Nobody listens. I am invisible, silent. And yet I am here. I see it all. Nobody cares. I am panting. Running, through the barely worn track. My feet pound the hard rock. My hands scrape the dry plants growing next to me. I don’t look up to see if someone is following. I jump up, onto the higher part of the track. It is twilight, and the air around me is dark. Soon, I come to a stop. A ledge of rock stands in front of me, barring my way. The path climbs steeply upwards. I peer over, see the forest. See shadows beckoning me. I fumble for the torch. I am not stupid. I clamber up, picking my way through the rocks, until I reach the end of the trail… and into the woods. Darkness engulfs me. I feel the shadows, prickly beside me. I turn on the torch, and point it at them. Pure darkness. A shiver runs over my skin. Once these were people. Sad, lonely. Depressed. Like me. I feel a black tear slide down my cheek. This is the place of nightmares. I come here every night, to swim in sorrow. But never have I gone far enough to… I am not scared here. Not lonely. I hear soft footfalls, out on the track. “Draya?” I hear someone call for me. To them, I am no more than a mere shadow. Not until they embrace the darkness. I glance over my shoulder, see the silhouette of someone standing. A young girl, full of light and happiness. My belly churns with jealousy. I hiss. I hear her gasp. She is afraid. I hear her run away. I smile. My attention comes back to the place I am. The Forest of Forever Darkness and Shadows. Normal people fear it. They are drunk on happiness. Never have I had even a tiny sip of the sweet honey of joy. They have only had the slightest of the bitter taste of sadness. Happiness cannot survive here. I lie down, my torch next to me. My safe haven. The shadows prance around me, close enough to feel my heat, but not enough to be caught in the light. They are drained of colour. Life, happiness. To most, it is no big deal. We never really have had that opportunity. But some did, once. And it was all stripped away from them… A memory forces its way into my mind. My mother. Her smile was warm and bright sunshine, and her touch was like a blanket. When I was a baby, I was loved. But when my mother died of cancer, all happiness was washed out of my life. I wonder if her spirit wanders the dark forest. My dad married a new woman, and had my little half-sister. Fay. I sigh. She is always trying to find a cure for my cancer, little Fay. She can’t understand that I will die, and become part of the forest. I think she thinks I miss my mother. I don’t. She is in a better place. But without me… I want to scream. I jump up, eyes squeezed shut, hands on either side of my head, silently screaming. My foot swings widely, then connects with something… my torch. Wide eyed, now, I watch my torch spin away, into the darkness. My light is gone. This is too early! I spin around, the shadows of pure darkness coming closer now. I wave them away, and scream. There is no sound. Like usual. I have never spoken since mother’s death. They circle now, fast and faster, so close, their darkness brushing my skin. They pull me in, wrap themselves around me, and drain the heat out of me. I shake, but it doesn’t take long. There is barely any. I can’t breathe. I double over, having a panic attack. The shadows disperse, forming a loose circle around me. Have I…? My eyes adjust to the eternal darkness, and now I understand.
