Approaching Midnight - The Undefeatable Shadow (Ch.1): Young me looks around, yawning. The place is pitch black. Mama and Baba are nowhere. “M-Mama? Baba?” Young me steps out of bed, dark purple goo on my bed socks. “Eww.” Young me whines. Young me begins to cry and as my Mama and Baba’s voice fill my head. Why are you here? You’re the reason this happened to us. We’re dead because of you. You're alone. Alone. You’ll never see us again because of what you did. You killed us. Midnight Veil. Midnight. MIDNIGHT. I wake up in a cold sweat, my - slightly red, but mostly brown - hair stuck to my face with tears. My pjs seemingly glued to my body. I sigh, It was just a dream. My room is high-tech and futuristic but girly. White walls but with controlled cracks with pink, purple and blue lights. I sit down for a bit, but then get up and wipe my eyes. I brush the tangles in my hair with a comb and wince at the end knots. I dress into a beige tracksuit with flair bottoms and a long cardigan. I change my bed socks into my normal socks. I put on my under cap and fling on my brown hijab. I run downstairs. “Good morning honey. Having breakfast with Indie?” Mama asks. I nod. “Assalamualaikum!” I put on my shoes and close the door before they can reply. My best friend, Indie, lives next-door. I knock and Mr Ahmed opens the door, a grey t-shirt on. He closes it slightly and calls for Indie. Heavy footsteps. That can’t be my best friend. She’s lighter than helium. “Assalamualaikum, Kaina.” She ushers me inside, her maroon cheeks seemingly illuminated. She’s nervous. “Waalaikumsalam.” I take off my new cream converse shoes, fix them next to Indie’s leather sandals with cork bottoms and flump on her couch, sighing loudly in exhaustion. She looks me up and down before sitting down next to me and asking, “What’s wrong?” “I stayed up too late.” I lie. Indie rolls her eyes. She sighs, “If you say so.” The tv begins talking as Mr Ahmed sits down in his antique armchair, “Children have been accusing shadows of moving and walking. Here’s a parent who claims he saw it too-” it switches to a man that looks as if he had been pulling his brown hair for hours straight. Indie stares at the tv, “Mash-allah -” “Yeah. Let’s go meet Leyla and Sara.” I finish. I get up, throw on my shoes and head out. Indie chases after me.
