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    Fading Into the Shadows
    Fading Into the Shadows
    Fading Into the Shadows
    Ebook306 pages4 hours

    Fading Into the Shadows

    By Kelly Hashway

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    About this ebook

    When Ella Andrews’s best friend, Avery, goes missing, she’ll do anything to get him back—even follow a strange shadow to another world where the constellations are real-life figures in the sky.

    Draco, Scorpius, and Serpens have fallen and are destroying the world of Stellaris. And the princess is forcing Ella, Avery, and an army of other kids kidnapped from their world to fight the rogue constellations. But Stellaris isn’t meant for humans, and the longer Ella and the others stay, the more they fade into substanceless shadows—a fate worse than death.

    Can Ella save Stellaris before there's nothing left of her and Avery?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherKelly Hashway
    Release dateJan 16, 2017
    ISBN9781370180691
    Fading Into the Shadows
    Author

    Kelly Hashway

    Kelly Hashway fully admits to being one of the most accident-prone people on the planet, but luckily she gets to write about female sleuths who are much more coordinated than she is. Maybe it was growing up watching Murder, She Wrote that instilled a love of mystery, but she spends her days writing cozy mysteries. Kelly’s also a sucker for first love, which is why she writes romance under the pen name Ashelyn Drake. When she’s not writing, Kelly works as an editor and also as Mom, which she believes is a job title that deserves to be capitalized.

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      Book preview

      Fading Into the Shadows - Kelly Hashway

      1

      If I wasn’t afraid of being hauled off to a juvenile detention facility, I would have slapped that cop across his smug little face. My best friend was missing—probably kidnapped, and Officer Bobson was showing no more concern than if we were reporting a lost dog.

      You were the last one to see Aiden? Officer Bobson said, chewing on the end of his pen instead of writing up the police report. You went to a party—

      Avery. His name is Avery. Not Aiden. And we went to a movie. I struggled to keep control, but my heart was breaking. Avery was like my other half, and suddenly he was gone. We went to a movie and then came straight home. Why couldn’t this cop get the facts straight? He either couldn’t be bothered to remember simple details or he was testing me to see if I was lying. I would’ve thought he’d be helpful. I mean, here he was in Avery’s house in front of a bunch of people who were worried sick, and he was acting like he didn’t care. Shouldn’t you be writing this down?

      Officer Bobson raised an eyebrow at me, but he ignored my question. He gave my parents a quick, can’t-you-control-your-own daughter look and then asked me, What time did you get home?

      Midnight or maybe a little after. My mom was waiting up for me, so you can ask her if you don’t believe me. Honestly, I didn’t think he was playing dumb in order to see if he could catch me in a lie. The guy just didn’t care that Avery was missing.

      Bobson narrowed his eyes at me. And how did you get home from the movies? You don’t look old enough to have a license.

      We walked. The movie theater is right around the corner.

      I can’t help wondering what two kids were doing walking home alone at night. Bobson looked back and forth between my parents and Avery’s. Mrs. Weblow completely lost it and started sobbing into her husband’s chest. She must have blamed herself. I wondered if that was what Bobson wanted. Ever since he’d arrived, the Weblows and even my parents had acted weird. Like they were in a trance or something. I always thought adults were supposed to handle emergencies better than kids, yet here I was the only one questioning this cop and why he wasn’t out searching for Avery right now.

      This is, like, the safest town on the planet. Nothing ever happens here. Everyone knows everyone else. I couldn’t help defending my parents and Avery’s. I wasn’t about to let Bobson make them feel like bad parents.

      Uh-huh, Bobson said before he turned back to Avery’s parents. What time did you notice your son was missing?

      One o’clock. No, maybe it was ten after one. Mr. Weblow’s voice quivered, which was really weird because he was usually such a tough guy. I’d never seen him look scared or even the least bit shaken up. I heard a noise in the hallway and got up to see if it was Avery. That’s when I realized he wasn’t home. His room was empty, but his bed was unmade, like he’d been sleeping in it. I tried his cell phone, but he didn’t answer. So I called Ella. He paused to look at me, and my stomach lurched. When I found out she and Avery had gotten home an hour earlier, I called the police.

