Chapter 2
My existence



The fog swirled around the body of Lance Cutler as the wind pushed through the trees in the forest that had neither day or night. Leaves fell in slow motion towards the ground, they stayed in suspended animation, pushed through the forest by the wind that forced the mist to move around Lance’s body.
He blinked for a moment, feeling the ground below him. He could feel the cold ground, the texture of the rocks as he stood, but he knew that it was all part of the dream. Images and feelings that he had known in reality being illustrated by his mind for him to see.
“You’re awake.” A low voice said. “You recovered quickly. I’m not surprised though.”
“Huh?” Lance blinked, looking around only to find a shadow in the form of a wolf sitting a few yards in front of him. The form was not solid, more like the shadow of a living flame in the shape of a wolf. “At least it isn’t the same dream about my uncle.”
“A dream.” The wolf said, “Not a dream. This isn’t the one where you see your uncle right before he is murdered. It’s not one where you see a shadow of the future. You’ve had those, haven’t you?”
“You‘re the same wolf that attacked Madison in my dreams though. Everyone has a dream that gives a vague illusion of what will happen in the future every once in a while.” Lance replied once he had thoroughly judged his surrounding environment, “What are you and where am I?”
“I’m Filtiarn, King Filtiarn, of the dimension known as Void.” The wolf said. “You are in you-”
”Ummm... No.” Lance interrupted, he had a feeling that the illusion in front of him would say something like that, “I don’t know about all that crap, but I can’t even say whatever you just said. You look like a wolf set on fire then painted black. Not any of this Void crap or whatever. Am I dead or not?”
“No.” Filtiarn replied. Silence fell between the two as Lance started to walk away from the wolf. “Where are you going?”
“To find my way out of here. To find someone that can tell me what’s going on or something!” Lance said turning to face the wolf again. “I just want to know how to get back home. If I am dead this isn’t the way I imagined Heaven and I’m sure it’s way to cool to be hell. ”
“This is your home and I am from the world of Void.” Filtiarn assured, “My name is Filtiarn, God of Shadows. You won’t find anyone but me here.”
Lance couldn’t help but laugh, he turned his eyes to Filtiarn. Fear prickled inside of him, but he reminded himself that it was nothing more than a dream. Apparently he wasn’t dead, but stuck in a weird dream, alone.
 “Well I would have known that I was going to be in the presences of a God then I would have dressed a little bit better, might have even taken a shower.” Lance murmured sarcastically, going so far as to give a dramatically low bow for Filtiarn. After coming back up from the bow he turned away from the creature, turning back to his own thoughts and the forest that was before him.
Minutes flew by, or what he believed to be minutes, because here time seemed to have no meaning at all. Lance rubbed his face with his hand, cursing to himself, and finally just sat down.
“I can’t say your name, Mr. God of Shadows, ruler of Void.” Lance laughed sadly while shaking his head. This could not be happening to him. He should have just ate in the lunch room. “Your name will be Shadow then. I had a dog named that once, but he was completely white. Oh, and he never appeared in my dreams or talked.”
“Shadow?” Filtiarn repeated turning his dark head to the side. “My name is King Filtiarn.”
“Was King Fil-train or whatever. Now it’s Shadow. You are a part of my dream and so you’re going to be called what I want you to be called. Shadow.” Lance said, “Now explain to me what’s going on.”
Shadow growled and Lance thought that the wolf might attack him for a moment. Then he remembered it was his dream, so he couldn’t get hurt. The wolf stopped growling after a second, but Lance felt fear grip him. A feeling unlike any other he had ever felt before.
“W-what is this?” Lance asked suddenly feeling sick. The feeling made Lance rethink his previous thoughts that the wolf could have been an illusion, yet isn’t that what dreams did? Made the world that you were in feel so real that it made you feel sick or happy at time? Lance had never had a dream like this or such a feeling. Again, his dreams were never his clear or the environment so defined.
“This isn’t heaven or hell, because you aren’t dead. This is inside of your mind. You are in a coma. It allowed me to finally take more control of your mind as well.” Shadow said, “I live inside of you. The visions you’ve seen in the past that have helped to save your life, the times where you’re body moved on it’s own in extreme conditions, and the sounds that have warned you. Like your truck honking was me making you hear those things. All of that was what little influence I’ve been able to create from deep within you.”
