Nothing But a Shadow

This is about a semi-human teenager named Shadow Davis. He has a... Strange power. He's semi-transparent, can summmon shadow figures, and is all dark gray and black. Except he has basic needs. He looks like this:

This will be in Shadow's view.

As for what Shadow IS, he's a mix of a human and a powered alien, I guess. Haven't figured it out yet, but his planet is only these kind of people except for a few powerless robot-cars. He is malnourished, lacking basic needs- And friends. He has five friends, two males and three females. He's socially awkward but very kind. Sometimes, he'll ask fellow teenagers to be friends with him and doesn't know any better thanks to his parents' treatment of him.

## Preface

Hi, my name is Shadow. My parents don't love me. Like, at all. I'm worth nothing to them. On Sunday, they'll change my physical appearance. It's.... Painful. Why can't they just leave me the way I am!? It's not MY fault I was born this way! I get that I'm probably the ugliest kid on Mannia, but do they HAVE to put me through pain!? Dad is calling me, I'll be back soon. Unless he kills me. Well, he won't directly kill me-

"COME. DOWN!"

### An hour later

Umm, he wanted to test some hair color thing. Dark blue to light, for my grandma and sister. Also, for the first time, he tried out contacts. They were yellow, for him and Phil. He decided he would keep my eyes gray. Thank God.

Phil enters my room.

"Hey, Shadow. Want to sneak out to the ice cream store?"

"Umm, if Mom and Dad don't know."

Phil eyes me blankly. "Why would I tell them if they'd harshly punish you?"

"You wouldn't tell them."

"Exactly. Let's go!"

Phil takes me out of my room. He looks out for my parents and as soon as we're out, we run for two miles to the ice cream place.

## Chapter 1- The Ice Cream Place

Me and Phil have been running out to the ice cream store or museum every one day of a month since Phil turned 13. The museum is five miles away, so Phil gives food to me for that journey. The ice cream man smiles at us.

"What do you boys want today?"

Phil answers, "Mint chocolate please."

I say, "Banana split." I usually order the ice creams with a alot of calories and fruit. I need weight so yeah.

Once Phil pays for the food, we sit down to eat. Hopefully Mom and Dad don't notice our absence. Do you have any idea of how much they would punish me?

A person comes in the shop. She looks at me.

"What is that thing?"

Phil replies, "My brother."

"You guys don't look anything like each other."

"It's called nonconformitive genetics."

"What?"

"Someone didn't pay attention in Science class."

"I hated Science class."

Phil looks down at his ice cream. "'Kay then..."

Phil looks at me and whispers, "Are you OK?"

I nod absently and eat my ice cream. However, that being referred to as a 'thing' hurt.

The ice cream man comes over. "Leave them alone. They did nothing to you."

I nod with a hurt smile. "Thanks."

"Are you SURE you're OK?" Phil says.

"Truthfully... No. I've been nothing but bullied by classmates and teachers. And my own family..." I add sadly.

Phil looks away. "Yeah..."

## Chapter Two- Going Back Home

We walk back home. The ice cream guy says, "Bye! Cya in another month or two!"

When we get home, my mom yells, "Where were you boys!?"

"Umm... Outside," replies Phil.

"But WHERE outside!?"

We glance at each other in fear.

"You weren't in town... Were you?"

"Umm..." Phil glances at me nervously.

"Up to your rooms. Now. Shadow, you cannot meet Phil."

"But-"

"NO BUTS!"

I sigh sadly. "OK..."

As I head upstairs, Mom grabs my arm and turns me around. I fall off, my head aching. Phil turns around in alarm at the sound.

Her eyes narrow. "Why aren't you complaining of hunger?"

Phil doesn't reply. I say, with strain, "Because I decided to shut up."

"I know that's not the case. Shut up." She kicks me and I groan, the pain in my head spiking.

"Mom!" Phil runs down, but Mom pushes him against the step. "Up. Now. Or your brother will be hurt more."

"Mom! Please no! He did nothing to you!"

"How about be BORN!"

"That's not a crime!"

"Shut up and go upstairs! Do you want your precious brother to get badly injured!?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Then go upstairs!"

AHHH, my head hurts so BAD! I fel my vison simin (I feel my vision swimming) (do not correct, this is for effect)

## Chapter Three- Waking Up

I wake up and then realize... Mom and Dad put me in the basement! I reach my hand toward the back of my head and it sends a wave of pain through.

"Ow..." Then, I hear them talking to someone.

"Hello! Welcome to our home!"

*They're introducing them to my siblings.... But not me...*

"Nice! Your home is very clean!"

"Thanks! It's because of my perfectionist child."

*But I'm not a perfectionist!*

"Can we meet this child?"

"Not right now, he's doing homework and can't be bothered."

"Oh, OK."

*But... Oh, forget it.*

I go up the stairs in pain and cry for help. My parents- And the guests- hear.

"What was that?"

