The Shadow: The Poisonwood Shadows Book One

by Christina Crook

  Someone was lurking further up the alleyway, also hidden in the shadows. Whoever it was, they were watching her. Scarlett didn’t think she had any fight left. Though she knew she should run, she remained frozen in fear and waited for the stranger to emerge so she could gauge exactly what she was dealing with and decide which the more viable option was – fight or flight.

  He stepped out and Scarlett knew instantly. Relief flooded through her. She had never seen him before, but his black clothing told her what he was.

  The Shadow watched her softly, his expression concerned. He had a smooth pale face and tidy black hair, while his wide, worried eyes were dark. He radiated with something that Scarlett couldn’t quite pin down. The second man who attacked her had spewed out a terrifying energy. The energy she felt now was a powerful warmth that made her feel instantly safe. He shone with compassion and a quiet kind of magic. Still, she couldn’t help but feel resentment towards him. He hadn’t been there when she needed him. What use was that?

  The boy took a tentative step towards her. Still afraid and unwilling to put all of her trust in her gut instinct, Scarlett responded with a large step back towards the street, her eyes darting around nervously. She wondered if she could find it in herself to run again.

  “Wait. I’m here to help. Don’t be afraid.” He spoke eloquently, in a gentle, well-mannered kind of voice; the same way the uptown boys spoke.

  She didn’t know if she could trust him, not really, but something inside felt lighter now, as if the worst might be over. Scarlett’s throat was raw from the screaming and she wasn’t sure if she could talk, but she tried anyway.

  “Where were you?” She whispered, afraid to speak any louder.

  He looked down uncomfortably. “I was running, trying to get there in time. I heard you scream.”

  Scarlett bit her trembling lip. “What if they find me?” She looked around, then tried to pull down her skirts.

  “They won’t. I took care of them.”

  She shook her head, feeling puzzled. “How? They were so strong.”

  “I’m stronger,” came the immediate response, as he moved nearer.

  Scarlett watched him, taking all of him in – another Shadow, right in front of her. Two in one day. He seemed so guarded, but she could see that he was also quick and confident. Everything a Shadow ought to be. The walls of the alleyway dripped with moss and rainwater and there was a coolness in the stale air. Scarlett became aware of just how much she was shaking now and began to feel self-conscious. The boy noticed and pulled a black jacket as if from nowhere, placing it delicately around her shoulders.

  He turned to face her, his expression cautious. “I need to get you home. Can you walk?”

  “I…I think so. I think I twisted my ankle though.” She confessed, looking down pathetically at her legs, which were smeared with blood and grime. Sighing deeply, Scarlett closed her eyes at the whole sorry situation.

  “Where do you live?” He asked lightly.

  She almost felt like crying again at the pure compassion he seemed to exhibit. She hadn’t imagined they would be like this, not after the first one. “Uptown. The Clearhart house,” she said, in a small, embarrassed voice.

  His eyes widened in surprise. “You were going to walk all the way? Alone?”

  Scarlett shrugged. “I had no choice.” A single pitiful tear slipped down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away.

  He put one hand on his hip, the other to his chin and looked to the top of the alleyway worriedly. “Are you not from downtown?” He turned to look at her outfit. Scarlett looked down at the cobbles below, too ashamed to look at him. “What’s your name?”

  “Scarlett. Scarlett Winchester.”

  “You’re not a Clearhart then?”

  She took a deep breath, feeling irritated by all of the questions. “I’m the maid,” she said shortly. The boy sighed and Scarlett cringed at the chaos she had caused. “I’m sorry. I’ll be okay. You don’t need to help me.”

  He turned to look at her and raised his eyebrows pointedly. “Don’t worry. It’s my job. Now listen - I’m supposed to escort you home, but it’s a long way to go and you’re not fit to walk all that way. Anyway, the streets might not be safe so…” He stopped and sighed again, as if debating whether to carry on speaking. “We’re going to take the roofs.”

  At this, Scarlett looked up suddenly. “Wait…what? How?”

