Ghost In The Vestige's Shadow - Chapter 6 - Candidate part 3

Albert’s POV

Not another response came after that. But I know I couldn’t even hold a proper conversation if the voice did reply.
I fall back down, crunching back into a ball wrapping my arms around my legs with my head tucked down in between. An overwhelming mix of
sorrow, anger, exhaustion, and fear well up inside me and I can’t do anything but let it all out.
Quietly, I let the tears continue to fall, silent cries being all I can hear. I stay the same way until I lose count of how long I’ve sat down like that.
I can’t remember the last time I felt like this. Gosh. I must look like a child right now. I take the time to gather myself and recollect everything
that took place today. From the moment I woke up, all the way to the present moment. There has to be at least one. At least one thing I could find between
every single one of today’s events that could make sense, I thought. I planned to find that what I thought would make sense. To gain even the slightest
bit of clarity about today. From there, maybe, just maybe, I could connect the things that followed and finally find a way to solve everything.

Slowly I look up, nothing’s changed. Still the same endless white spread since I got here. Looking around, I had the same observation. Even my shadow is still- wait…
Where’d it go? A surge of dread passed through me, and I instinctively got up to my feet, frantically looking everywhere. I hear footsteps to my right.
They were soft and faint. Like bare feet on a fur rug. But I could hear clearly that something was moving towards me. My eyes scan through that general direction.
There it was. My personified shadow. But it’s just standing still. This was the first thing I noticed. But I could not only hear it, I could feel it. Like
how I’d know someone was following without looking. In the same way, I could tell that my shadow, though seemingly stationary, was quickly getting closer and closer to me.
What should I- “Ah!” I slipped on the ground, even though I didn’t even move. I feel a tug on my legs,
a pull towards my shadow which sends me sliding across the ground.
A tense fear builds up inside me, as I struggle to shake off the invisible grip on my legs. “Woah! H-hey! What’s going on here!” Shaking myself
side-to-side, I don’t even succeed at slowing down. I get dragged along the ground for a good minute or so. The feeling of my shadow getting nearer becomes more vivid, almost becoming tactile, pressing down on my chest.

The pulling force vanishes, and once again, I’m lying flat on the ground – this time, I’m right under the feet of my shadow. “What? I- I can’t get up!”
My body feels tied to the ground, making me completely still. I can’t move any part of my body at all. Like I’m frozen in a block of ice.
My eyes lock on the dark creature standing above me, as it sinks into the ground. It escapes my vision when it fully descends into the cold gray floor.
And when it does, I feel a sense of relief. Like something’s been returned to me. I don’t know what, but I know I got something back.
It’s like the feeling you get when you lose a belonging, but when you get it back, you don’t really have a clear idea of what you have, or when you got it.

Still bound on my back, I will myself to get up. Gathering as much strength as I could. But I won’t budge. I clench my teeth, putting more effort
in trying to break free from the imperceptible bond in my body.
But instead of me getting up, the floor I lay on rises instead. As if forming a wall, it turns a full 90 degrees. The natural feel of gravity
pulling me from my head down to my feet returns. And as if they were never there, my back separates from the floor, I guess I should call it a wall now,
and I’m back on my feet.

But that wasn’t the only change, even my surroundings were drastically different. From the blank space, I was in mere moments ago,
I’m back in a familiar setting. My… apartment?! “Wait, I’m back here? Since when?” Confusion was most prevalent, but it was all there. Clearer than it can ever be.
There’s all the mess I left. The same old pictures on the wall, and the bed I forgot to fix when I got out of it today. “How did I get here?” I’m pulled out
of my thoughts when I hear a buzz coming from my pocket. I feel for it without looking, and I pull out my phone. There’s a call. It’s Bea.

I brush things aside for now and answer the call.
“Hello? Bea, what’s going on there?”
“Good news Albert, Zach’s awake!”
“That’s great! How’s he doing?”
“Said he has an intense headache. Doesn’t look like he wants to talk though. Well, it is better to let him get things together first.”
“I guess you’re right. After what happened and all…”
“You’re right about that! What is it with you guys? Earlier, you fainted in the gym, and now, Zach collapses in my house?”
“Well, about that…” I guess now I should tell her the truth. Keeping her in the dark won’t do any good, and it’d help give her even
a little understanding of what’s going on. But before I get to say anything, the call ends. “Did I click it by accident?” I try to dial Bea’s number,
but my phone starts to act out. The screen was glitching so much that I couldn’t find my way through the device.

“Listen closely, now. Listen, and maybe I would consider sparing his life. Do not so much as think about this, or else… Now, put that down and look closely
at the ground.”

Hearing that voice again freezes me in place. Why do I have to –“Do it quickly, Albert!” I snap out of it and realize I don’t have a choice here. The threats to Zach’s
life. I can’t ignore those. I do as he says. “My shadow. It’s gone.” “You have been cursed, and I have turned you into my Vestige. Now, I know you may not be able
to comprehend the danger you are in, dear Albert. But I will only say this once. You are under my command and are to comply with all I tell you to do.
Failing to accomplish what I wish results in your immediate demise. You will address me as “Ghost”, and you will serve as my hands, eyes, and ears in this world.
Do not speak a word of this to anyone. You’re first task will be given now, and accomplished before dawn. Listen carefully…”