• I was so tired I couldn't even open my eyes. It felt like something was pressuring my eyes, keeping them shut. I was exhausted for no reason, and I couldn't remember what had happened to me. I could tell that there were ropes tied around my hands and my feet, but I didn't understand why.
    I moaned and slowly began to move my body so that I would be laying on my right side. Instead of gradually landing on my side and being able to relax, I fell down, down, down, down...
    This time I didn't even want to open my eyes. I shut my mouth and closed my eyes even harder than they had been. I hugged myself as I felt the hard stones my body was tumbling over.
    I was going downhill.
    A few seconds later, I felt a trickle of what could have been water, sliding down my ear, which jaggedly oozed to my mouth. I was afraid to slide my tongue out, afraid it would hit a stone, but I didn't even have to do what I had thought of doing.
    Instead, I could smell it.
    I was bleeding and the smell got stronger by the second. About ten seconds later, I began to roll to a stop, but still, I could not open my eyes.
    I hit against a flat surface and managed to pull my position into where I would be laying on my back. I tried to catch my breath, relaxing my eyes.
    Suddenly, my eyes flew open, once again under my control. I didn't want to sit up. I had no strength, and my will power was horrible. I looked straight up where I saw millions of stars. My breath grew calm, and for a second I thought I had reached death.

    "You're such a silly little girl," I heard the clicks of someone's high heels coming towards me. "Too bad you don't know me well enough."
    I closed my eyes, because I didn't want to see her face. I knew who it was, and I never wanted to see her again, because I just realized she was no friend of mine. I spoke one word, because I knew she would get mad, because I knew it would make me feel better when she did.
    "Monster," Inside, I was smiling.
    I heard another click, and I sensed that her foot was right next to my face.
    "Leave her alone, already, LouLou," I heard a familiar voice demand.
    "Me, leave her ALONE? I'm just getting to know her and you want me to leave her ALONE? Not happening, hun. Not happening today. She stepped on my stomach, probably not as hard as she had intended to. She stepped on it again, this time, it was almost a stomp.

    I opened one eye to look at her face. She had her long black hair open, and she was wearing a navy blue dress suit with black high heels. She had so much mascara on, I felt like I needed to spread mustard over it to make it look nicer.
    She kicked my side, but I only flinched. I forgot she could read my mind. I knew that she was going to do bad things to me later, but instead, she strode away with a huff, and I turned my head to see The Shadow.
    He was in human form now, and I saw his full self.
    His face was strong and brave, owning ear length, brown/black hair with a slight shine. His eyes were the best part. They were as full as the moon, which made his muscles stand out as well. It looked as if they would rip his shirt in some places, but somehow stayed in. He was wearing a green and blue plaid collar shirt with a pair of black skinny jeans. I didn't know Shadows could be in style, too, but what did I know? I only discovered these people two days ago.
    He walked towards me, and I thought he was going to help me up, but instead, he laid down beside me. I thought he would want to clean the pool of blood first, but I thought wrong.

    In another second, I was back in the wall-less room that had The Shadow's heart on one side. I noticed that the piece that had my name on it had grown bigger. When I felt his arms curl around my waist, I felt so safe, it felt like a dream. Some of his hair fell onto my neck as he slowly brang his head next to my chin. I shiver went down my spine, but stopped mid-way. His arms grew firm around my waist and his legs out came around mine, pressing my back against his chest. Out of the blue, he whispered six swirling sky blue words that I almost didn't hear.

    "I want to show you something,"

    I pressed my hand against my forehead and examined it as I brang it down. My wound was drawing blood faster than ever. I tried to speak, but I couldn't.

    I fainted in The Shadow's arms.