I can hear the fear in my parents' voice. "Oh, nothing. Just an animal in our basement. Why do you think we keep it locked?"

*No, you keep it locked to hurt me.*

"It sounded too human." I picture the guests looking at my parents in shock and horror. "Are you keeping someone in the basement?"

"Umm, no... Why would we do that?"

"WHY are you doing this!? Let them out!"

"OK, OK, OK! Wait a second!"

I start to feel hopeful. My parents unlock the door with extreme anger in their eyes. They push me down.

## Chapter Four- More Pain

I wake up, feeling extremely pained. I look around myself. I'm surrounded by a red/purple liquid and can't move. The guests are here. They look at me with sympathy.

I whisper, "Help..."

My parents push them out of the doorway and lock and slam it.

I cry, needing the hospital. As I try to get up, pain pulses through the back of my head. I must've landed on my head. Again. I'm going to die if this keeps happening! My notebook is ruined now as well. I hear Phil running to the door and destroying it. He looks at me and bursts into tears. The visiting couple had called the hospital. I can tell because I hear ambulance sirens. A worker runs in and puts me on a stretcher. I black out.

### In the hospital

I wake up. My head is pulsing but there's a bandage around it. I'm wearing a plain blue tunic and loose pants. They have given me a sheepskin blue blanket. It's a darker shade of blue. A worker walks in. She's holding a tray of food and smiling.

"Here's your food, Shadow."

"Thank you, miss," I say.

I eat the food, which tastes homemade, and soon go to sleep.

## Chapter Five- Phil Comes Over

"Shadow?"

I blink. Phil's here. He's holding a bag with a brownie in it. He hands me the brownie, having taken it out of the bag.

"Shadow, are you OK?"

"Well... Kinda..."

"Good." He smiles, the smile clearly worried. "The doctors said you have a major concussion..."

"Of course..." I sigh sadly.

He sighs loudly. "I know you don't want any more bad news... But Mom and Dad said that if you return... There will be major consequences." He starts to cry.

"W-What kind?"

"They told me that... You'll be more than hurt..."

"No!" I cry out, "I can't live on the streets! Especially after what happened to me!"

"I know but.... It's either life or death..."

I cry. "Now I have nowhere to go after this... Only the sidewalk..."

"You can live with the ice cream man..."

"But his wife and son hates me... I'll be thrown on the streets again..."

"Not if he can help it!"

"But what if he can't? I'll be homeless! At only 15!"

Phil looks away sadly. "Then try to find a loving Christian home..."

"OK..."

Phil sits down and cries as I do as well when he tells me the reason.

"I-It's not fair..." Phil murmurs, "Why should we get treated with love while YOU suffer??"

"I-It's better than all of us suffering," I admit sadly.

Phil looks away. "I guess you're right... Especially the twins... They're still so young..." He says sadly.

## Chapter Six- Out of the Hospital

Yes, I know I haven't updated in a week. It's because I didn't feel like it, OK?

An employee comes in. "You can leave now. Where do you live?"

I look down sadly. "Nowhere..."

"Are you... Homeless?"

"Yes... My parents won't let me return alive..."

"WHAT!?"

"Yeah... My brother said if I were to return, my parents will hurt me..."

"That's awful... Where will you live?"

"That's the question of the week." I begin to cry.

"I'll try to help you find a family, don't worry, kid..."

I nod tearfully. "Thank you, miss."

She goes out with me, trying to help me find a loving family. After searching for two more days, she gives up. She feeds me and leaves.

I sigh sadly. A week later, a classmate finds me starving and cold. "What are you doing here, Shadow?"

"I have no home..."

"Oh. Maybe you can live with me..."

"Will your parents care for me?"

He looks to the side. "Maybe." He takes me to his home.

"Mom! Dad! One of my classmates are in danger!"

They open the door. I cough violently and they kick me away. "Get this monster away from us."

"B-But..."

"No buts! Put him on the streets!"

"He's homeless! He needs care!"

"So what?" They pull me in, trickingme and my friend, but then they hold weapons to my side! "If you don't stop trying to get us to adopt this... alien-"

"But we're all ha-"

"Shut up! Your friend's life is at risk!"

I burst into tears. "Please don't do this..."

"Shut up, worthless brat!"

I sigh. "Keller, just stop... Nobody cares that an innocent teen is now disowned and homeless..." I cry.

,"You were disowned? No wonder," laughs my friends' parents. I am now on the streets again. By the 2nd week, food is coming from garbage. I'm sick, hungry, and dehydrated. I see my family buying food. Mom and Dad are laughing at me and my cardboard shelter. Then, it starts to pour. My shelter gets soaked and falls on me, causing water to fall on me. I'm shivering violently as a cat is by me, cleaning itself. It's not fair. Other teens get warm, loving homes, and I get nothing. A man sees me shivering in the alleyway. "Hey, kid! We could use some teens like you!"

"Will you give me a home?"

"Yes-"

"O-O-Okay..." I get up, collapsing of hunger and cold.