Herd of shadows

Herd of Shadows by Afeya Alnahdi.

“This Halloween was different,” I said while I rearranged the logs and hot coals in the bonfire.

“Your friend and her boyfriend took a long time to leave. All I wanted was some alone time with you; you didn’t even want to come for a moment in the car.”

“Please, Zack, I told you I don’t feel ready yet.” I stirred some more, locking my eyes, avoiding eye contact.

“I better get me some other girl,” Zack muttered under his breath.

I gasped.

“What?” he asked. “I was joking,” he said.

But I was fixated somewhere else. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“I heard something coming from the direction of the dunes,” I said

“Allena, stop and let’s get going. It's getting colder by the minute, and it is already past midnight. If you don't hurry up, I will just leave you behind,” Zack said.

I started packing. I threw the sand on the bonfire. Zack folded the plastic mat and placed all the food items inside the respective containers, then in the bag. I took them and placed them in the car. Zack retracted the picnic chairs, put them in the car, and went to start the car.

“Come on, get in,” Zack cried, shivering through his teeth.

“Coming, I am coming”, just as I stopped, and I heard the sound of paws patting on sand.

Zack drew the windows down. “Hurry up, lazybones,” he shouted.

“Stop being mean; I heard something,” I said. 

“I don’t care what you heard; get in the car, or I swear I will leave you”

As I turned to get in the car, I heard rapid steps, then it disappeared. When I turned, a little bunny sat its round quietly,fluffy grey body close to the ground; its tiny front paws were tucked neatly beneath its chest.

“Oh my god, it’s a bunny,” I cried. The car vroomed and left where I was standing and when away, I stood there freezing. I turned to look at the car; he had left the dunes and parked the car near the pavement of the road. I teared up, then took steps forward towards the car. At that moment a felt a shadow behind me creep and rise above me, I did not want to turn to see, I felt goosebumps down my spine. I sped up, reached the car, and went inside. I sat there crying in silence.

“That’s what you deserve for being such a corpse,” Zack said. He drove us home.

I sat there quietly crying. 

When we arrived home, it was almost 1:30 after midnight. My eyes had puffed up; it was hard for me to see. 

“I will offload everything in the morning,” Zack said and went inside the house. He went to sleep right away.

I was quiet. I went after him inside the house and went to the kitchen. I sat there quietly drinking water. I rested my head on the counter, thinking of how things got like this between us. I heard the sound of paws again. I sat up straight at once and looked around. “Zack?” I called for help. I felt my heartbeat increase; I could hear it so loudly beating in my head. I teared up again. “Please, Zack,” I whispered; he could not hear me. I called for his help, though I knew he was not going to respond to me. Soft paws and nails tapped on the wooden kitchen floor. Iwent towards the sound slowly. Standing beside the fridge was a grey fluffy bunny. I froze. He tilted his head and immediately melted my heart. I sat on the floor looking at it. 

“Do you smell vegetables?” I asked it. “Are you hungry?”

He continued looking at me. Then came closer; I felt my heartbeat fast, and with every beat my chest felt tighter. He came and placed his head on the floor. I petted his head, and he closed his eyes.

“How did you make your way to our house? Did you sneak into the car?” I asked.

He kept enjoying the petting.

“I can’t sleep,” I said. “I get insomniac whenever he treats me this way.” My eyes began to tear again, and it was difficult to see the bunny. I broke into uncontrollable sobs; my chest heaved with every desperate breath. When my tears fell in the bunny it moved its head away then came closer and stood on his hinged legs looking directly at me. I fell asleep on the floor.

The next morning, Zack came downstairs and shook me abruptly. 

“Wake up, you idiot,” he said, laughing. “Did you sleep on the floor?”

I opened my eyes and sat up slowly.

“You cried on the floor and slept here, right?” he asked. “Why do you have to be so pathetic? That is so cringe. Stop being so dramatic.” He spoke.

I stood up. I felt fresh despite my puffy eyes. “Vegies,” I said.

“It's in the fridge, you goat; eat it,” Zack said.

I opened the fridge and took parsley. I munched on it as if I hadnever eaten an herb before. “This is amazing and fresh,” I said. 

Zack ignored me and went to make himself a bowl of cereal with milk.

I looked at Zack, and I felt unease; I thumped my feet on the floor. He did not give any reaction; he was busy looking at a girl talking about her outfit on social media. 

I thumped my leg again, and he lifted his eyes to see me. 

“Stop being silly, or I swear I will throw you out,” Zack said.

“This is my house,” I said at once.

Zack continued looking at me. 

“It will be mine after I kill you, right?” he said with a creepy smile. 

I glared at Zack. Then he looked at me and said, “Stop looking at me like that; you look ugly”

I gave a loud, shrieking, alarming scream. I never knew I could shout that high; usually, when I do, I lose my voice for two or three days. But now I didn’t.

Zack stood and took his hand out; he was going for a slap, then he froze. Black shadows appeared in different areas of the house.

“AAHHHH,” he gasped. “WHO ARE YOU? WHO ARE YOU?” he cried.

“They are my people,” I said blankly.