So I revised this chapter because my floppy destroyed the In His Shadows II story on it, so I have to start over again. This is fine concidering I planned to sooner or later and this gives me a good reason to. I'll be revising the whole story and try updating now and then at the same time. I like this much better, and I hope all of you do too.

Elexies

Everything seemed unusually closer together, as if the walls were falling in together and the ceiling was slipping closer and closer to the ground. It was as if she were inside of a box that was getting smaller, and the shadows were being to creep up on their unsuspecting victim. The only problem was she was no longer unsuspecting. She knew what would happen. They would tease up her body and wrap about her like arms. They would hold her to them and whisper sweet nothings of desire and longing. For a moment she would relax, savor this tempting darkness, then in a rush of terror jerk away. She would scream and her parents would come and soothe her. She would leave her shadow-infested room into something more spacious and bright. Or she would curl up in a blanket near her parents and possibly sob for hours. Or she would sit next to a window and allow the sun to bathe her with hot exotic kisses. Yet nothing would make the terror go away, and eventually it would happen again.

Here it was, happening now, Ashly realized as she stared emotionlessly down at the black leather book before her. It was not far from her on her desk. Her room was getting darker but the opened page stood out dramatically. The brittle yellow pages with an old weary print to them were as bright as day to her. Her bright blue eyes glared hesitantly at the simple novel. The pages fluttered against a random rush of wind. It was as if the shadows had laughed at her terror of such a simple thing, and the laughter had created a wind. Her parents, of course, would say the air-conditioning had kicked in. This story might be possible, yet the air-conditioning in her room had not worked in months. The cold was his doing, she was well aware. She watched as once more the pages ruffled themselves, almost like an owl preening in delight. There was a sigh in the air, one of longing and she glanced down rapidly, seeing the shadows resting about her feet.

There was a brief moment of panic before she relaxed again and allowed them to tease up her legs. It was like a warm hand softly massaging its way up. It was like hot lips trailing wet, lusty kisses along her flesh. Despite herself she rested back on her bed, allowing them to travel up the bed and engulf her, one-inch of skin at a time. They went slowly, taking their time and allowing her to savor. The shadows worked more for her benefit than their own. She did not often recall them being selfish in touching her.

They had once. It’d been terrifying. She’d been ready for bed, and it seemed the moment the lights had gone out they’d assaulted her. She felt hands all over and hungry mouths ravishing her. She felt bodies pressing against her own and forcing her to move this way and that, to their liking. They shoved her against her door and pounded against her hungrily. Various fingers from various hands had laced up into her hair. They’d petted her and forced her head back, exposing her neck, where four mouths had licked and suckled her flesh. Many hands had spread her legs wide and she felt as if hundreds of pelvises had thrust against her legs, stomach and crotch. They all seemed male and female and she felt all of them orgasm against her furiously. When they’d all retreated and left her upon the floor she’d finally screamed, for it felt as if a tongue had been in her mouth the entire time. It was something that gagged her and kissed her in desire, and aroused her. She’d screamed for her mother, feeling soaked in juices. And when her mother turned on the light she’d half expected to see that. She was horrified when she did not. She was dry.

Nonetheless, she insisted her mother stay with her while she showered, make sure nothing happened. Her mother had called her ridiculous, but did so anyway. Her parents had been terrified after getting a call from the hospital, stating how she’d been found passed out in the high-school garden. They’d rushed home, and for a while indulged in her odd stories. And, yes, for a bit they’d stay with her until she fell asleep, and they’d let her keep the lights on. But when the bill became too high and they became weary of coddling her childhood terrors they’d said enough was enough. They insisted she acted like she grown woman she was.

And from then on things went downhill.

Ashly opened her eyes, gazing up at silver ones. The shadows were covering her, caressing her gently. They soothed her skin and forced dark bodies that surrounded her. One rested atop her, straddling her gently and lovingly. His hands were laced up into her hair and his deep silver eyes stroking her face it seemed. He leaned down, his lips resting but a hair’s breath away from her lips.

Ashly felt a rush of anger fill her system. Her eyes blazed and her hands clenched tightly into fists. In a rush she screamed and jerked forward, moving through the image of the man. She ran to her door, flicking on the lights and watching as the shadows disappeared. Her heart pounded deep in her chest and she realized she was drenched in sweat. She felt dirty and wet; much like she had the night the shadows had attacked. Taking in a deep and shivery breath she tilted her chin up defiantly, tears brimming her eyes.

“Bastard,” she whispered.

She then turned her gaze to the book on her desk, reaching out with a shaking hand. She hadn’t touched it since the night she dropped it there, on that page. She’d come home from the hospital and, without realizing it, picked it up for a hopefully good read. She’d mistaken it for another book, and had screamed when she realized what it was. She had dropped it, leaving it on that page and not touching or coming near it since. Taking a deep breath she tried now, tried to close the book as she gazed at the words.

‘May that be a promise.’

His promise. The promise he intended to keep. He intended to take her back and make her the willing love he wanted. He planned to take her to his world of shadows and corrupt her. He hoped to control her and ravish her like his shadows did. And the idea terrified her so. She didn’t want to have him love and abuse her. She didn’t want him or his darkness.

Yet, the most frightening thing was that, deep down, she also did. She wanted his shadows and she relished in the idea that a prince of shadows and darkness had fallen for her. She loved his possessive looks and his wild, craving touches. She’d felt her heart flutter when his eyes traveled over her body. He made her feel desirable, sexy, and perfect. She felt like a woman should with him worshiping her and demanding she worshipped him in return.

But it was so wrong. In every way possible it was wrong.

Ashly whimpered and closed her eyes, leaning back against her door.

“Leave me alone, Jerome! Just leave me alone!” she sobbed helplessly. There was a vague laughter in the air, as if the shadows found her demands hilarious.

“Come back to us, come back to me,” a hand reached from the shadows, black and strong. It was beckoning her, polite and enticing. She felt her hand twitched before she pressed herself heavily against her door again, tears trailing down her cheeks. She tilted her head back, remembering how she’d been slammed against this door. She remembered the heavy pounding and luscious kissing. It repelled and aroused her all at once.

“No, please, just let me be,” she whispered. The shadows teased her, and the hand beckoned once more, an arm appearing. There were soft voices all about, all sweet and enticing. They gave her promises she knew they would keep and they told her of places she knew they would show her. She knew they would give her whatever she wanted, just if she gave them what they wanted in return. All she had to do was grovel for Jerome to take her back, swear to be his little pet.

And that just couldn’t happen.