“So, the wrecks that I had when I was younger, you were the reason I came out without a scratch? The dream of me falling off the house that one time and of someone hitting me. All of that was you?” Lance asked remembering many times that he had dreamed of accidents that would have happened to him the night before it happened.
“Yes. You are strong though, I have to admit.” Shadow said his voice almost giving way to awe, “Even though you had no father, were abused when you were little, lost close family members, your grandfather getting cancer, almost being killed by your girlfriend’s father, and multiple other things that should have allowed me to control more of your mind. You still wouldn’t let me. You have a powerful mind and soul. I will congratulate you for that.”
“Take over my mind?” Lance echoed narrowing his eyes to the wolf. “What do you mean?”
“Not that it matters now, but I have taken root inside of your mind, I have some control over your body as well. Your ancestors didn’t last as long. Usually they were dead by your age.” Shadow said, “That explosion almost killed you, but it merely opened the door for me to gain more footing. I healed your body, feel blessed.”
Lance sat in silence. If what the wolf was saying was true, then he was still alive and his body wasn’t hurt at all. However, he was infected by this shadow wolf. He swallowed hard, trying to see if what the wolf had said was true or not. It was true, Lance knew this much, he also knew that it wasn’t a dream. The world around him was too clear to be a dream.
“What are you exactly then?” Lance asked slowly turning away from the wolf and suppressing the feeling of fear that he still felt. He preferred not to look at the flaming shadow of the wolf in front of him, so he turned his attention to the world around him, which was nothing short of the most beautiful place that he had ever seen.
“As I said before. I am Filt-“ Shadow started, but Lance cut him off by waving his hand in the air.
“I know all of that crap. Okay? You’re a shadow thing inside of me. Yeah I got that. You are a King of Void and you control shadows. Spare me all that crap and tell me what you are exactly.” Lance said, the irritation heavy in his voice, turning back to Shadow. “You can start by saying your name is Shadow, too. That's what we're calling you, because I am king of this world.”
“I’m a spirit.” Shadow explained, “You are a cursed human who is being punished for the crimes of your ancestors.”
Lance remained quiet, his face was impassive as the wolf spoke, and the statement meant nothing to him at all. He had no idea who his ancestors were, nor did he care to know. If they were anything special surely he would have known. Finally Lance implored, “Crimes of my ancestors?”
“I do not know much about the specifics, but a light came into our world. The Light that gave my people food. In the world of Void we are humanoid animals. This is not my true form. The closest to my form that you know of is a werewolf.”
“Then why are you just a wolf?”
“This is as far as I have been able to grow within you. When we are placed inside of the cursed human, we are reborn in the form of the animal that we are most like, when we take over more control of our host we grow more until we look like we did in the Void.”
“So do you always look like a shadow?”
“A metallic black is my regular color, I can change in to a shadow at will. A powerful thing, when the world that you lived in was mostly darkness. We don’t know how we were created. Some say that the demon of heaven created a dimension to harvest an army.” Shadow said, “The dark angel wasn’t able to create light in the world. We were fed blood that were filled in lakes across our lands. The lakes dried up and we started to die.”
“You’re saying that the Devil created your world?” Lance remarked, “Now you are in me. Man I am cursed...”
 “That was before the light came, it allowed us to feed on the souls that passed through our world, on their way to hell. Those in heaven who looked down saw us waiting for food and the souls in hell look up at us as the ones keeping them in their flaming pit of hell.” Shadow said, “That was because at first we were under hell, then the light placed us at the median between heaven and hell so that we would not die.”
“God?” Lance asked, but Shadow only leaned his head to the side and shrugged as much as the wolf form would allow him too.
“After that happened the Dark Angel freed some of us to living in a host of his world. Even though we fed on souls, blood is what we crave. It is what we were created to love. The light appeared again, saying that it would allow a few of us to go to the real world in a host every time the cursed family had a child like you. Three of us were able to leave each time, if we did not deal with the Dark Angel ever again, if we did this then we would have a chance to be purified and sent to heaven.” Shadow stopped as the forest around them vibrated.
