Who's Afraid of the Shadowman

[JC]

“The dark is generous, and it is patient, and it always wins.
It always wins because it is everywhere.”
-Matthew Woodring Stover

“Charlie, wait!” Jen had called from the Annex, sprinting up the stairs two at a time after a terse barrage of thinly veiled griping at her sister. She hadn’t been quick enough, not in the least. And thus disintegrated the night’s dancing plans. Not like it was a surprise, the enigma known as Charlie Nine was hardly one to be anywhere he didn’t want to be. Jin Chae was alone. The fog was dense outside of the Inn and the eldest Chae, dove in like she needed to hold her breath, arms tucked tightly to her sides and her chin dipped as she turned toward home. Eyes to the ground. One step at a time. Casa de Chae shouldn’t have been more than a twenty or thirty minute walk but the lack of visibility had her slowing her pace and reevaluating her desire to swim through the streets of Rhy’din, unable to see her hand in front of her face. Her footfalls came to a halt, though as muted as they had been, it’s not like they were heard anyways. She tensed the fingers of her right hand and then slashed her nails through the air in front of her like she was clawing away at some unseen post. Unseen, yes. Post, not so much. A dull ripping sound followed and the faint scent of decay wafted from the opening between realms. With a wobbling hop, she skipped into the next and pulled the tattered edges back together, sealing it shut behind her and with it foggy Rhy’din.

A trip through the shadow realm would cut her travel time in half. In exchange, she only sacrificed some fraction of her connection to the living, an offering for safe passage through the treacherous realm. The shadow world was exactly that, a shadow of what was, an eerily distorted imprint of the world around her. Echoes of all that had been, rippling amongst one another to form this strange darkness. A darkness that she was far too at home in thanks to the teachings of the mudang Hyun Jung. With Rhy’din gone behind her, again she dove headlong into the depths. The shadows were longer, the darkness somehow even blacker than a starless night. It was all consuming, completely terrifying, and perfectly comforting. Here she did not walk with her eyes on the ground, no, she lifted her chin and set her eyes upon her proverbial horizon. It would be far too easy to get lost in this world, letting time slip through her fingers like it was nothing at all but there was far too much waiting for her on the other side to dilly dally in a place like this. Concentration reigned supreme, the entirety of her attention funnelled into the arduous task of getting through the desolate wasteland and back home. She never noticed the peculiar way her own shadow danced along with her, taking no heed of the dim lights that marked intersections, ethereal gas lamps that should have sent her shade skittering around her in a precise manner. No, it mocked the light, swallowing it and growing. It grew, her shadow, and as it did, the hair on the back of her neck slowly stood up.

The petite Korean paused, sparing a glance over her shoulder. There was nothing there. Nothing discernable at least. She continued on her way and made it about a block further when the melody met her ears. Simple and soft but terribly familiar. Lilting, the tune lifted and dropped as it pulled her focus and she found the destination in her mind wavering.

Odomya shimabara no, odomya shimabara no...

It had to have been half a decade since the last time she heard those words, the foreign tongue standing out in sharp contrast to the fluent Korean that mingled with Common in her mind. The only Japanese she had ever learned had come from that time she worked at Lucky Geisha Tea House and from her time spent in the tender care of Ishi-san. The elderly nurse that had kept watch over those dubbed Ishi’s Girls had sang it to her after particularly bad nights. Jenny’s breathing quickened and she shook her head, certain the realm was playing tricks on her for coming with a mind distracted by thoughts of proms and dances and other inane inconsequential dalliances. As she dipped her path back toward the point that would lead her home to Rhy’din, she did her best to press forward only to be met with a veritable wall of darkness, looming far above her head and keeping her from passing. She couldn’t so much as yelp as it overtook her and swallowed her whole. Jin Chae was alone again.

[JC]

“Just one thing worse than the dark, ain't there? And that's what's inside it - the things that call it home ...”
-Joseph Delaney

Get up.

“No.”

Get. Up.

“No.”

Fine then. Have it your way.

The icy chill that ripped through her body had her convulsing on the already cold stone floor, sputtering out water that had never been thrown. It bubbled from within, leaving foam on her lips and a salty dryness in her throat. Gritty, like sandpaper. Bile rose from her stomach but never made it past an iron clad esophagus. He would have to do better than that.

You have something of mine and I want it back.

For words that never came from a physical entity they managed to boom and echo around the cavernous room, her ears ringing as she writhed and tried in vain to cover them. The bonds about her wrists and ankles were familiar, onyx runes woven through steel links. Again she found herself needing to vomit and this time she couldn’t hold back, her most recent meal expelled upon the floor to join the layer of filth that coated the stone, equal parts water and sanguine expulsion serving as a base concoction for her latest addition.

“F*ck you. I don’t have sh*t.” She snarled through her desperate need for a cold drink of fresh water. Anything to get the lingering taste of stomach acid and something close to tomato sauce off of her lips. Pizza, that’s what she had. It wasn’t the same coming up as it had been going down and if she made it out of this mess she was sure she’d never touch another slice again. She had vague inclinations of who she might be dealing with but the absurdity of the possibility sent her head spinning as she curled forward in the sludge.