  He looked around uncomfortably, unwilling to make eye contact. “Just trust me. And please don’t tell anyone, okay? We’re understaffed tonight,” he admitted.

  Scarlett nodded weakly. “I promise.”

  “How is your ankle?” He glanced down at her.

  “It’s fine,” she lied, swallowing the pain.

  “Okay. Well, follow me. This is quicker than walking the whole way, I promise.” He began to walk deeper into the alleyway.

  “Are you sure about this? I don’t know…” She said, still shaken from the attack and not feeling entirely trusting.

  Scarlett watched apprehensively as he stopped and turned back to look at her. The boy looked bewildered for a moment, but then he smiled the most open and arresting smile she had ever seen and with that, she trusted him with her life. “Don’t worry,” he repeated.

  Scarlett followed him further into the misty shadows of the alleyway. She wrinkled her nose at the stink of the gutters and the damp on the walls. It was pitch black, but the boy could see, and once he stopped, he reached out for her hand and guided her to him. She noted that his own hands were somehow both rough and smooth, covered in calluses, both old and new. Around his arm he had wrapped a long, thick length of rope that stretched upwards.

  “Hold on to me, okay? Wrap your arms around my neck. I’ll pull us up,” he instructed.

  With nothing left to lose, Scarlett did as he said. Up close, he smelled like night time, like pine and winter. The boy steeled his grip and asked, “Ready?”

  She nodded, biting her lip, unsure what to expect. He looked up briefly, then tugged heavily on the rope. With that single movement, they flew upwards. Afraid of falling, Scarlett instinctively tightened her grip around him, squeezing her eyes shut. Before she had time to process what was happening, she found they had reached the top of the building and landed on a jutted out ledge. The boy released her and ensured she was safely on the rooftop before disentangling himself from the rope. Scarlett suddenly became aware that she was higher than she had ever been in her life. The downtown buildings rose way beyond any of the townhouses. She could see the skyscrapers in front of her and further ahead were the magnificent, glittering mansions that looked over Poisonwood. Even at this hour, they were lit up gloriously.

  And then something occurred to Scarlett and she quickly spun around to face downtown. Being this high up, she could see it - the Outside. It had always existed in her mind, in the stories people told and in the occasional photograph that was printed in the daily newspapers, but it had never been anything more than that. All she could see was darkness and the outline of trees, a forest perhaps? She could make out what looked like rolling fields and the occasional light dotting the horizon.

  It was nothing much, but it was still something other than the city she had known all her life. Something more. She stared in awe, entirely unaware of whether she was hot or cold, hungry or tired, or any kind of feeling at all in fact. Taking it all in, Scarlett then noticed something different on the dark horizon. In the distance, the sky was a little lighter. The surrounding shadows rose taller.

  “Is that…?” She asked, barely above a whisper, unable to finish the question.

  “It’s the lights of Silverwall,” said the boy, his voice still hoarse, like he hadn’t talked much that day.

  He came to stand beside her and followed her gaze. Scarlett felt as if everything had stilled. Her life suddenly seemed more insignificant than ever, but despite the events which had led her here, she felt like this may be the greatest moment of her life. She was overflowing with wonder and incr
edulity.

  “I’m sorry. I’ve never seen the Outside. I’ve never even spent an evening downtown before tonight,” she explained, still awestruck.

  “Why were you alone?” He asked quietly.

  “I wasn't. I was with Rebecca Clearhart - she’s the daughter, and her friends, and…I don’t know. I was supposed to meet them outside the club and go home in their car. I don’t know where they went…” Scarlett trailed off and shrugged.

  “They would have taken you, you know?”

  “I know,” she nodded, not wanting to think about it.

  “Come on now. I have to get you home.”

  He turned around, walked to the other side of the building and looked solemnly at Scarlett so she would follow. He led her out of the light, back into the shadowy corners of the roof. Scarlett noticed extra walls and overhanging pieces of steel, which perfectly cast a darkened path to enable the mysterious army to travel in secret. The boy walked faster than she did and his dark clothes camouflaged him so well that whenever he got too far ahead, she wondered if he was still there at all. They continued on in silence until they reached the end of the block of buildings. He clipped himself to a zip wire that stretched in all directions to the buildings opposite and Scarlett watched as he stepped up onto a higher ledge.