“Whoa. Does my mind have earthquakes too?” Lance asked standing to his feet.
“Some one is trying to bring you back to the surface.” Shadow informed, “It can only be one of them.”
“What?” Lance asked in confusion, but the world stopped shaking. His vision blurred for a moment, Lance saw a dark figure standing over him, and a dim light. Then he saw the forest clearly again.
“We don’t have much time. I can come to you in your dreams directly now. That is all that I know. I was the King of Void, but I didn’t rule over the entire world. It was divided, some still deal with the Dark Angel, while my followers are loyal to the God that you said earlier.” Shadow said, “Next time we meet I’ll be in my original form. I am a demon and you are my host. It is the only way that I can survive now.”
“Why? You’re going to try and kill me though.” Lance said as the wolf blurred in front of Lance even more than before. He shook his head, trying to focus on Shadow.
“I am gaining more control every second that you breathe. It’s why I exist. Why do you exist?” Shadow asked.
“In truth you are a demon, not just a spirit.” Lance murmured to himself.
“They call us demons, but I am a great spirit.” Shadow corrected.
“No. You plan to hurt me in a way that is unimaginable, to take things from me that no one else is capable of. You aren’t just a spirit, you're a demon.” Lance retorted.
The demon in front of Lance said nothing, the ground shook more violently now. The world around Lance threatened to swallow him whole and all he could do was try and understand what exactly was going on.
“Shadow, I won’t let you kill me.” Lance stated firmly just when the forest disappeared. “No one will kill me.”
“To you I am Shadow, but to me you are just a host. Soon I will be King of your world, so don’t get too comfortable.” Shadow’s voice whispered.



*****



Lance opened his eyes and mouth to reply, but a hand grabbed his mouth. The hand pushed him back into the bed, pinning him there, making Lance panic.
“Say one word and I’ll end your life.” The voice said. Lance relaxed as much as he could. He felt his arms burning, but nodded in agreement. The hand let go, allowing Lance to look at his arms. Strange symbols ran up and down his arms. Symbols that disappeared right in front of Lance’s eyes.
“Who are you?” Lance whispered looking to the bulky man standing over him. The man’s large muscles flexed. Lance had a feeling that the man could easily break his neck. What was he doing in his hospital room in the first place, was he the one that put the bomb in his truck? The panicking Lance wondered.
“No one.” The man replied.
“Then why are you.. Hey wait!” Lance said, but the man had already jumped out of the window. “What in the hell is going on?!”
“You came out of your coma!” The nurse said who had just entered into the room seconds after the man jumped out of the window. “Why is this light off? Oh, I’ll go tell the doctor and your friends.”
She left as quickly as she had entered. Lance laid back in bed, his mind was stunned. He tried to sort through the things that were happening to him. To figure out if he was going crazy or if the world was truly as screwed up as it seemed. He pulled himself up in his hospital bed checking his body. Shadow had been right, he didn’t have one mark of the explosion.
“It was a miracle. Your burns, places where shrapnel had cut into you, all of it, healed before you even got here.” The doctor said once entering into the room, “You have a lot of visitors. Some good and some bad.”
“Bad, I think that’s a minor understatement.” Lance remarked.
“Oh have the FBI already come by?” The doctor asked.
“Huh?” Lance mouthed almost breathlessly, “What do you mean?”
“We have cops, reports, FBI, and all kind of government departments crawling over this place and your school after that little bomb tried to take you away. You have a guardian angel for you not to be hurt at all.” The doctor paused looking to Lance, “I’ll send in your friends before I let the others come up and question you too much. I’ll do what I can to keep them off your back so you can rest.”
“Thanks.” Lance said running his hands over the covers that were over his lap. “I’m going to need a vacation before long.”
Lance gave a hollow laugh at his own words. How much he would like to get away from this place. To just run away and hide for a few days or years. Which ever came first.
“He was only in a coma for a few hours, are you sure he wasn’t just asleep?” Lance heard Jesse say down the hall. “I mean I know I wouldn’t want to wake up after the day he has had.”
“Shut up.” Nicolas replied, entering into Lance’s room. “Hey man. Are you okay?”