      Yup, sounds about right, Bobson said, adjusting his hat.

      What are you talking about? I asked. "How can anything about this sound right?" Something was majorly wrong with this cop. He was beyond insensitive.

      Bobson glared at me for a second before addressing Mr. Weblow. Your son’s disappearance is one of many happening all over the country—probably other countries too. All the same. Disappeared in the middle of the night. He leaned toward me, squinting like he was trying to see through me. Want to know what I think? They’re probably in some gang. Taking off like this must be the initiation or something. Any of this sound familiar to you?

      Did this guy think I was covering for Avery? That I’d helped him runaway from home? Avery is not in a gang. He was kidnapped. I choked on the word, still not able to believe he was really gone. My emotions were a crazy mix of anger, desperation, and fear.

      Officer Bobson smirked. Trust me. I’ve seen this sort of thing before. Troubled kids always wind up in gangs.

      How could this cop talk like this, and in front of Avery’s parents? Mr. and Mrs. Weblow looked horrified. They had to know Avery wouldn’t do something like that. I couldn’t let Officer Bobson make them think differently.

      Avery is not troubled, I said, my voice shaking with the threat of tears. You just don’t want to be bothered—

      Ella, please, Mom said, grabbing my arm. Show some respect. She lowered her voice and glanced at Avery’s parents. At least for Mr. and Mrs. Weblow’s sake. They’re worried enough about Avery. They don’t need you making this any harder on them.

      I couldn’t even look at Avery’s parents. If I did, I’d cry. I stared at my fluffy green slippers and swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump in my throat. Why didn’t anyone else see that Officer Bobson wasn’t very concerned about Avery? He should’ve been trying to help, but instead he was asking me ridiculous questions. I shouldn’t be the only one freaking out right now. Unless they were all freaking out so much they actually believed this guy was their best shot at finding Avery.

      Mom was busy apologizing to Officer Bobson for my behavior. She’s very upset. She didn’t mean anything by it. This isn’t like her at all.

      I’d meant it all right. I’d never hit anyone in my life, but Officer Bobson and his total lack of feeling made me want to make an exception.

      Avery is her best friend, Mom continued, blinking back tears. They grew up together. They’re practically like brother and sister. She sniffled. We’re all beside ourselves right now.

      Bobson glared at me as he continued to chew on his pen cap.

      That’s a filthy habit, you know, I said, using the opportunity to think about anything other than the awful hollow feeling in my heart. There are millions of germs on that pen.

      Bobson took the pen out of his mouth. I can think of plenty of things that are a lot worse than germs. He put the pen in his pocket and popped a piece of gum into his mouth. I turned away, repulsed by his almost perfect impression of a cow chewing grass.

      Mom and Dad would no doubt insist on staying with the Weblows for a while, at least until the police left. I’d had enough of Officer Bobson, and I knew I couldn’t sit around drinking coffee and staring at the door, hoping Avery would walk through it. I had to do something.

      Mom, I’d like to go home, I said. I need to be alone for awhile.

      She dabbed her eyes with a tissue. I’ll have your father walk with you.

      I shook my head. We lived next door. I didn’t need an escort. It wasn’t like someone would try to kidnap me with police lights flashing in the next driveway over. No, Mr. and Mrs. Weblow need you guys here. I’ll be fine. I could tell she was about to protest so I added, You can watch me through the window if you want.

      Mom sighed. Call me the second you get inside. And lock the door behind you. Your father and I will be home in an hour or two.

      I nodded and said goodnight to Mr. and Mrs. Weblow. Neither of them said a word. They were still in shock, and I think looking at me made them miss Avery even more. So I understood how difficult it was for the Weblows to be around me right now. I was about to walk away when Mrs. Weblow hugged me tightly, dripping tears on my pajama top. I felt the full weight of her fear, and it made me wonder if I’d ever see my best friend again. Mom had to practically pry Mrs. Weblow off me. And not a moment too soon. I was about to fall apart.

