[center][hr][img]https://i.imgur.com/39h0Tk1.png[/img]     [img]https://i.imgur.com/OfpTxjr.png[/img] [/center]
[right]Interactions: Ella vaguely
[code]Warehouse[/code][/right][hr]
The Shadow’s sharp claw bounced off the surprise shield that protected Vicky. It didn’t get a chance to strike again, Tuyen panickedly pushing herself back and tugging the Shadow with her. It saved Kersten from the same fate as Chef as it was pulled out of range. The Shadow wasn’t disappointed. It didn’t matter. All it wanted to do was torment its new host.  

Tuyen continued to back away until her back hit a wall, the impact jolting her tense body. Vicky’s head was still there, glazed over eyes seeming to follow Tuyen’s retreat. Blood stained the floor, and it stained her hands too. She felt sick. She wasn’t sure if it was from all the death she could see, or with herself.

The Shadow slunk around her, shrinking down to a mocking replica of her own shadow- so similar, but with hands that rippled into sharp claws and a mouth cut out of the darkness with sinister fangs. It remained manifested and alert- it didn’t want to lose such a tasty meal so soon, after all. It didn’t matter that it dropped part of the hallucination, allowing her to see it, because she wasn’t in a state to be looking.

With nowhere left to run, Tuyen curled up into a tight ball, hands clutching at her hair and pulling it out of the ponytail it was in. Tears spilled down her cheeks and her chest heaved with short, sharp breaths. Vicky was dead. Her only friend… The only person who put up with her without blood ties… She was gone. [color=9494a9]It was all her fault.[/color] Why hadn’t that thing come for her now?! Was she not even good enough to kill? 

Her breath hitched, suppressed sobs turning into sharp panic laced with guilt. She was terrified. She [color=9494a9]wanted to live.[/color] She didn’t deserve to, and she shouldn’t, but she did. 

Tuyen’s head jerked up, wide eyes immediately filled with the sight of her own shadow looming over her. It flickered between horrendous forms she recognised from her own imagination. Grotesque, twisted creatures with sharp claws and teeth, or more sinisterly subtle ones that stared at her with judging eyes. She covered her mouth to stifle a scream, eyes going wide with fear. But the nightmare made of shadows didn’t kill her. 

Instead it flickered to the side, giving her a clear view of the [i]original[/i] monster. It was just as horrifying as the Shadow looming over her, but in that moment it seemed more dangerous. It had already killed Chef and Vicky… She didn’t understand why she could suddenly see it. She flinched as its glowing yellow eyes surveyed the area for its next prey.

[color=9494a9][i]Go on. Run like the coward you are.[/i][/color]

A sinister whisper in her mind, distinct from her own inner voice, pushed her into action. The self hatred, grief and guilt still clung to her, but it was pushed aside in favour of survival instincts kicking in. She pulled herself to her feet, and ran.

Another teenager managed to get up just in front of her, injured from being trampled on in everyone’s panic. He only managed to take a few steps before the Shadow twisted in front of Tuyen, claws digging into his side and throwing him out of the way. Bile rose in Tuyen’s throat, her breathing growing harsher. She kept running, but the closer she got to the masses still shoving through the door, the more people got thrown out of the way by the Shadow.

Why was it doing this? Why hadn’t it hurt her? A horrific understanding grew, followed by waves of guilt crashing into her again. She could feel its attachment to her, like a cold wire around her throat. This couldn’t be real. It wasn’t real. Her shadow wasn’t alive. She was hallucinating, she had to be hallucinating. 

As if confirming that she was going mad, the Shadow dropped out of existence, leaving only the bloody path it had torn to make it easier for Tuyen to get out. It sunk back into her normal Shadow, hidden to everyone else, conserving energy now that she was almost out. It didn’t offer her any feelings of security, fear of being caught by the monster as strong as ever. She didn’t know it could protect her- it didn’t want her to know.

Tuyen twisted around, not daring to go through the large group still at the door, and instead stumbled into Ella, cutting in front of Kersten. Any concerned words fell on deaf ears as she numbly scrambled out the window. 

What was that? What did she do now? Keep running? She’d only taken a few steps outside, away from the broken window, when she was paralysed by fear and doubt again. [color=9494a9]Why even bother.[/color]