I named it Erebus, after the God. I nicknamed the creature that cursed me Nyx respectively. It wasn't a complete tumor, in fact, it seemed to emote for me at times we were on the same vibe. The downside was Ma and Da doing worse with every passing day. To lack emotions made me lack certain types of stress and my parents on the other hand were being eaten alive by it.

Staring into an empty space in the darkness I came to enjoy more and more made me come to the conclusion that perhaps removing myself and Erebus from here would be better. I also figured I was going to die. I packed a bag. My phone, an old revolver that belonged to my grandpa or something, and left in the dead of night. I figured me and Nyx would be on the same level in the dark. I would end this miserable existence under the stars. No matter what that meant.

Such a bold and quote-worthy statement I told myself. Only to spend 10 hours hiking finding nothing. Ordering my shadow to claw away at bushes and climbing trees to try to find the damn thing. Using GPS to go in a bunch of different paths stemming from where I was assaulted.

I was dehydrated and hungry, and my shadow was fine which was grinding me into a fine pulp. I still couldn't tell if it was parasitic or not.

"Should we give up trying to find Nyx?" I said looking at the moving blot in the darkness. Erebus did an equivalent of shrugging with its eyes. Pink little bulbs jumping up and down. I came to be quite upset and pointed the pistol at him which he became terrified at, cowering several yards away instantaneously but he couldn't hide as he had a trail of shadow wherever he went.

"If my parents die, you're next, then me! Got It!" I said firmly and aggressively. I would pull on the trigger slowly press my thumb on the hammer and slowly reset it after letting go of the trigger. I was pissed, to say the least. Too much time had passed to find it. No culture described it in a location that mattered.

Erebus slowly retracted back to me as I holstered my weapon and I ordered food on an app. Which is when I saw a slew of calls and texts from both my parents. I rang my Da and after an earful, I said I was going home. In truth, I wasn't.

I figured I might as well see what the world is like. After my food was dropped off the guy from the app started saying something about how a teenager shouldn't be by herself and this and that. Eventually, I just pointed my gun at her, and in my head, I begged Erebus to get scary or something. I don't think a scrawny girl holding an old pistol would scare a dude that delivers food before the sun's out and I think I'm right because he sure did look past me before he sped off. I ate. I ran. I realized Erebus had access to my thoughts now.

I ran a long time, missed a lot of calls, and really didn't feel tired. Who knows how much time passed from road to road? I didn't think. I just shut off and ran away from everything. I knew I was scaring them, but hopefully not to death. Eventually, I hit it. The Big Apple. New York, New York.

All the way from Portland. All I did was need to eat. Or at least I thought. I had a chopped cheese I paid for in crumpled ones and promptly fell asleep on a bench. In my dream, there weren't any coherent images, just an immense feeling something was wrong, and eventually I shot awake like a feral animal and looked around only to notice I was on a massive balcony overlooking the city, it was one of the tallest buildings I could see.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

This was enough to pique me and I frantically asked a million times in a million different ways how I got up here to Erebus. He would make a set of shadow puppets out of himself that showed him carrying me, from shadow to shadow. I was perplexed. How on earth could he do that? I was about to ask him to show me how when a voice sliced through everything. I would almost reach for my pistol when I realized Erebus was out, and this guy was approaching us regardless.

He was tall, well dressed, had bleach blonde hair, cut and slicked back. He was something.

"Tainted, eh?" He spoke so bluntly as he walked up to us.

"What do you mean?" I replied, slowly withdrawing from my weapon and turning my hip to better hide it.

"Yeah. I can smell it on you." He said as he moved to the railing on the balcony.

"Really?" I asked him only for him to immediately turn and laugh.

"No dumbass!" He pointed to Erebus floating around me and I somehow felt embarrassed.

He would move his hair back and I could see a buglike creature attached to his ear. "I have a similar issue. Does it talk to you to?"

I shook my head and relaxed a little settling on the ground understanding I may be stuck like this. Erebus would wander around always attached to me as my shadow.

"You're just a kid aren't you?"

"17..." I took a breath and stood up. He would reply quickly. "Family?"

I would turn to the city. "They were, dying from stress. I figured getting gone would help."

He chuckled at that. "You should call them. I still call my mom from time to time."

I would take my phone out and expose my weapon. Prompting him to speak up about it. "Also I'll trade you for that." I would simply comply and hand it to him by pinching the handle as the line rang and almost was immediatly picked up.

"Oska, my girl are you okay?"

"Yes, Da. I am, I'm with someone like me."

"What does that even mean, when are you coming home?" was all I got in response.

"I need to figure this out. I'm not normal, and I can't stand to see you and Ma wither away because of me."

A woman's voice would cut in. It was Ma. "It's because we love you Oska. Just come home already."

"I will eventually. But I'm fine, I got Erebus with me and Grandpa's..." I stopped as I saw the man remove some pins and dismantle my weapon in front of me. After some back and forth with my folks I convinced them to back off and relax. That I was safe in New York, and I would see them soon. It was exhausting in a novel manner.

"How'd you get up here anyway." He said as he handed me the cylinder of my gun to me, with all the bullets in each hole.

"Erebus can jump through shadows apparently." I said as I pocketed the bullets. "What's your name mister?"

"Ramon Cabatta." He said extending his hand as he left the pieces of the weapon on a table near us. Grease on his fingers.

"Oska Panna" As I shook it with my own.

"I'm guessing your family understands. How would you like a job?"

"I guess for the most part. What would I do?" I said as I stepped back. Erebus retracted to my side and clinging to my arm.

"I'll explain it tomorrow Oska, for now, take this, it'll take you to where you can stay. Where I used to live, as long as you work for me it's included." Ramon said as he handed me the card with him. His company's logo was in the corner of the guilded key card.

I barely got to respond as he walked away. I looked at the pieces of my grandpa's old pistol and took them to my room. He had taken the trigger. Guess I could still use it. Just really awkwardly. I'd be fine for the most part. Doubt he could hurt me if he tried. When I got to the elevator and swiped the card he gave me. The doors opened to a massive apartment that spanned the floor. It was barren save for a bed and some sheets. After a shower and ordering some food, I laid in bed, Erebus curled up like a cat at my feet and reflected on this deal I had just made with a stranger and my Parents. I knew I was being used in some way. But I needed to figure things out. And hopefully before too long.