Ghost In The Vestige's Shadow - Chapter 5 - Candidate part 2

Albert’s POV

Quickly, I try to wake Zach up, rush to my phone call 911, and call Bea as loud as I can even though our rooms are beside each other. “Bea! Hurry! It’s Zach! He collapsed!”

Come on Zach, wake up. You gotta wake up! I hear a door slamming shut and Bea runs out. Upon seeing the situation, she stops in her tracks so abruptly that she almost falls down. Shocked, Bea shouts, “Albert, what the hell?! First you, now Zach?” I couldn’t gather myself to respond to her at that time. I can feel myself getting lost in my own panic.

Oh no no no no. What do I do?!  I can’t think of anything to help out. Why does it have to be, that in this situation, my mind is totally blank?!
Bea crouched down beside Zach, her movements sharp and purposeful, but I could see the fear flickering in her eyes.
She moves Zach on his back and props his leg up on a chair. Pulling out her phone, she dials a number and makes a call. But I can’t hear the
conversation she’s having over the loud beating of my own heart amidst the urgent situation.
She puts her hand on my shoulder, gently shaking it to get my attention. “Don’t worry Albert. I called an ambulance. I’ll be with Zach, but you’ll need to stay here.
I’ll just update you when I can, okay?” I managed to take control of my panic then, taking deep breaths at a time. “O-okay.”

It didn’t even take a minute for the paramedics to arrive. They got Zach and went straight to the nearest hospital, Bea tagging along. In the living room,
I wait for Bea to call or message me about the situation. The last message she gave was that they arrived at a hospital already,
but Zach still hadn’t regained consciousness. “What… What was that?” I didn’t realize I said that out loud until I did. Guess I can’t even keep my thoughts in
anymore. When Zach approached me, he said he heard the noise again. Did we experience different things? The chilling voice that blew through my room. I can’t
help but think this is connected to it. It just has to! My thoughts go back to Zach. Will he be alright? How long will it take until he wakes up? What if…
I push off the last thought. It wouldn’t help to worry now. All I can do is hope Zach will come out alright.

There’s a whisper behind my head, and a cold chill fills the room. “I suggest not to get hopes too high, my friend. He may not have long…” 
I quickly look around me. But I’m alone. “Who’s there!” That was definitely not the wind this time. The voice was still the same, but it felt like whoever was talking
was nearer now. Like he spoke directly beside my ear. Pacing around, I still don’t see a sign of anyone being with me.
The air grew heavier with each step, pressing against my chest like an invisible weight. My footsteps sounded softer, muffled as if the ground beneath me was losing its solidity. Then, without warning, it vanished altogether. Crashing on the floor, I break my fall with my hands.
But something unexpected occurs. My hands fall through, like the floor was swallowing them. Then the rest of my body follows. Wait… I’m-I’m falling! 
Flailing around, as the wind rips through my whole body. I open my eyes to see… nothing. Everywhere I look is just pure white.
Above, bellow, and to my sides. An endless spread of white. I have no way of telling if I’m near the ground or not. Well,
if there is a ground. But I feel an urge, almost like a foretelling instinct, and I ball up. Bringing my arms and legs tightly
around me into a crouched position. Bracing for impact. But the hard crash! or the splurt~! of my body on the ground never came.

All I felt was my fall, slowing down gradually. And before I knew it, I stopped. A cold surface seemingly manifests below me.
A contrasting gray to my all-white surroundings. Where am I? I stand up and turn in circles until something catches my
attention in the corner of my view. I face toward it. Is that, a person? A shadowy figure stood before me. Just there. Still as a rock.
I wave to it. What else would I do?! “H-hey! Who are you? Do you know where I am? HEY! I’m talking to you!”
Then, it hit me. I figured out who, more appropriately actually, what it was. It’s my shadow. but, just… standing up. The long black streaks that connect it to me.
The shadow of my legs – this confirmed that I was right. But wherever I face, my shadow follows. Wherever I end up turning to,
it stays in front of me.

Great. Just great. First, the world’s loudest and most excruciating rattles through me, TWICE, I faint, my once happy-go-lucky best friend turns on his serious mode,
this voice that sounds like it came from the oldest man on the planet, then my friend faints, and now I’m here. Stuck with nothing but my
personified shadow. Just when I think things couldn’t get any more bizarre, a consoling thought enters my head. That’s right! This could just be a dream!
Maybe both me AND Zach collapsed, and I’m just having a dream… But I know, deep down inside, that it’s not true. What I’m feeling now
feels just as real as it possibly can be. Seriously, I can’t take this anymore. Please, just make it stop! I fall to my knees, cupping my face in my hands.
I feel streaks of tears trickle down my face. My throat grows painfully while seconds pass, as I put up into a mix of sobs, and screams.

“Do not be dismayed, Albert. Just do as I say, and prove to me why you are the top candidate.”

“You again! Show yourself already. Just what do you mean huh?! Were you the one responsible for everything? Tell me! What do you mean
Zach might not have much left?! And what’s that about candidates you nag so much about?!”

To be continued…