      I ran out of there as quickly as I could and kept up the pace until I was inside my house. As I was shutting the front door behind me, I saw Dad standing in the Weblow’s driveway. He’d watched to make sure I got home safely. I gave him a little wave and phoned Mom. Even though Dad had seen me walk into the house, Mom would freak and think something was wrong if I didn’t call her like I’d said I would.

      Did you lock the door? Mom asked, no hello or anything.

      I’m locking it right now.

      Both locks?

      Both locks. I’d always thought it was silly to have two locks on the door. This town was ridiculously safe, but now…well, I was kind of glad we had the extra lock. I wasn’t scared really. Just shaken up about Avery. God, Avery, where are you?

      I love you, sweetie, Mom said, bringing me back to reality.

      I love you too.

      When I hung up, I got the crazy idea to try Avery’s cell. His parents said they’d tried about a thousand times, but maybe Avery didn’t want to talk to them. Thanks to caller ID he could easily avoid their calls. Maybe he’d answer for me. I clicked on Avery’s contact photo and held my breath as the call connected. It didn’t even ring. It went straight to voice mail.

      Hey, this is Avery. Leave a message. And if this is Ella, I probably just saw you. What could you possibly have to tell me?

      The phone shook in my hand. We laughed about his outgoing message all the time. But now it wasn’t funny at all.

      A-Avery, I choked, swallowing hard. Where are you? I’m really worried. I didn’t know if I should mention the police, so I settled for, Please, call me. Please. I didn’t want to hang up. I wanted to keep replaying his message over and over, just to hear his voice. Finally the line went dead. I blinked the wetness from my eyes and raced upstairs to my room.

      I slumped into my desk chair and turned on my laptop. I searched the Internet for disappearances in my town. Officer Bobson had said there’d been others from all over the country. Yet we hadn’t heard anything about them. That was strange because Independence was a small town. Normally news traveled quicker by word of mouth than by newspaper. The last time I’d woken up with a zit, the only person who wasn’t talking about it twenty minutes later was the Neatwaters’ newborn baby.

      Still, I figured there had to be some mention of the kidnappings in the papers. Some clue where my best friend was. The local newspaper was running stories about the big Fourth of July fireworks show. The articles covered the front page. As if fireworks were even newsworthy. The people who lived in Independence took the town’s name way too seriously. The Fourth of July was bigger than Christmas around here.

      I decided to move on to the state editions of the newspapers, thinking maybe they’d cover actual news. I checked neighboring towns too. I searched for hours and found nothing. No kidnappings, no kids reported missing. Had Bobson made it all up because he was too lazy to write the police report? As much as I didn’t like him, I didn’t think any cop would stoop that low. I mean, they’re supposed to help people. Still, it didn’t make sense. But it wasn’t like I could check every paper in every state across the country. The other missing kids must not have been from around here.

      Finally, my eyelids got heavy, and I crawled into bed. I lay on my side, looking out the window next to my bed. I couldn’t see any flashing lights, so I figured the police car was gone. Good riddance, Officer Bobson. I stared up at the stars, trying to make out the constellations, until I drifted off to sleep.

      I woke up about forty minutes later, clutching my pillow. I’d had a dream about Avery being taken by some big creature with a huge mouth that didn’t stop chomping its teeth—like those windup chattering teeth they sell in gag shops. Only these weren’t funny. The clock on the nightstand read 4:15. I wondered if my parents were home. I crept out of bed and down the hallway. Their bedroom door was cracked open, so I peeked inside. Mom and Dad were sound asleep.

      I shook my head. Nice, Ella. You’re sixteen and still need your mommy and daddy when you have a bad dream.