  He looked down at her. “You need to hold onto me now, okay? You let go, you drop down into the road and you’re dead.” He held out his hand and pulled her up. “Can you trust me?” He looked right at her, deadly serious.

  Usually she would reply with something witty, but now wasn’t the time. Instead, Scarlett nodded calmly, too intimidated to utter a word.

  “Okay. Well, hold on again. We’re heading over there.” He pointed to the building diagonally across from them. This would take them onto the right side of the city, the side they needed to be on for the Clearhart house. She held on as she had before and he launched them off the top of the building. Adrenaline rushed through Scarlett’s veins once more. She was sure she had never felt more alive or powerful.

  Seconds later they landed with a thud. Dropping down off the ledge, the boy shook the hair from his eyes and asked, “Are you okay?”

  She nodded, still unable to speak. He paused and looked around, biting his lip, then glanced at her briefly, before setting off again. “Come on.”

  All she could do was follow, as he led her across rooftops, small connections which led over alleyways and yet more zip wires. Eventually they reached uptown and Scarlett began to stumble, unable to ignore the pain any longer, so he picked her up with no comment and continued. He was strong and carried her like she was nothing. Though it was horribly awkward, she couldn’t help but feel safe in his arms. But he was so cold and detached. He barely said one word to her.

  Scarlett thought of the excitement she had felt upon waking that morning. Her very first night out downtown. It felt like a whole other, bizarre lifetime ago. Who knew that this was how she would be ending her day, with not one, but two encounters with Shadows?

  When they finally reached her rooftop, Scarlett had never felt such a great sense of relief.

  “Is this it? Is this yours?”

  She nodded. “Yes, this is it.”

  “Great. This is where I leave you then. Be careful, okay?” He turned to make a quick exit.

  “Wait!” Scarlett called out, sharper and louder than intended.

  He reappeared reluctantly, his face stony.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. She didn’t even know why she had called him back.

  He shook his head, dark hair falling in front of his face again. “It’s fine. This is what I do. Just be careful, okay?” He reiterated.

  “I only wanted to thank you. I’m sure it doesn’t mean much and I’m sure I’m just another silly girl who needs rescuing,” she babbled, “but I promise this isn’t me. It’s not who I am. The clothes, the make-up…”

  The boy took a deep breath, looked around at the rooftops suspiciously and taking a step closer, said quietly, “Just be who you are. Don’t be anyone else.”

  “I will. Thanks for this…again.” She met his eyes, unable to keep the amusement from them. Perhaps it was hysteria setting in, but now all she really wanted to do was laugh.

  His expression was both serious and calm, but this time there was a new warmth she had not yet seen. The hint of emotion. She was sure he even smiled back a little, and for a moment all she wanted was to see that smile in full again. She was sure it would shine through in his chocolate brown eyes, which seemed to hold a little more friendliness in them now. He nodded slowly, biting his lip thoughtfully, before looking down at the grey roof slate and whispering, “I have to go.”

  The cold night swirled through the city, a growing breeze which rolled the fresh, pre-dawn air over them in bracing waves. The rising winds blew her hair off her shoulders, as Scarlett took one last look across the city. She nodded at him, watching as he took off at a run, lighter than air, suddenly not just a person running through the shadows, but a part of the darkness itself.

  Chapter Four

  Scarlett was cold, tired and everything hurt. Still standing on the roof, leaning on the chimney pot, she stared unseeing at the empty, dark space into which the Shadow had run. The wind whipped at her small, shivering body, as she carefully made her way down the slope of the Clearharts roof. Slipping down onto the balcony using the stone ledge for support, she landed heavily, her ankle finally giving up.

