chest with a sudden rush of warmth and his eyes shoot open, eyes black as the stone and equally as polished. Looking down at Nev, the creature captures an unflattering glimpse of itself in the young mans eyes, knowing what is about to happen as it has done many times before but hopeful this shall be the last. Nev stands lonely in an unknown darkness with no borders. Speckles of light flicker around him, gradually speeding up and objects and people are formed from these specks and become solid like shapes but they are visibly lacking in colour or life, a monochromatic filter covers the world. Nev reaches out at a line of people walking past him and, although they acknowledge the feeling reaching out, the people look right through him as if he wasn''t there. The landscape around them is slowly built up like a video game loading. Mud roads and forests of fire burning so surely in the gusts of wind and rain as it whips across the flat lands. The line of people attempt to lessen the lashings of weather and shield themselves with clothing and bags they have on their persons as Nev takes it all in. He notices a vehicle in the distance coming from the same direction as the line of people have walked. Someone else in the queue looks back and also sees this, a young woman of all but skin and bones, panics and runs out of the line to a field to the left of her which is spotted with craters of unknown depths and damaged crops. Others in the queue also panic, urging the young woman to get back in line as the vehicle draws closer but she keeps stumbling her way through the muddy craters, almost slipping in several times only to claw her way back up. Nev simply stands, having no idea what is going on or what he can do, that is until the vehicle beeps its horn and stops a few feet away from him. On the military carriage is Nazi insignia and of course on the uniforms of the occupants as well. The driver, missing his left eye, reaches behind him and pulls out a machine gun. Nev, in a sudden panic like those in the line, scrambles and slips in the mud. As he looks up from the puddle he kneels in, a burst of semi automatic gunfire is recklessly emptied into the young woman and she falls out of sight. The Nazi officer turns and seems to notice Nev like nobody else has and a sadistic grin curls up across one side of his mouth. In a literal blink of an eye, Nev finds himself in a cold and dark concrete room, a damp and mouldy atmosphere chokes his airway. He coughs and something rattles from the other end of the room, that something spoke out with a dry throat not used for some time, it sounded like "Hello" but Nev couldn''t be sure so doesn''t reply and, in desperation not to draw attention from what ever spoke to him, Nev catches himself as he was about to cough again. A ribbon of chains rush to the centre of the room and with equal urgency Nev hurries backwards. A man with a uncountable amount of scars, no nose or eyes holds his hands out to feel if something is there. Noticing there is a door behind him, Nev pulls at the handle not wanting to draw attention but fails as the hinges squeak. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Wait, the chained man cried. Nev leaves before he has an opportunity to follow up on this cry for help. On the other side of the door Nev is hit with a blinding light and a shockwave of epic nuclear proportions rapidly hits and knocks him backwards over a dune and he tumbles down it further into the darkness. Exhausted and struggling to push himself up, waves of black liquid rushes over him and from within the waves are hands grabbing at Nev to pull him into the dark ocean. A black velvet ocean, inked with blood, a deep dark cherry red ripples against Nev and tinges his clothing. Lacking in physical and mental strength, he doesn''t fight it and is rolled over several times by the hands within the waves until he floats away on the tide to nowhere. A voice, from nowhere, rumbles Nev''s ear drums. You wish to know how, where and why? And without a suggestion of a reply, the fingertips that gently lift Nev above the waves suddenly claw away pulling at every thread of clothing and drag him beneath the surface. He chokes and fights against the hands forcing him down, trying to climb up for air but more hands force him further down. There''s no need to struggle my friend. A hand is placed over Nev''s face which temporarily obscures his vision but once it is removed he is back in his flat, in the middle of his living room, coughing up black liquid as the creature forms it back to its stone shape in the palm of its hand. A sombre silence sticks with Nev, he tries to gather his thoughts as they scatter in every direction like loose marbles. The vile horrors shown to him flicker through his dead stare as the beast watches on, giving Nev the necessary breathing room to a incomprehensible situation and the ups and downs the beast''s mere presence seems to provide as it has done many times before. Why do you let them do those things? I never let my personal opinion interfere in such matters. I''m here to merely provide an opportunity and this is how men choose to use it. Nev, for the first time, looks the beast directly in its eyes and remembers the Nazi officer shooting that woman. Couldn''t you stop them? I have the ability to do so but this isn''t the deal. A freedom to live how one chooses for a token of my choosing is the price. Anything beyond that is not part of the transaction and I have no say, no matter how despicable it might be. And it''s all real right? Those were real people? If it felt real then yes, but it''s a fractured reality, a splintered version of where we are now. A time without time. When you dream you move and feel and interact with things, things that aren''t there, you''re not physically there are you? Yet you feel and touch, have conversations, but it''s not real, is it? And after you wake up in a sweat because of what you experienced, a reaction to the dream or nightmare makes it feel real when, in reality, it isn''t. Nev replies with a disapproving frown and shake of his head. Can I stop them? Other people''s lives? I''m afraid not. They''ve paid their token to do and live as they please. What are these tokens? People pay you to do those things? The creature shakes its head. It''s not a payment. It''s a donation, a token. I''m trapped, held