 “For the most part.” Lance lied, his body was burning up, yet everyone else around him seemed to be fine. “Where’s Jessica?”
“Well.” Nicolas stated looking to Jesse for support.
“Man you lost a lot of things today. Jessica, your truck, AND your grandpa.” Jesse said shaking his head and laughing.
“What?” Lance said straightening up in bed, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
“No, no, no.” Nicolas said, punching Jesse and stopping Lance from getting up. “He died, but they brought him back. He’s doing a lot better now. That was all this morning when he came to the hospital. He’s been fine for hours now. You’ll be put in his room soon, I’m sure. As for Jessica, well she was scared to come.”
“Right.” Lance said his shoulders visibly dropping in dismay.
Jesse still rubbing his arm said, “You know I didn’t mean that stuff in a bad way. At least you got a lot of flowers and candy, here take some.”
Lance reluctantly took the box of fudge, his favorite dessert, aside from chocolate pie. He glanced at the note that was on it, which read:


With love.
One day.
-Madison


With love. One day. Lance repeated in his mind, his eyebrows coming together as he thought about it. He let the meaning go, not really caring, opening the box and taking a piece of the chocolate fudge out.
“So what was it like being in a coma?” Jesse asked before silence had a chance to settle in.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, I don’t think I could even start to explain it all.” Lance said laying his head back against the wall and chewing on the rich tasting fudge. “I wonder if I will be released today or not.”
“Yes. You will be.” A red haired woman informed, accompanied by blonde haired man. She showed her badge, which said FBI before she continued. “I’m Agent Moore and this is Agent Fenton. I would like to ask you a few questions, in private.”
“Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow at school.” Nicolas said as the two left the room.
“Fudge from your girlfriend?” Agent Moore asked once the two boys left the room, “I wonder if she cooked it herself.”
“I doubt it and she’s not my girlfriend.” Lance replied sluggishly, offering the fudge to the two FBI agents that stood by his bed.
“Well thank you.” Agent Moore said taking a piece and handing one to her partner as well.
“It’s good. Chocolate pies, fudge, and Little Debbie snack cakes. I’m not sure what I would do with out them.” Lance murmured, “Every time I commit to a diet I always end up cheating with Little Debbie.”
Agent Moore gave a short laugh at the jest saying, “At least you haven’t lost your sense of humor. Most people don’t have much of one after almost being blown up.”
“What can I say, I’m special.” Lance returned, swallowing the rest of the fudge that he had in his mouth.
“We need for you to tell us what happened.” Agent Fenton sternly stated.
Lance ran the story by them. The wrote everything down and then Agent Fenton left Agent Moore and Lance alone in the room. Lance looked for anything suspicious, it was becoming a habit.
“Listen. I’m on your side. No matter what.” Moore whispered coming close to Lance. “I need you to help me though.”
Lance narrowed his eyes to the woman, frowning the entire time the woman was talking. Like he would believe anything that she had to say. It was useless, the agent had to know that it would be.
“I’m not going to waste your time with lies. There is something going on in this town and it has something to do with you. Our department, along with others have been watching over this area for a long time now. There is a group called ‘Black Ridge’, the leader is known only as ‘Boss’. I don’t know why or what they are after, but the case is called Trinity.” Agent Moore continued, “We know that ‘Black Ridge’ has been communicating with other countries and terrorists having something to do with a biochemical substance that is able to be put into the air and/or water. A chemical that can kill every human on the earth and that has no cure.”
“What does that have to do with me?” Lance asked after a brief silence.
“Your family name comes up more than just once. A member of their organization is also the one that blew up your truck and tried to take your life. I believe it was your girlfriend’s father.” Agent Moore said before coming close to his ear again, “Don’t trust anyone. If you do you’ll die. I am with you until the end, no matter what. Just watch your back and I’ll try to do the same for you.”
“Thanks.” Lance replied unsure of what else to say while the woman walked out of the room. He didn’t attempt to move around. Instead he held his breath and closed his eyes. Trying to digest all of the information that he had received from both Shadow and Agent Moore. Finally he let the air out of his body loudly and opened his eyes back up “This whole world is screwed up.”