Shadows at the edge

Daniel's pov---

Monday mornings were always the worst. The school hallways buzzed with the sound of lockers slamming and voices echoing, but I could barely hear any of it over the static in my head. Sleep had been a stranger last night, replaced by whispers and fleeting shadows I convinced myself weren't real.

I dragged myself to my locker, clutching my history notebook, hoping Mr. Joe's endless assignments would be the only thing to haunt me today. The stale scent of cleaning chemicals mixed with the faint smell of burnt toast from the cafeteria, making me feel slightly nauseous.

"Daniel!"

I turned to see Lisa Hart rushing toward me. Her copper-red curls bounced as she weaved through the crowd. Lisa had been my lab partner in biology since freshman year, and though we weren't exactly best friends, her boundless energy always made her stand out.

"You okay?" she asked, narrowing her hazel eyes. "You look like you haven't slept in days."

"Thanks for the observation, Lisa," I said, forcing a weak smile.

"No, seriously." She leaned against the locker next to mine. "You look... I don't know, spooked."

I wanted to brush it off, but her words hit too close to home. "I'm fine," I muttered, shoving my history book into the locker.

"You know, if something's up, you can tell me," she said, her tone softer now.

I hesitated. Could I? Would anyone believe me if I told them about the entity, about the shadows, about William?

Before I could answer, the bell rang, cutting through our conversation.

"Catch you in bio," Lisa said with a wave before disappearing into the crowd.

I sighed and grabbed my books for math, trudging toward class. The hallway seemed longer today, the fluorescent lights overhead flickering just a little too much for comfort.

---

Math class was uneventful, except for the occasional sideways glance from Grayson, the class clown. He was the kind of guy who'd draw a mustache on a sleeping teacher just for laughs. Today, though, he seemed... off.

"Yo, Dan," he whispered halfway through the lecture.

I ignored him, pretending to focus on the equation on the board.

"Dan." His voice was sharper this time.

I glanced at him, expecting some dumb joke, but his face was pale, his usual smirk replaced by something close to fear.

"What?" I whispered back.

"Did you... did you see it?" he asked, his voice barely audible.

"See what?"

His eyes darted to the window at the back of the classroom. "The thing outside. It was watching you."

My stomach dropped.

"Mr. Gray!" barked Mr. Lyman, our math teacher. "Would you care to share your observations with the class?"

Grayson sank into his seat, shaking his head. I glanced at the window but saw only the empty field beyond.

---

By lunchtime, the encounter with gray had been pushed to the back of my mind, replaced by the usual chaos of the cafeteria. I slid into a seat at the far corner, hoping for a moment of peace.

"Mind if I sit here?"

I looked up to see a girl I didn't recognize. She had dark hair pulled into a messy bun and wore a black hoodie with the logo of some metal band I didn't know.

"Sure," I said, gesturing to the seat across from me.

She sat down, placing a sketchbook on the table. "You're Daniel, right?"

"Yeah. And you are?"

"lily."

I nodded, unsure what to say. She didn't seem like the chatty type, but there was something about her that felt... off.

"You've got that look," she said after a moment.

"What look?"

"The 'I've seen some shit' look."

I laughed nervously. "That obvious, huh?"

She opened her sketchbook, flipping past pages of eerie, detailed drawings. Dark forests, empty streets, shadowy figures.

"You're not the only one," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

I stared at the sketches, feeling a cold weight settle in my chest. One drawing caught my eye—a tall, dark figure with glowing eyes.

"Where did you see that?" I asked, my voice trembling.

Lily looked at me, her expression unreadable. "Same place you did, I'm guessing."

---

The rest of the day passed in a blur. I couldn't shake the feeling that lily knew more than she was letting on. And Grayson... what had he seen?

By the time I got home, the weight in my chest had grown heavier. The house was silent, as always, and William's door was shut.

I made my way to my room, collapsing onto the bed. But before I could close my eyes, a faint sound reached my ears—a soft, rhythmic tapping.

I sat up, listening intently. It was coming from the basement.

"Not again," I muttered, my pulse quickening.

I grabbed my phone and turned on the flashlight, making my way downstairs. The tapping grew louder as I approached the basement door.

I hesitated, my hand on the doorknob. "It's just the pipes," I told myself. "Nothing to worry about."

But as I opened the door, the tapping stopped.

The basement was dark, the air heavy and damp. I stepped onto the creaky wooden stairs, my flashlight casting long shadows on the walls.

"Hello?" I called out, my voice shaking.

No response.

I reached the bottom of the stairs, scanning the room. Everything looked normal—the old shelves, the dusty boxes, the broken chair in the corner.

Then I saw it.

A shadow, darker than the rest, standing in the far corner of the room. It didn't move, didn't shift, but I could feel it watching me.

"Will?" I whispered, hoping for some rational explanation.

The shadow didn't respond.

I took a step back, my heart pounding. My flashlight flickered, and in that brief moment of darkness, the shadow was gone.

The room was empty.

But as I turned to leave, I heard a voice.

"Daniel."

It was soft, barely a whisper, but it sent chills down my spine.

I ran up the stairs, slamming the door behind me. My breathing was ragged, my hands trembling as I leaned against the door.

Whatever was happening, it wasn't just in my head.