[ TT ] How the shadows came alive

The flame danced around. The little illumination it provided seemed like just enough to protect my friend from any further attacks. Its golden glow cast made these desolate stone walls appear not as gloomy. Here among these ruins is where it began. 
 
 `` Almost there,'' he said, as his hand gripped his side. Blood was still trickling between his fingers, but at a much slower pace then before. I remained quiet, nothing to say. Whispers of unknown creatures echoed on the walls, and that sound filled the void sufficiently. They spoke of death, I was unaffected, but my friend so close to it, felt those bitter words at full force. 
 
 Finally, our candle was able to find an old door tangled with vines. He pushed it open, I remained closely behind him. The light flickered for a moment as a gust of wind shot through the doorway, but thankfully it remained alight. 
 In the center of the room stood an elevated platform with what looked like an altar on top. Here was where many years ago a voodoo witch freed her own shadow, killing herself in the process. Not only was her shadow released, but anyone who died also released their own shadows from bondage. 
 
 The whispers became much louder as we climbed the stairs to reach the altar. From the darkness several figures formed, all monstrous shapes. They hovered outside of the lights reach watching and waiting for their chance, some looked off into the distance still grieving over their past owners. Their presence gave my friend chills, but we had to focus there was a task at hand. Blood from his side was running down the stairs slowly; forming a small pool at the bottom. 
 
 Finally, we reached the stone slab, dried blood covered the top and a skeleton rested on the floor nearby. The shadows nearby grew closer, the candle was beginning to fade. Dark hands began to creep into the light, only to crawl back once the light touched them. They longed for the blood so conveniently located nearby, and to tear anything living limb from limb. 
 
 `` I need to start,'' my friend said. He approached the altar and used the quickly fading light to read the ancient tome. The shadows that were not looking at us before now gazed directly at my us, in fact all of them watched. Not all of them liked the free reign they had, it was a curse to some. Those that embraced it however would stop at nothing to keep the ritual alive. 
 
 My friend opened the book. In faded ink was the steps on how to rid the world of shadows, the page before it was the summoning of them still stained with the voodoo witch's blood. He began the ceremony. 
 
 Suddenly, all the shadow creatures nearby let out a painful shriek. It startled my friend and he knocked the candle off the altar. Slowly it fell on the ground by the stairs. The light source landed on its side, but did not go out, luckily. My friend looked at it cursing. The light was quickly fading however, and he only had moments to retrieve it before the shadows would engulf us. Before he could act however a wind blew through the room. The candle slowly began to roll into the pool of my friends very own blood. 
 
 The light quickly died out on touch. The shadows waited, knowing it was the end of the line for their prey. A yell from my friend shot out. I could hear the sound of demonic jaws crushing his bones completely and claws ripping his flesh from his body. His remaining blood splattered loudly on the cold stone. He cried out for help, but I could n't help him. 
 
 I was just his shadow, and now I was free. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