Little Chae Jin. Such a dirty mouth for such a lovely little lily. Always so valiant but what shall you do now? I’ve been watching you know. You’ve done such a good job looking after me, my pet, so I thought I’d repay the favor. But I’ve tired of this life and this form isn’t conducive to business so I’ll be taking it back now. Surely you understand that it’s nothing personal.

The maddened laugh drowned her as the shadow pooled around her and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Now she knew. Of course it was personal. Despite the emptiness in her stomach, she dry heaved and choked on the mixture of salt water that forced its way forward again. Tears cut dirty paths down her cheeks, the jagged stains remnant of mascara and foundation and the ancient grime of the mirrored realm she so freely traveled. Caution had always been warned and it was a grim testament to lessons taught but never absorbed that she found herself in the dank room. While convenient in its ability to speed travel up for her, she knew she should have been more careful as she traversed the other side of the veil. Now she would pay. As the dark snuffed out her hopes of going home, she resigned herself to an incomprehensible fate for if one died in the shadow world, so too would they expire in the land of the living.

What have you done with it, you pathetic fleshbag?

Her side seared with the fire of a thousand hells and her scream managed to drown out even the angered voice in her head as the shadowman rifled through her essence. She tried not to think about it, knowing that doing so would expose the key to what he was searching for. Instead she thought back to all she had learned and all that kept her going. Her family. Her friends. Hell, even her jobs. What had Hyun Jung told her? Searching her lessons, she thought if she could concentrate that she could meditate her way home. But he wasn’t going to let her focus, not if he had any say in it.

And here...he had plenty of say, manipulating the energy of the unnatural world around her to make her pay in the worst ways for her perceived misdeeds.

Don’t tell me you’ve locked it away. Isn’t two enough for you? Cough it up before I rip you thread from thread.

The searing returned, this time without relief. Her back arched unnaturally, her body contorting to try and escape the pain that plagued it but as the steel cuffs held her in place and the shadow loomed over her she found no peace. As her body wrenched forward, he added to the torturous assault, a stabbing filling her abdomen, twisting and turning as he plied the closest thing he had to a hand within her flesh. The taste of iron mixed with the saltiness on her lips and fluid thick with adrenaline stained her chin and splashed against a red shirt turned black with her own blood. She choked out a sob as the pain relented and she collapsed in a heap held up only by her wrists. The chains pulled painfully against her shoulders, twisting them in such a way a joint isn’t meant to turn but it was nothing compared to the waning remnants of the desecration of her aura at his hands. When she wasn’t forthcoming with the answers he sought, the overload of pain overtook her again, her nervous system alight with stimulation not processable.

“PLEASE!” She finally screamed for mercy, surprising both of them. But she was only (mostly) mortal and the human body isn’t meant to withstand such prolonged pain and bloodshed. The wrist bindings slackened, the only thing holding her up, and she slumped face first into the muck. Her back rose and fell with labored breathing and she felt the burning gaze of something with so much hatred for her that it had manifested within the geulimja realm solely for the sake of catching her with her guard down to try and extract its soul from her very being. How was she to know that devouring the man’s soul so long ago would come back to haunt her today. Would Hyun Jung have taught her that? Jin wasn’t sure nor could she think about it at a time likes this.

Good girl. I’ve always loved when you begged me. Now tell your master what you’ve done with his property and maybe I won’t take it out on your body too horribly once I come back.

The shadowman’s voice cooed at her and with a nudge she was pushed over onto her side, instinctively curling up into the fetal position. A low whimper was all she managed, feeling very much so like the pet he claimed her as. Cracking lips parted to give him the answers he sought but she found only a rasp came forth. She swallowed to no avail but opened her mouth to try again until the little beacon lit up in her mind.

Jagi. My little firecracker, do you hear me? You mustn’t answer him. Be strong, I will see you through this.

“Jeonha?” She asked softly, the broken word barely making it past lips caked with foulness and rivulets of blood that wove through cracks in her flesh.

Your King, eh? Color me surprised.

The shadowman was all too pleased with himself, oblivious to the conversation occurring in her mind. She turned her head to look up through unfocused eyes glinting with silver light at the spot of black that moved when she didn’t, living and breathing without any physical body. A smile quirked one corner of her mouth upwards and she coughed out a mixture of blood and seawater again. The inner monologue renewed her strength and she shook her head.

“F*ck you.” Her broken voice growled, cut off only by the disjointed scream that followed when Ishi’s essence once more twisted every law of the shadow realm to torture the myongdu laying before him.

Is that so? Then I suppose we see how long it takes to break you of that foul mouth of yours, shall we? Don’t worry pet, I’ve all the time in the world for you.

The sneer evident in his voice, she held her breath and waited for the next wave of hurt to wash over her but found nothing forthcoming. It wasn’t until she finally exhaled that he caught her and as the overwhelming sensations ripped through her again, her mouth opened to release a gasped squeal, the closest thing to a scream she could manage in her state. Each moment stretched further even though she knew nearly no time had passed in Rhy’din, days here were but minutes or hours there. She trembled and shuddered as he relented and let her collapse into the filth again, laughing gleefully at her discomfort. But still she didn’t speak.