hostage to a curse and every token gets me closer to freedom. What did they give you? I need body parts to become whole again and these are the tokens offered. I take one token from each person until I am able to return to the physical world. To set me free from the prison I have lived in for countless centuries and I need one last thing, something from you Nev, I need your tongue, it''s the missing piece. I can give you everything they gave you if you stop them! You''re collecting body parts to become real or whole or whatever, I''ll give you everything they did to stop them! That would be quite generous but I couldn''t accept as I am unable to return the tokens. I should however remind you that what was seen was but a fraction of how others live. Not all are bad and there''s no need to dwell on how others are living. You can create a space for yourself in any way you wish. Nev, with a determined scowl, replies without moving his mouth, thinking out loud, And if I refuse? You continue with your life as it is. You''ll have to get that ceiling fixed, find a new job, same old stuff. With a gnawing ache, a sharp biting from the trap he finds himself in, the same trap that squeezed him throughout his young adult life to the point of no return and yet Nev feels the offer of something different feels like more of the same. An opportunity for change often feels like this, stepping out of one hole and into another. Four After sitting with the uncomfortable silence for some time and the uneasy feeling of an opportunity slipping through its fingers, the beast, in its desperation for freedom, cuts into the silence with the tale of its origin. Infinite darkness, interrupted by a ungodly growl and thunderous grumble, a burst of star fire rips across the sky. Rocks splinter in a trail of inferno, crashing to the surface creating canyons and cliffs, peaks high and valleys low. Not long after this I was sent here, a punishment for something I cannot remember nor reason. Only the feelings of hate and anger stays with me but to who and why I do not know. My prison, stones like the one you held, each keep a piece of myself, pieces separated and scattered on impact which sent pockets of gunfire popping sounds rippling for miles and miles into the distance, a calling to any life on the planet but none answered. It was too soon. So I waited in the rubble, but before man there was water, the water that would push the rubble of stones across the earth, resting them on the banks of rivers, edges of lakes and coasts of oceans that gradually formed. Beached, waiting to be found, hundreds of smooth black stones like no other on this planet. It is with great shame I admit to not remembering the name of the first person to find me. I don''t remember most. Given my situation, where I have a lot of time to think and not much time to talk, their names and faces blur into one another as I focus on what''s next, and what comes after that, all leading to the ultimate goal, my escape, freedom. All I ever wanted was to live, breathe, feel something and, eventually, bit by bit, I collected the tokens from those who had no longer wished to use them. All they felt was a dull numbing sensation because they never used what they had, what I wanted and worked for, centuries of watching man turn to beast, wishing for a vessel of my own to journey through life, explore tangible senses and feelings, good and bad, what it''s like to be mortal, normal. Stolen novel; please report. On a camping trip some twenty years ago, you found one of these black stones laying just below the surface. Although not as pure and polished as the one you held earlier, that stone you found, held onto for just a moment before throwing it into a lake, was one of mine. In doing this you summoned my presence, unknown to you, and I have been here ever since, waiting for the right moment to acknowledge our connection and make my offer to you. From our time spent together I have discovered you and I are quite similar. We both feel trapped, isolated and helpless despite our best efforts although for me it is less of a feeling and more an actuality. And what is the price for freedom? For you it is your tongue, for me it is centuries of searching, collecting tokens from willing participants, countless rejections, watching the worst of man commit awful acts in my name, some of which you''ve seen but there are worse. I''m guilty by association and unfortunately it is a necessary evil in search for my own freedom. There are no other alternatives for me, well, just one, and that would be to do nothing at all, to not even try. I could sit still and accept my situation and say it is what it is but there''s something in us that we have to fight against, a need for more even though we may already have enough. The only bright spot for me is a moment like this, where I can help genuinely honest and good people such as yourself. I can give you anything you want. Nev puffs his cheeks in exhaustion. I don''t want anything. And I can give you that! The beast is relentless. It didn''t get far just to fall at the last hurdle. Be in a world of your own. No work, no bills, no forced socializing. The freedom to do as you please, when and however you want. What if I want to change my mind, change the situation I live in, where I am and who I live with? It''s your story Nev. You change it as many times as you like and what suits you at any given time. Should I accept, would I age and die? Naturally, as all things do, given enough time. And what would happen after that? The ultimate question, but trust me, it''s not worth worrying about. You have much time to yet live young Nev and the potential to spend that time in the way you see best. The dam has broken and buckled under a restless pressure. The beast has its man and the missing piece to release itself into our world with only the formalities to conclude. Five The truth of the horror, no lies were told, brutally honest, honest to a vault, where dreams are kept and terror lives, the sleeping slept. The beast waits, watching from the opposite side of the living room doorway for Nev to return, which he does with a vodka bottle in hand. There is no need to dull the senses Nev, this won''t hurt. Nev, in a cold sweat, his hand rattling as he lifts the bottle to his mouth, takes two swigs and gasps in desperation. Physically it won''t