      I walked into the bathroom and held my hair back as I splashed cold water on my face. I grabbed a hand towel to dry off and almost didn’t recognize my reflection in the mirror. There were dark circles under my eyes, and my normally pin straight brown hair was completely disheveled. I reached for my brush on the counter when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow move across the hallway.

      I jumped, still shaken up about Avery. Mom? I called, dropping the towel in the sink. Dad? Is that you?

      No answer. I got chills. I was tired, but I wasn’t crazy. I’d definitely seen a shadow. A thought popped into my head, causing me to grip the sink. What if whoever had kidnapped Avery was in my house? What if I was next? Avery had been taken while his parents were asleep. The same thing could be about to happen to me. I tiptoed to the door and took a deep breath before peering into the hall. The shadow on the wall hesitated at the end of the hallway. It looked like a man’s shadow, tall and thin. Way too thin to be my dad. But not too thin to be Avery!

      Avery? I whispered, unable to keep my voice from squeaking with excitement.

      The shadow turned and ducked into my bedroom.

      It had to be Avery. Maybe he was too chicken to go home and face his parents after staying out all night. He wasn’t used to getting in trouble—at least not without me. He probably came here first, looking for an excuse for why he was out so late. I bet he had no idea the trouble he’d caused. Relief washed over me. I couldn’t wait to see him—and slap him for making everyone worry.

      I ran to my room, expecting to see Avery sitting on my windowsill the way he always did, but the room was empty. I turned wildly in all directions, wondering if I’d imagined it. Then I saw it by the doorway. A shadow. Not a person casting a shadow.

      It stood facing me, not moving. At least I thought it was facing me. It didn’t actually have a face. No eyes, nose, or mouth. I’d always thought it was creepy to feel someone’s eyes on me, but this was ten times worse. What I’d originally thought was the shadow of Avery’s shaggy hair now looked more like some sort of hat. If shadows wore hats. For a moment, I questioned if I was still dreaming. How could a shadow exist without someone to cast it?

      As scared as I was to turn away, I took a quick glance out the window behind me. The full moon made it unusually bright. I held my arm out at my side and slowly turned back toward the shadow, hoping to see that it was my own. That I was only imagining a male figure because I was hoping it was Avery. But the shadow’s arm wasn’t raised like mine.

      I froze, unable to look away. The hair on my arms stood on end. I didn’t know if I should try to talk to the figure or if I should run. But running didn’t seem like a good option since the thing was blocking my door. I grabbed the alarm clock off my nightstand, yanking the cord from the outlet. Not the greatest weapon, but it was the only thing within reach. I considered throwing it at the shadow, but the neon green clock had been a present from Avery. It was the last gift he’d given me, and with him missing, I wasn’t about to part with it. I raised it above my head, hoping the threat of throwing it would be enough to scare away the shadowy figure.

      It wasn’t. The shadow stood its ground. Not moving. Taunting me. Making me wonder what it was going to do to me.

      What are you? My voice was so shaky and high-pitched I barely recognized it.

      The shadow didn’t answer. But then I didn’t really expect it to, seeing as it didn’t have a mouth.

      Several things flashed through my mind. Avery. The missing kids. The figure in my room. I almost wished Officer Bobson was still parked outside so I could yell to him for help. I didn’t want to call my parents because I didn’t want the shadow to attack them. I wouldn’t have lost any sleep if Officer Bobson got hurt trying to protect me, but I never would’ve forgiven myself if anything happened to my parents.

      Then my mind went to the worst place. What if this was the thing that took Avery and the other kids? What if I was its next victim? Standing here threatening the shadow wasn’t working. I had to try something else. I lowered the alarm clock, returning it to the nightstand, and held my hands up to show the figure I wasn’t doing anything sneaky. I slowly sidestepped to the wall by my closet and reached for the light switch. My fingers grazed it, but I stopped. If I turned on the light, would the shadow go away? Did I want it to go away?

      I decided to try talking to it again. Maybe it could speak somehow. It was possible that it had a mouth I couldn’t see through the darkness.

      Do you know where Avery is? I asked. Did you take him somewhere?

