shadow In The Dark

The silence in the dining room was thick enough to spread on a cracker.

Mr. Brown dismissed everyone leaving Alexander alone at the dining table. The girls breathe a sigh of relief upon reaching the kitchen.

They felt chills all over their body back there. They were glad they didn't make any mistake.

They were starving and decided to serve themselves the remaining dishes. rose cast hateful glances at Hazel of course but the lady was too hungry to care.

they had their dinner in silence with Mira initiating conversation once a while.

After a couple of minutes they were done eating but decided to wait till Mr. stern went to his room, before finally coming out of the kitchen to clear the table.

soon it was late in the night and the girls finally went to their quarters after finishing their chores.

Hazel was the last to finish. she wiped her hands on her apron, a small, weary smile touching her lips. Her duties were done for the night.

She climbed the stairs, her legs aching, her shoulders slumped with exhaustion.

The servants' quarters were a little further away from the master's room.

walking through the hallway, she stopped abruptly, her breath caught in her throat.

she saw a silhouette in the dark at the end of the hallway.

It was tall and still... right outside the master's room.. Hazel's heart pounded in her chest ...she quickly run to her room scared, with her heart beating fast.

Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it for a moment, taking a deep breath.

She couldn't make out who it was, but the figure's stillness, its silent watchfulness, sent a shiver down her spine. Was it Mr. stern? Or one of the other staff members? Or…something else?

cold fear, pierced through her. She didn't look back, didn't dare to. she reached for the door, fumbling with the lock, her hands shaking. Only then, safe within the confines of her room, did she allow herself to breathe, the image of the silent figure burned into her mind.

She lit a lamp, casting a warm glow in the room . She changed out of her uniform and into a simple cotton nightgown.

The cool fabric against her skin was a welcome relief.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she untied her hair, letting it fall around her shoulders. She ran her fingers through the tangled strands, a small, comforting gesture.

She thought about her father again, her heart aching with longing. She wondered if she was making the right decision, being here, in this cold, silent house.

Lying down on the bed, she turned of the lamp, closing her eyes, she praying for sleep. But her mind was still racing, filled with images of the silhouette in the dark.

But in the end, the exhaustion took over and she finally fell asleep.

A few moments later Hazel had a her brows furrowed and forehead creased with beads of sweat evident on her face

Even tucked beneath the thick blankets, Hazel couldn't shake the chill that had settled deep in her bones.

The image of the figure in the hallway haunted her, its silent presence a chilling echo in the quiet of her room. Sleep, when it finally came, was restless and troubled.

She dreamt she was walking down the same hallway, the one where she'd seen the silhouette. But in her dream, the hallway stretched endlessly, the walls closing in on her, the moonlight replaced by an oppressive darkness. , her hands outstretched, groping for something, anything, familiar.

Then, she saw it. Not at the end of the hallway this time, but directly above her. A dark shadow, vast and formless, loomed over her, blotting out the faint light that remained. It wasn't a figure, not exactly. It was more like an absence of light, a void that seemed to suck the air from her lungs, the warmth from her body. It pulsed with an unseen energy, a silent threat that resonated deep within her.

She tried to scream, but no sound came out. She tried to run, but her legs felt like lead, rooted to the spot. The shadow descended slowly, inexorably, its darkness engulfing her. She could feel its coldness, its emptiness, pressing down on her, suffocating her. Panic clawed at her throat, a desperate need to escape, to break free from the suffocating dread.

Just as the shadow was about to consume her completely, she woke with a gasp, her heart pounding in her chest, sweat beading on her forehead. The room was still dark, but the moonlight filtering through the window felt less menacing now, a welcome presence after the oppressive darkness of her dream. She sat up in bed, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps. The image of the shadow lingered in her mind, a chilling reminder of the fear that lurked just beneath the surface of her consciousness. She shivered, pulling the blankets tighter around her. Even in the quiet of her room, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched and the shadow was still out there, waiting for her.