Ghost in the Shadow

Chapter 25: Ghost in the Shadow

"Do you want a boyfriend?"

Isabella didn't answer. Dylan's proximity was messing with her neurons in the brain. They all seem to be short-circuited.

A slight pinch on her waist broke her trance. She gasped as Dylan effortlessly lift her up and made her sit on the table.

"Do you want a boyfriend princess?" Dylan asked again. He bent down to her eye-level. There faces only inches apart.

He can read her eyes. They were like an open book. But he wanted hear it from her.

Last time he almost heard her saying she wanted to kiss him. But then the moment was shattered, and he wasn't sure if she really said it, or he was hearing things.

Isabella parted her lips to speak. If she says she likes him, then will he be her boyfriend? She could sense Dylan's feelings. And he never said 'no' to anything she asked.

So gathering enough courage, she put her hands on his and spoke.

"I like .. AHH.." Isabella gasped in pain and hand went to the side of her neck.

Dylan snapped out of the moment and worriedly looked at her. "Isabella. What happened?"

He grabbed her hands to see what happened but Isabella curled herself on the table because of the pain.

Isabella broke into cold sweat, and her lips turned pale. "Isa. Let me see. Stop. Stop scratching. Let me see" Dylan forcefully took her hands away from her neck.

He first took her to bed and gently pushed away her collar to see red marks there. The blue spots from the last time still remained.

"Oh god.. D-Dylan... What's happening? .. " Isabella panted. First it was a sharp pain in her neck, and then it flared up down her spine and into her entire system in an instant.

Dylan too panicked. Isabella was writhing in pain, and he had no idea what to do.

"Isa. Calm down.. I am calling an ambulance. Okay? .. It's okay" Dylan hurriedly mumbled as he tightly held her hand. Isabella was biting her lower lip to not scream in pain.

Dylan stretched out his free hand to reach his mobile on his mattress when his sight fell on the wall opposite to him. A cold shiver ran down his spine looking at the shadow on the wall.

His shadow didn't seem to his at all. His breathe was struck in his chest, and he had cold feet and hands now.

Right now, the only contact between him and Isabella was their hands. But the shadow was all over her. And the shadows head seemed to be biting Isabella's neck.

He felt like fainting, and everything around him felt suffocating.

"Sob.. sob.." 

Dylan blinked his eyes hearing Isabella's sobs. "I-Isabella. Leave my hand.." his voice cracked. The shadow was still stuck to Isabella.

"Isa.. L-Leave my hand princess." Dylan repeated again, but Isabella held him more tightly.

He had no choice but to harshly pull away from her and move far. He kept an eye on his shadow. As soon as the contact broke, the shadow got attached to him again. 

Isabella too weakly fell on her mattress without a sound. It felt like someone sucked out every drop of blood from her. She could see black spots in her vision.

"D-Dylan.."

Dylan immediately went to fetch water for her. He didn't dare to come close, and hence put the glass beside her.

He wanted to hold her and make her drink, but he didn't dare. It took Isabella a few good minutes before gaining the energy to lift the glass herself.

Though extremely weak, she could at least see clearly after drinking water. Her eyes searched for Dylan. She didn't have enough energy to even frown, and she couldn't comprehend why he would sit so far away from her.

"Dylan" she called, her voice feeble, almost inaudible.

"I-Isa. I think there is a g-ghost in this room" Dylan said quickly. His face was just as pale as hers.

That came out of nowhere. Isabella didn't understand. She just stared at him lying on her mattress.

"I am not j-joking. There is really a ghost." This time his voice came out a little high-pitched, as if desperate to convince her.

He continued, seeing that she wasn't responding.

"It's the shadow. Yes. The shadow. The door, the bite, and now this. It is all the g-ghost's doing." Now he looked like he might collapse at any moment.

If the ghost was in the room, he would take her and run away. But the ghost was in his shadow. Where exactly should he run to?

Isabella opened her eyes again, after feeling a little better. "Stop joking. I am not in the mood."

"Oh god Isa. I am telling the truth. The r-ring. It all started with the ring."

Isabella sighed. What ring? Did he hit his head somewhere?

"The ring you bought. It is possessed. Isabella. I felt it from the very moment I saw it" Dylan kept on going. He might go mad if he keeps this to himself.

Isabella frowned. "Dylan. Stop being silly." She looked at his shadow behind him. What happened? Everything looked normal.

"NO. Isabella. You have to believe me. You remember the day the door broke?"

Isabella nodded slightly, and he continued.

"I actually opened the box to look at the ring. And that is when we heard that loud sound outside. T-Then.. then."

"Then after a while, the door b-broke."

"A-And the next time I opened the box, I wanted to t-throw it away. But then it disappeared." Dylan held his head in his hands as he narrated the story to her.

"What disappear? It must be still there." Isabella said and took a deep breathe while adjusting to a sitting position. She was starting to feel better.

"No.. I found it in my bag after a while.. A-And I threw it away then. W-Why is the g-ghost not gone yet?" Dylan mumbled, more to himself.

He threw it away in the community trash, and personally saw the garbage van taking the trash away. There is no way the ring would find it's back..

"You threw my ring away?"

"Oh god Isabella... That is not the point." Dylan scrambled to his feet and opened the wooden box in the shelf.

Isabella too saw what's inside. "The ring is still there. What are you even thinking."

On the other hand, Dylan's hands trembled. What the hell? He threw this damn thing away.

Turning around, he hurriedly unlocked the window and flung it out. Now even Isabella saw him throwing it away. But before she could snap at him, Dylan collapsed on his knees and grabbed his hair.

He really looked shaken. Isabella slowly got up and walked up to him.

"No. Don't come. As long as you don't touch me, the shadow will not harm you again." Dylan said without looking at her.

He was thinking what to do next. How do one contact a ghost exorciser? Should he look it up on internet? Are they trust worthy?

"Dylan.."

"DYLAN"

Isabella hugged him from back tightly. Dylan's instant reaction was to push her away, but she held onto him tightly.

"Shhh.. I am fine. See. Nothing is happening. Calm down"