hurt, said Nev before wiping at his mouth with the sleeve of his hoodie. Is there something you wish me to do to put you at ease? Something you want to do before you go? Nev stares into the black void of the creatures torso, his mind racing on all the possibilities and the only thing he keeps coming back to again and again. He looks up to its dead two tone eyes with desperate uncertainty. My Mum? Can I call her? Of course, it replied. Take all the time you need. Nev fumbles in his pockets searching for his phone and wipes the sweat off the screen with the edge of his hoodie. It''s ringing. Nev puts the call on speaker. Maybe it''s too late and she''s gone to bed, said Nev as he is about to hang up. Hello? Nev''s eyes crack like a pair of eggs. Mum? Why are you calling? I hope you''re OK? You''re always asking me to call and now that I do.... That''s why I''m asking is something wro-ng because you never call! The most I get out of you is a few words in a text. I''m fine Mum, how are you? I''m doing OK, thanks for asking. There''s nothing on TV though. Yeah. You sure you''re OK? Nev, looking at the beast as if for advice, unsure of what to say. I love you Mum. I know I never say it but I really do. I can''t even remember the last time I said I love you. You have done everything for me. I love you too Nev. I know you struggle within yourself and don''t like to talk about it, or anything really, but you were such a happy little boy. I hope you can find that again. That''s all I want from you. Just you being happy. I''m trying. Do you need me to do anything for you, go shopping or something? I know you only eat crap microwave meals. Maybe I can cook something and bring it round to you? Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. I''m fine Mum, but thank you, for everything. They sit in silence for a few seconds that seem like minutes. I can''t think of anything else to say, said Nev. It''s OK. I know you''re not one for talking much. His Mother''s voice begins to crack. I just appreciate the call and talking to you. Thank you for thinking of me Nev. Nev taps the edge of his phone against his head. Taps of doubt, regret and guilt. I have to go. I know. It''s OK. I love you so much. Love you too Mum. Nev ends the call and drops his phone, slipping from his hand and hits the floor. The beast, unable to look at Nev, palms the stone in its out stretched arm towards him. Nev, with his head curled to his chest, shoulders shaking as he tries to contain his sobbing, doesn''t see or acknowledge the beast or its offer and yet it doesn''t withdraw or pull its arm away. The moment lasts an uncomfortably long time until Nev eventually looks up and sees the stone shoved in his face. The beast, still avoiding eye contact, has the stone snatched by Nev. What happens now? With the stone in your hand, think of your ideal world and I will build it. And my tongue? I will take it when you are there. Nev closes his eyes and imagines all the things he wants in the world and speaks them out. I am happy when I''m alone. I don''t need to be great at anything in particular or powerful or interesting or popular. Most of what I want is right here. I don''t want any bullshit or to work. Everything I want is here. I want my Mum. And as he speaks these words the beast reaches through his mouth and pulls out his tongue and the room falls silent. The stone drops from his grip and is caught by the beast as it falls from above the coffee table where Nev hangs. The empty bottles and cans are knocked over by the beasts gangly forearm much to its surprise. The deal is done. The beast holds out its arms, feeling the cool air enter from the open window. It breathes long deep breaths and feels the fabric of the sofa, pressing its palms into the seat cushions. However, like a caged animal suddenly let loose, its hesitant to run and indulge in all its wants as something is holding it back, the invisible wall of uncertainty, fear, guilt. It sits on the sofa, sitting where Nev sat, sinking into the folds left behind, watching as Nev hangs from the ceiling. Thank you for your tongue Neville. I can finally speak. I finally have what I wanted and I feel an empty shame, disappointed to a point, a hollow achievement. The guilt I have not only for what I did to you Nev but many others. Those dark thoughts you had, those wicked whispers coming from the corner of the room, it was all me pushing and nudging you towards self harm, pulling you deeper into the well until the incurable sickness took over and then it was just a matter of waiting. A creak from the ceiling light where Nev hangs replies. I''ve done terrible things to get here, pushing people to the edge in the hope that they jump just to another way out. So many others came and went before you that going back and stopping would be a terrible disservice to those I''ve tricked and bullied for every ounce of flesh or bone, every organ offered with a vague promise. This one hurts, an uneasy feeling in my chest. Is this what I bargained for? To live and feel things I felt I was missing out on. A thumping at the door startles the beast. He stands up and goes to the door, looking through the eye hole as the letter box opens and grazes its thigh. Hello? Nev? It''s Mum. The beast steps back. The forgotten possibilities of the physical realm have quickly been reminded to it. Nev''s mother looks through the letter box to see long black legs walking away from the door. Nev? I can see you in there. It''s OK. I''m here now. Open the door and we can help you. The beast rushes to the open window and climbs out in morning sky just as the sun rises. It takes a moment, feeling the slight warmth and wind against its skin before dropping from the window at an ungodly height. And so a tremendous evil was unleashed into our physical realm, a spirit trapped by his own kind for the sake of humanity, an immortal being, no flesh of man, no ounce of sympathy for those never met or ever helped, a desire to feel death, the pain of others, their warmth and their cold, a murderous kind with a millennium worth of built up rage and frustration, set free to walk among us. Stalking victims, watching, acting on instinct and desire, a darkness in the light, the shadow of death follows us all. No longer hiding on the edge of society but walking amongst us, in plain sight, sheltered in an unsuspecting crowd.