LOCKED SHADOWS

CHAPTER 002

"A FRIEND'S SUGGESTION"

The following morning brought no comfort. Daisy sat at her desk again, staring at her lifeless laptop screen, when a knock came at her door. Opening it, she was greeted by Lucia’s beaming smile.

Ta-da! her friend exclaimed as Edith passed by in the hallway.

She came around. Have fun, girls, Edith said warmly before leaving them alone.

Lucia locked the door behind her and raised her brows. Don’t tell me you’re not excited to see me.

Daisy’s face broke into a grin as she lunged forward, hugging her tightly. The two girls squealed and fell onto the bed laughing.

I was just thinking how dull my day would be without you, Daisy admitted.

I’ve got things planned, Lucia said slyly. She snatched Daisy’s laptop from the desk and scrolled. Nothing new?

Daisy shook her head. I can’t seem to write a thing.

I loved the adventure part you showed me earlier,” Lucia said thoughtfully. You need inspiration, that’s what’s missing.

Inspiration? Daisy asked. I can’t just force it.

Lucia leaned forward. What if you bring your laptop to the vacation? Writers get inspired when they step out of their comfort zone.

Daisy frowned. I can’t write in a crowded place.

Maybe not, but seeing new things could spark ideas, Lucia pressed.

The two of them spent hours in playful debate, weaving between teasing remarks and bursts of laughter. Yet beneath Daisy’s laughter lay a knot of anxiety. She confessed to feeling strange about turning eighteen, about stepping into adulthood. The weight of decision making pressed against her chest, and the phrase she had heard so often "adulthood is scam" echoed mockingly in her mind.

Lucia grew thoughtful, sharing how she had felt the same when she turned eighteen. Growth is inevitable, she said gently. It’s terrifying, yes, but it’s also freedom. You’ll be fine.

Their conversation shifted to Alex, whose eyes always lingered too long on Daisy, making her squirm. They giggled over it, though Daisy admitted uneasily that his attention sometimes felt suffocating.

As the day slipped by, Lucia helped Daisy begin packing for the trip. Clothes, books, and the ever present laptop found their way into a half filled bag. It’s barely a few days away, Lucia teased. You’re eager.

I wouldn’t have time to do this when you leave, Daisy replied softly.

The girls turned the packing into a game, pulling clothes from the wardrobe and tossing them onto the bed, rating each one with exaggerated seriousness. They laughed until their stomachs ached, and for a while, Daisy felt lighter. But every so often her gaze drifted to the laptop resting on the desk, its black screen reminding her of the words she could not write.

Later that evening, they settled onto the bed with a bowl of popcorn between them and a movie playing on the laptop. Lucia narrated exaggerated commentaries, making Daisy laugh until tears streaked her face. Movies give inspiration too, Lucia teased when Daisy tried to shush her.

But that night, after hours of laughter and whispered secrets, Daisy’s sleep betrayed her again. She dreamt of the woods, dark and endless. Shadows clung to the trees, and the faceless man emerged, dagger in hand. She screamed, but this time her voice failed her. No sound left her throat as he raised the blade high. She awoke gasping, her heart pounding like a drum against her ribs.

Lucia rushed to her side, wrapping her arms around her trembling friend. It’s just a nightmare, she whispered. No one’s hurting you. I’m here.

Yet even in Lucia’s comforting embrace, Daisy couldn’t shake the feeling that the shadows were more than dreams. They felt like warnings ominous echoes of something drawing nearer with each passing day.

The night stretched long, Daisy drifting in and out of uneasy sleep, clutching her friend’s hand as if it were the only tether keeping her safe from the darkness that waited just beyond her closed eyes. By dawn, exhaustion weighed on her, but she dared not tell her mother the full truth. Edith had enough worries of her own.

Lucia promised they would face the days ahead together, but Daisy knew deep down that some battles especially those waged in the silence of dreams had to be fought alone.