SEVEN – Shadow

Chapter One

Demons in Nottingham

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The later afternoon. May 10^th, 2025. That was the day my life changed forever. As I walked home from the corner shop… I almost died… if it wasn’t for him…

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“Nell! Come one we’re going to be late!” my roommate, Abbie, called from the kitchen in the apartment we shared. Like usual, I had struggled to wake up and we were both running late since I was the only one who could drive.

“Sorry! Almost done!” I told her as I finished fixing my hair into place. After finally getting ready, I grabbed my bag and flew downstairs. Abbie was waiting next to the door, looking very impatient.

“If we miss it because you sleep like the dead, I’m burning your bed. Honestly, it’s already 2 pm” she grumbled before walking out the door while sipping from her afternoon coffee flask.

“You know what I’m like, I hate waking up” I groaned, following her to my 2009 Ford Fiesta.

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean that you should play on your phone for an hour before even stepping foot off your bed. How you’re going to graduate top of the class I’ll never figure out” she rolled her eyes and got in.

To say it was the beginning of May, it was a very cold British afternoon in Nottingham England. The sun was hidden behind gloomy clouds and there was a chill in the wind. And as they parked up outside their university building, it began to pour it down with rain.

“I hate bloody England!” I yelled at my best friend as we ran for the entrance… but as Abbie ran inside ahead of me… something caught my attention out the corner of my eye… a flash of black like a shadow without a caster moved so fast it definitely couldn’t have been human…

I stopped and turned to look. There was nothing there. No shadow. Only regular slow-moving people starting their last day of university… maybe it was just a large bird…

“You okay?” Abbie’s voice brought me out of my trance. I faced her, and put the shadow out of my mind, and smiled.

“Yep, totally okay” I replied, and we walked to class. Our other friends, Hyangmin and Izumi, were already at the usual table… and Sarah, the professor, was waiting for us.

“Nice of you to join us” she gave us a look as we took our seats.

“Sorry Sarah” I apologised since it was my fault that we were 10 minutes late. She sighed and looked around at the room.

“Since everyone is here, let’s start” she addressed the class before turning on the electronic board and starting the final class… which was basically an overview of the past three years. What we’d done and accomplished… also what each of us would be doing next with our lives. And of course, as the person probably finishing top of my class, I was supposed to find an awesome placement.

“I expect a lot from each of you, but most of all you Nell. Your marks will be available soon and I heard that you already have a place at ‘Z’ Company. Congratulations” Sarah announced to the whole room… whose eyes immediately fell on me.

“We get it, Sarah! She’s your golden student! Special treatment much!” blurted a familiar voice at the back of the class. Zander, a vocal guy who always made sure the world knew what he was thinking… even if it wasn’t the nicest thing to say.

“Shut it, Zander. Everyone knows your marks probably since you missed most of this year” Izumi turned around, her raven black locks flowing around her shoulders as she whipped around to Zander. “Come at my friend again, , and I’ll send that disgusting face of yours flying” she warned, glaring at the smirking Zander.

“Izumi!” Sarah called in a strict voice. Reluctantly, Izumi turned back around and draped her arm protectively over my shoulder and leaned in her seat. “Zander, no more nark comments” she gave him a look too before carrying on with the presentation she’d put together.

Zander continued to make nark comments. Izumi continued to threaten him. Sarah continued to get annoyed. And then it was the end of the last class and they were practically forced to leave.

“FOOD TIME!” Hyangmin cheered when the class was over around 3 pm. He held Abbie’s hand as they walked ahead in their own lovey-dovey world. Leaving myself and Izumi to follow behind them into the city centre for dinner… but out of nowhere there came a clap of thunder! Rain poured from the dark sky harder than before and they ran into the nearest shop to take shelter.

“There wasn’t supposed to be lighting today” I mentioned as a bright flash filled the sky.

“Climate change” Abbie sighed, looking sorrowfully up. I was about to speak when I noticed a look on Izumi’s face… she had a serious expression on her face, and she was staring across the street where a guy dressed in black was walking down an alleyway between shops…

“Izumi” I started but another bang echoed ahead… this storm was getting strong.

“I should get home” Izumi told us, rushing through the door without another word.

“Izzie?” Abbie looked confused at our friend as she rushed away into the rain... seconds later she was gone from sight…

“What’s with her?” Hyangmin questioned as we stared in silence.

“She didn’t even put her hood up” Abbie pointed out. Not that a hood would help her with the amount of rain coming down. That guy… she followed him… but no one else seemed to even notice him…

After the rain stopped and the thunder rolled in the distance, we finally left the shop much to the shop manager’s disappointment. Hyangmin and Abbie decided to leave together to his apartment nearby, abandoning plans to grab something to eat.