All the time in the world.

[JC]

“He whom the gods love dies young.”
-Menander

Time wove a path inaccessible in this godforsaken place and the days stretched on. Every second ticked with a delayed pause and a trembling boom, stricken against the cords of life lines fast fraying. Jen’s heart beat in her ears, an allegrisimo concerto for her own personal enjoyment if such a thing were possible. A breaking soprano accompanied and the entire ensemble was accented by an electrifying dance, every nerve in her body alight with motion. The distraction of relentless torment kept her from marking time and instead she played at Ishi’s pace. He needed no sleep, no sustenance, no reprieve from the bitterly cold room and thusly, he treated her as though she didn’t either. Ashen faced and kept aloft only by shackles never taken off, she let an unfocused gaze linger upon the filthy floor for the barest of moments. Her arms were numb, skin tautly stretched over shoulders twisted out of joint. Jin was counting again.

Six. Seven. Eight. Ni--

Not ten seconds passed before her thin frame bent under another blow and laughter filled her ears. Deep and full of loathing, it suffocated her once more and despite the steady calm that had remained her constant companion, she found fear creeping in at the edges. Latching onto primal fight or flight centers, the need for survival reigned supreme and finally she broke.

“Ishi…” She said softly, the motion of her lips cracking flesh again and sending thin rivulets of blood to the surface. The taste of metal was getting old and at the point she didn’t notice it. Swallowing hurt, so she let the liquid, blood and saliva both, pool in her mouth until she could turn her head and spit. The seemingly endless barrage finally relented and she wilted under the weight of relief.

But I was only getting started.

Ishi almost sounded disappointed. But he was as patient as he was cruel and as light met her eyes again, she lifted her chin and looked up into the swath of dark that lingered before her. She couldn’t even draw strength from her guide and the gaze that met Ishi’s form was unfocused and dull, a pair of muted pools of deep brown, a canvas of dried mud. Jin licked her lips, trying to wet them and failing miserably in that endeavor.

“I give.” The two word white flag was waved desperately if a bit brokenly but the dark laugh that answered her had her wincing instinctively, awaiting another wave of pain and fear. It didn’t come and she didn’t understand it. Finally the cold steel around her wrists was removed and she slumped face first onto stone. There was a strange relief in the scrape that grated against the side of her face if only because it meant her arms were free.

Jin, no! Get up!

The child like cry rang out in her mind, a flaring of light behind her eyes. The shadow shrunk back with a low growl but Jen made no attempt to move. Instead, she winced and tried to push herself back from the ethereal glow coalescing in front of her.

Elder, this doesn’t concern you…

Ishi’s snarl echoed around her, the shadow pressing in upon itself and twisting into something vaguely humanoid. It was a jet black contrast of the childlike being that stood between her and her captor. Her hands grasped at the little King’s specter, trying to pull him back to her. It was dangerous to let him free like this and his very soul was in far more danger than her mind, body, and spirit were here.

You’ve made it my concern, cretin.

Translation: You f*ck with her, you f*ck with me. It was so stupidly cliche that had she been in a better state, Jin might have laughed. But every breath was labored and it took everything she had to push herself up onto her knees. Amidst her struggle to get up, a clash of light and dark exploded before her, the malevolent force that was Ishi having charged her guide. The roars of foreign tongues were deafening and Jen couldn’t skirt around the conflict to edge for the door without falling prey to the exchange of blows. As Ishi and her jeonha battled for the right to the collective souls of those within the room, Jen found herself with her back in the corner, eyes wide with the reflection of the alternating flares of darkness and light. Another roar threatened to deafen her, her ears ringing terribly.

With a thunderclap and a sharp crack of lightning it was over and all was quiet.

Just like that.

Huh.

The tiny wisp of azure light danced at eye level in front of the door and Jen slowly made her way over to it. It was warm and inviting despite the black base and she reached out for it, cupping her hands and scooping it up. No voices filled the room or her head or much of anything at all, really, but she knew what she needed to do. First, she had to protect this lingering remnant of her charge and second, she needed to get the hell out of here. Carefully, she guided her hands to her lips and with a soft sipping sound, swallowed the wisp whole. A shudder racked her body, an uneasy chill settling in her bones as she looked around for any sign of Ishi. Peeking her head out of the dank room, she found nothing unusual to keep her there and once she was sure she was alone once more, she ran like hell.

Jen knew not where she was going but some force kept her moving despite the pain and fatigue and with the help of this mysterious second wind, her legs pumped for all they worth until she skidded out onto the main avenue of Rhy’din’s shadow realm. Content with not lingering, she took advantage of this burst of adrenaline and within mere moments, she burst through the thin membrane that was the veil between there and safety and she tumbled out onto an abandoned sidewalk miles from home. It seemed to be the extent of her brief gift of energy and as she groaned out into the fog, the full extent of her injuries becoming painfully evident. While she was further from home than she had started, there was no way she would take the easy way out and so she trudged home to collapse in her bed, every light in her room left on to wrap her in the safety of their luminescent glow.