Shadow-Land - Heather Parsons (bill gates book recommendations TXT) 📗

anymore. As sad as this sounds, it's true.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, scaring her further. Wishing she could climb into her mind again and never come out. But since she couldn't she reached in and grabbed it. Touching the screen to light it up and said in whispers, “hello.”

“I was just calling to see if you made it to school yet. I'm running late so Jennifer ended up taking her own car. If your there then I'll see you before class.” Travis tried to sound happy. He could hear the fear in her voice but tried to think it was only because she had to drive herself and nothing more. It couldn't be anything else, he thought. But his heart broke more just hearing her cry.

Sierra never did understand why he still feels the need to come to school when he graduated two years ago. But he's there every morning like clockwork. And any other day this thought would make her smile. Any other day she'd be happy. Any other day but today.

“I...c-can't...t-talk...right now.” She spoke through, sobs. “I have t-to find a w-way out of m-my car.”

“Tell me where you are and I'll be there in five minutes.” He said rushing his words. Wherever you are and however long it takes me, I'll find you. He wanted to say.

“Don't c-come I have t-to do this on m-my own.” She said and quickly hung up. There was nothing else to say to him.

She did have to end up calling a tow company and wait for them to come bail her out though. And as scared to death as she was she didn't dare leave the comforts of her car. When someone softly tapping on the window she jumped and quickly grab for her phone. But after focusing on his face and seeing that it was the tow man and nothing else, she opened the door and climbed out.

The man was about to ask a question, probably wanting to know how this happened but after seeing the terrified look on her face, he didn't. Continuing doing what he was and had her car out of the ditch in minutes.

Sierra paid him with what money she had and continued her way to school. She didn't bother noticing anyone around her or talking to them even when they called out to her. School passed by in another blur and soon it was time to go home.

For the next week this is what happened. Everyday she would drive herself to school and back home again. Getting better and better behind the wheel with fewer and fewer accidents. She stayed pretty much to herself. Eating lunch in her car and leaving the moment the bell rang.

She had only survived on a couple hours of sleep that week. The nightmares only became part of her everyday life. Every night she would wake up screaming at the same time in the middle of the night and not be able to fall back asleep. She never told anyone anything that happened to her or anyone else. She feared if she did they would react the same way her father had. And she couldn't handle that.

Her parents never came into her room to check on her. And everyday there after was pretty much a daze. She never smiled or talked to anyone. Her friends slowly became distant from her, treating her the way she felt. Dead.

When her birthday came around Sierra already looked years older than her young age of eighteen. With all those sleepless night and reliving the same nightmare over and over. She began to forget the most important things. The reason behind her nightmares in the first place. And most of all the reasons for living.

Four:

Secrets

WAKING up in the morning in pretty much a daze was the least of her concerns. It was each and every night waking up screaming and having to cover her face with her pillow that took it's biggest toll. Each night the nightmare would become more graphic than the night before. And last night was the worst, being held down to watch the creature savage her parents, ripping them apart and being reprimanded when she turned away. To witness their eyes fade to black and their souls leave their bodies and not being able to help. Each time the one that held onto her would get excited, he'd dug his claws deeper in her and she'd scream.

She became enclosed within herself, never opening up to anyone. Travis never came over anymore and neither did anyone else. She secluded herself in her room on weekends when any normal teenager would be begging to go somewhere else. But nothing seemed to mattered anymore. Not graduation. Not her friends. She didn't care about her the way she looked or how everyone around perceived her. It just wasn't important anymore.

Living within this nightmare that controlled every aspect of her life and no matter what she did she can't escape it. The good old days of having fun with friends and spending time with Travis seem like a century ago.

Travis is always occupied with his girlfriend to notice to downward spiral she's taken. Knowing this only because she watches him. He doesn't look at her anymore or try and stop her to ask what's wrong. What's the point in asking the same old questions? she's never answered before.

But today was different. She'd answer now because she could feel the change. Something bad was going to happen that would change her life forever. But it's too late to talk now, no one would listen even if she talked. They've all gone their separate ways.

Sierra picked up the phone and contemplated on calling Travis. Holding the phone between her hands and staring at the numbers when the reasonable voice in her head screamed for her to run.

Dialing his number was second nature and when the line started ringing on the other end, she had to look at the phone to see who she had called. Replacing it back on her ear and waiting on nerves for him to answer.

“Hello.” He said grudgingly. Why would she call?

“Travis?” She asked, not sure if it was truly him or if she miss dialed.

“Yeah. Sierra what do you want?” He asked roughly. His voice had a hint of anger in it.

Hearing him like this tore at her heart. Her breath hitched in her throat before she could stop the shaking.

“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called. I wasn't thinking when I dialed your number. I'm sorry for disturbing you. I will not do it again. I promise.” She whispered ready to bring this call to an end. At least that's what her mind was telling her to do. Just end the call and leave, it screamed.

“You do this all the time. Calling me for I don't know what reason then apologizing for it. What's going on with you?” He asked almost in a whisper himself. Trying as hard as he could not to sound angry, even though she'd upset him by ignoring him. Still there was something in her voice that called out to his heart to proceed with caution.

“I just really need a friend but your probably busy and I don't want to disturb you.” She said and again tried to end the call.

“You could have fooled me. I've tried talking to you all week and you just brush me off. Why all the sudden do you need a friend right now for?” He asked. “Don't tell me it has something to do with the graduation party, you know I'm taking Jennifer with me.” His heart flinched at his own words, shooting sharp pain across his chest.

“I don't have time to go to a stupid graduation party. I'm not even going to school today because I can't afford to. You know what, you have fun tonight and I may or may not see you again.” She said, aggravated.

“What do you mean by that?” He asked and then he thought back to the last couple of days and how she's been acting. She wouldn't be thinking of it? Would she? Oh God, he thought.

“I just wanted to hear your voice. Just one last time.” She whispered, her eyes shedding tears of regret.

“If your trying to scare me, it's working. Sierra please promise me one thing, you won't do anything to yourself until I've had a chance to talk to you. I'm on my way now.” He said and run through the house grabbing his shoes and keys and heading for the car. The drive would only take a few minutes and he prayed she'd wait for him.

“I have never thought of doing anything to myself. And I'm not sure you coming over right now would be safe.” She said just above a whisper. Hearing noises coming from downstairs and knowing that it was already to late.

“Please just go outside and wait for me.” He said with the phone still in his hands as he drove down the street.

“I can't it's already to late. They're here and I can't stop them.” Sierra cried out when the door to her room slammed opened. She jumped back and dropped the phone.

“Please don't.....NO! I don't want to go. NO!” She screamed as the creature drug her out of the room. Her nightmare was coming true right before her eyes. The creature's claws dug deep into her shoulder's and forced her to her knees into her parents room. And just like her dream she closed her eyes refusing to open them again.

“Your not going to want to miss this Sierra.” The creature hissed. It's tongue licking the side of her face leaving a stench that turned her stomach. This reaction was supposed to make her open her eyes, she suspected but instead she squeezed her eyes closed even harder. And knowing what it would do next she braced herself but she never shed a tear or cried out in pain.

The pain that the creature impacted on her, shot threw every fiber of her being but still she didn't open her eyes. If anything she closed them even tighter and held in her screams.

The sounds of her parents screaming out to her is what eventually made her open her