Familiar Faces (2): As you walk around town, you start to notice that people seem different. Faces you used to remember have been swallowed by shadows; you may 'know' the person by a feeling, but their face is completely masked in deep black shadow. Their voice is unfamiliar, and it's clear to you that something is wrong, but no sense of logic can explain this. Shadows seem to be replacing people around you--associates, neighbors, maybe even friends or family members. Even if they act completely normal, you are left with an unsettling feeling. The shadow impostors seem to come and go, and are always just convincing enough to pass for someone in your life. It’s hard to feel safe anymore. Maybe you’ve just come down with something–or, maybe something from the shadows is just watching you.
Dant showed up for work for his second week actually raring to go. Sure, he was a dishwasher, and did only cleaning, nor could he get any promotions until he learned to read and to write in English, however today, he felt was his day.
It was not, in fact his day. Indeed, it was to turn out to be a really horrible day, and it began the moment he walked in the door. Was he sick or something?
Joe, his boss, greeted him from his office, but his face was strangely enough covered in dark shadow - and not in the way it should be. His voice was odd too - like cat's claws scraping against slate. The only way Dant knew it was him, was that he wore Joe's uniform. He nodded uncomfortably and got started with his daily work. About 10 minutes into his work, he bumped into his co-worker, and he turned to them to apologize, but he couldn't tell who it was for they were in the same creepy shadow state as Joe. He murmured an apology. "Are you ok, Dant?" They asked in that screeching voice. He nodded quietly. This sucked, as he couldn't even read their name tag.
All day was like that, from his co-workers and managers to the customers. He was distant and uncomfortable. 'Joe' or whoever or whatever was playing the boss, called him into his office at the end of the day. "You seem sick, and you are out of it. I don't want you to come in tomorrow - I'm ordering you to take a sick day. See the doctor or something. Don't come." He said in that scratchy voice. "In fact, your sick leave starts now. I'm calling one of your emergency contacts and asking him to take you home." He then dialed Drew's and fortunately Drew was off that day, so he said he'd come and pick him up.
About 20 minutes later, another shadowed person on a motorcycle pulled up. He didn't know that Drew had a motorcycle, but the shadow was dressed like Drew, and the Motorcycle had Etamin's symbol on it. This shadow greeted him like an old friend. When he did not answer and stared at the shadow both tiredly and warily, the shadow seemed to take a good look at him. "Get on and hold on tight!" The shadow said urgently. Uncomfortable, Dant went with him.
The shadow did not take him home, or to Etamin's house, but to a place out in the woods, in a clearing, where no one else was around. He knew it. The shadow was going to kill him!
He waited patiently till the ride came to a stop at which point he jumped away from the motorcycle and attempted to power up, but the shadow jumped off the motorcycle as well and raised his hand, "Wait, Ausar." "Don't call me that, liar!" Dant, now agitated attacked the shadow, who did not fight back, except to block Dant's strikes and then managed to hold Dant's arms down, effectively restraining him. However, unlike what Dant thought that the shadow would do- the shadow whispered something in Dant's ear, something only Hapii would know, at least now it would be Drew for it was something Hapii had said him long ago but to no one else, "Ausar, I shall teach you to read, and you shall soar on the wings of feathered horses to other worlds and sights unseen." Dant felt silent and stopped resisting.
"Etamin, what is happening to me?" Dant was on the verge of tears.
"Be calm, Ausar. I believe you're being affected by a surge of Halloween Magic; it should fade soon."
They stayed that night, and in the morning, Dant was happy to Drew's face once more.