  Anxious to be inside, Scarlett made her way through the double doors into her gloomy bedroom. She locked herself in and pulled the thick green curtains tightly closed. Now that she was safe, Scarlett could finally let her defences down and she felt everything all at once – pain, hunger, exhaustion, a desperate desire for sleep. She felt like she was ready to cry, but the shock prevented her. She was so tired and wanted to crawl into bed and rest forever, but she was also starving, dirty and hurting badly.

  It was almost light out and the household would soon begin to wake. Scarlett lit a small fire before drawing herself a bath, pouring in some of Winifred’s old healing salts to soothe her aching muscles. The bath initially stung her body, but then the steaming hot water and the salts began to work their magic on her. She washed the make-up off her face and the built up grime and dried blood off her legs. Scarlett was more than ready to collapse into bed and sleep forever. She dreamt of the Shadow, perfect and nameless.

  When she finally woke up, it was late morning. Scarlett opened her curtains and sunlight came flooding through. Her thin body felt bruised all over, like she needed nine or ten hours of uninterrupted, dreamless rest. Her head felt muggy and she had a pressing headache. Walking out onto the balcony, she looked down at the busy street below. The air was fresh and clean and she breathed it in, hoping to clear out the numerous thoughts which were scattered inside of her head. Feeling at a loss, Scarlett headed down the stairs to visit Winifred.

  “Winnie?” She called loudly, as she tapped on the door. “It’s Scarlett.”

  She slowly opened the door and peered around to check if she was awake. The woman who had raised her was dozing in her favourite chair, a thick, brown cardigan wrapped tightly around her, while a mustard coloured blanket kept her legs warm. Scarlett carefully picked up the empty mug which sat on the table beside Winifred and washed it in the room’s tiny kitchenette. She filled the kettle with water again and set it on the stove. Winifred would wake soon and be ready for another cup of tea.

  Once the kettle was boiled, Scarlett prepared two cups and waited while they brewed, folding her arms and enjoying the silence of Winnie’s warm, bright room. Winifred awoke very gradually. She would slip out of her dreams with a smile, always recalling her younger years, before her soul crept back into the present day.

  “Hi Winnie,” said Scarlett, as the old lady looked around the room, blinking. She was slowly finding it more difficult to wake up and separate the dream from reality. Scarlett cautiously set the cups on the small table and sat herself down on the nex
t chair.

  “Are you alright, Letty? I feel like I've not seen you in a while,” said Winifred sleepily.

  “I’m okay. Are you? Good dream?”

  Winifred nodded happily, a smile on her face. “I was courting!”

  “Courting, eh? I wonder what that’s like?” Scarlett joked.

  “Ah, you’ll find a nice young man one day. I just know it,” said Winifred, now more alert.

  “Oh, do you now? Well, we’ll see. It’s not something I really think about,” Scarlett said primly.

  “Now, I don’t know about that. A lass like you should have nothing but young men on her mind!” Winifred giggled mischievously.

  Winifred’s life had been sheltered, but she had always been content with that. She had lived downtown when she was younger, working in a textiles factory until the death of her husband, Alfie. Afterwards, she moved uptown and found employment with the Clearhart family, satisfied with the comfort of the house and the simple work that came with it. She took the arrival of Scarlett as a sign that though she had never been able to have her own children, there was still time for her to be a mother of sorts.

  Winifred spent the next hour sipping on her tea and telling Scarlett about the dream she had, which seemed to merge into a story of her younger days that Scarlett had heard numerous times in the past. Still, hearing Winifred’s stories always comforted her whenever she was feeling lost or unsure of herself.

  Afterwards, Scarlett washed the pots and left Winifred to her reading. She headed back up to her room apprehensively, wondering if Rebecca was awake. She attempted to take her mind off things, but found herself unable to focus. Her mind inevitably drifted to thoughts about the mysterious Shadow once again. Would he be out there tonight, looking over the city - Poisonwood’s great protector?

  After frittering away an hour or so on useless daydreams, watching the clouds roll by her window, Scarlett heard a light tapping on her door. “Come in,” she called, knowing exactly who it was. Scarlett expected Rebecca to look bashful or worried, but was surprised to see her looking excited, ecstatic even.