The drive home all I could think about was Izumi following that guy down that alleyway… who was he? Why did she run out into the rain after him? What were they doing now? The thoughts still flooded my head as I parked outside the house. But then my stomach growled… food would probably help…

So, I grabbed my bag from the passenger’s seat and started walking to the corner shop… a few minutes later I walked out with a carrier bag full of junk. Crisps. Chocolate. Ice cream. Gummies… and a four-pack of larger... A perfect combination with Netflix and pyjamas!

“How’s it going, teacher pet?” Zander’s annoying voice came from across the street just as I reached my front door. He was leaning against the door of my neighbour’s car, phone in his hand.

“What are you doing here?” I questioned him, looking up and down my street… there was no one else there.

“Followed you” he admitted and started to walk across the road. Panic started to rise as he glared at me with hateful eyes. I couldn’t speak. Followed me? Why? He stopped about five feet from me and looked down at the bag of snacks. “Didn’t know you were such a little piggy” he commented, eyes coming back up to mine.

“Leave me alone” was all I could say. I reached for my keys in my jacket pocket and put them between my fingers… just in case…

“No” he growled in a voice that wasn’t all him! It sounded like several people talking at once. I watched in horror as his pupils became slits in red eyes. He stepped towards me. Smiling with pointed teeth. “Good thing Abbie isn’t here. I have you all to myself” he said in his warped voice.

“Stop” my own voice wobbled in fear as he towered over me. He reached behind me and with a slight flick of his hand burst open my door. He wasn’t human!

“Aren’t you going to invite me in? Little piggy” the voices rumbled low in his throat as he pushed me roughly into my hallway. Behind him, he jammed the door back into place and turned to glower down at me. “I’ve wanted to do this since master changed me” Zander revealed as he started towards me!

I clutched the keys in my hand and slashed at him when he came within range! They tore roughly into his cheek! He stood there for a few seconds… processing what I’d just done… then faced me again… what!?

The blood pouring down his cheek stopped quickly, and the four large gashes closed up right before my eyes!

RUN! A voice in my head was screaming at me! But where would I even run to!?

The back door! RUN! NOW!

I gathered enough courage into me and fumbled around me as he walked me down the hallway. Every step he took towards, I took one panicked step back. That’s when I felt it! I grasped it in my hand… used all of my strength… and swung at Zander! The metal baseball bat connected with his skull and a crunching sound echoed around me!

Zander didn’t only fall with the impact… he somehow, I sent him crashing through the wall of my stairs! In the rubble of the wall, Zander lay motionless… how? How had I done that?

I didn’t let those thoughts stop me from bolting for my back door! Somehow, in the time I was inside it had started to rain again!

I struggled to see through the cold rain as I ran down my small back garden.

I started to clamber up the garden wall that was much taller than I was… but I got halfway up the stone wall when a vice grip ripped me off by my ankle with huge force!

I came crashing to the floor! My whole left side impacted heavily and painfully to the concrete path! Warm blood poured down my head! I could feel the broken bones cutting into my flesh!

I tried to scream but the fall has knocked the wind out of me!

Zander was standing above me in the rain! But he didn’t look like himself! His skin had turned a ghostly white! His bright red pupils were bleeding into the whites of his eyes! His large teeth were gnarled in his oversized mouth! He was much larger! His long sharp nails were black! His short brown hair had turned grey! Like he’d aged 50 years!

“WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING! DEMI HUMAN!” the booming, multi-toned voice growled at me! He raised a mutated arm above his head! Ready to attack! I couldn’t move! I snapped my eyes shut! Ready for the pain of being torn apart!

But a thunderous howling rung in my ears! I hesitated but opened my eyes to see Zander clutching a stump that was his arm! It was bleeding like a crimson fountain! He was howling in pain! Hunched over his decapitated arm!

As to who had done it… standing between myself and Zander… was a guy… dressed in black from head to toe… he put his hood down showing a head of medium length black hair that came to below his ears… he turned to me…

He was beautiful! A strong jaw! Dark eyes curtained by his long hair! The rain making his clothes cling to him to show an athletic, tall body! In his tattooed right hand, there was a curved long dagger dripping with blood and rain!

Who was this guy!?

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AUTHOR'S NOTES

HELLO! I'M ESTELLEKPOP!

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THIS FANFIC! I WILL BE UPLOADING WEEKLY ON MONDAYS STARTING THIS WEEK! 

THERE WILL BE A 2ND CHAPTER TODAY UPLOADED AT 4 PM UK TIME!

THANK YOU FOR READING!

-ESTELLEKPOP

XXX