      The shadow turned and slipped behind my open door.

      Great! What did that mean? I didn’t know what this thing was or why it was in my bedroom. And I couldn’t imagine what the shadow could be doing in the small space between my door and the wall. Although, I doubted it was playing hide and seek.

      Still, the mention of Avery’s name had gotten a response. It had to mean something.

      The only thing I was sure of was that I wanted to find Avery. No matter what. Even if it meant getting kidnapped. Even if it meant becoming one of the missing kids.

      I squeezed my fists and took a deep breath before following the shadow behind my door.

      2

      My hand shook as I grabbed the doorknob. I didn’t want to hesitate because I was afraid I’d lose my nerve and run screaming like a five-year-old to my parents’ room. In one swift motion, I flung the door shut, expecting to see the shadow standing behind it.

      I did see a shadow. But not the one I’d expected. A staircase crept up my wall. Or came out from my wall was more like it. It was three-dimensional, something I’d never known a shadow to be. The stairs led up to my ceiling, and a foot rested on the top step. A shadowy foot.

      Is Avery up there? Is that what you’re trying to tell me? I called to it. Because I can’t follow you up these steps if that’s what you expect me to do. They’re only shadows.

      The foot tapped impatiently on the step.

      Listen, you don’t seem to get it. I leaned forward toward the outline of the stairs. I’m not like you. I— My voice choked in my throat. My hand was touching the stairs—and they were solid. I ran my fingers along the edge of a stair, feeling the cool, smooth surface. What? How can a shadow be solid?

      I looked up at the foot, waiting for an answer, but it climbed out of sight. I couldn’t lose it now. This was my only clue to finding Avery. I didn’t have a choice. I had to follow.

      I must be losing my mind, I said, lifting one fuzzy green slipper and carefully placing it on the bottom step. I raised myself onto it, wobbling a little out of shock. It didn’t help that the stair was extremely narrow either. Avery, you better be up here. I took another step. And another. I stopped a few steps from the top and ducked to avoid hitting my head on the ceiling.

      Now what?

      A shadowy hand reached down through the ceiling and wagged its finger at me.

      No way! I shook my head. "I’m not a shadow. I don’t know how I’m able to climb these stairs, but I do know I can’t walk through my ceiling." This shadow was really getting on my nerves, and after losing Avery and having to deal with that unfeeling cop all in the same night, I’d had enough.

      The finger wagged at me again. I reached up to grab it, wanting to twist it right off, but my hand went through the ceiling instead. I gasped and pulled it back, examining it to make sure it was still there. My head was spinning with a thousand thoughts, and all of them were telling me to get down off the staircase and run to my parents’ room. But I couldn’t. Not if there was a chance the shadow was leading me to Avery. Perched on the staircase, I took one last look at my room. Here goes nothing. I climbed the remaining steps.

      Walking through my ceiling was more than a little odd. I flinched, expecting to hit my head, but nothing blocked my way. It was like I’d become a ghost and could walk through solid objects. I couldn’t see anything thanks to the darkness all around me. At first I assumed I was in the crawl space my dad refers to as the attic. But there was a doorway—minus the door. With one last look at my room, I stepped through the doorway and came to a silver light, coming from an opening of some sort, shimmering above me. It looked like a puddle of liquid metal. I reached out and touched it with my index finger to see if it was wet. Thankfully, it wasn’t. I put my arms through first and felt for something to grab. The surface around the hole was flat and dirty, with nothing to hold onto, but I managed to pull myself through the opening.

      It may have been night, but it was as bright as day, and I had to squint to see much of anything. The portal, or whatever it was, closed the moment I stepped through it. Actually, it sort of popped like a bubble. I bent down to touch the ground. It was solid, and it wasn’t silver any more either. Wait a minute! I pounded my fists in the dirt. How am I supposed to get back home?

      I struggled against the bright sunlight, looking around for the shadow or anyone who might be able to help me. Someone who might be able to tell me where I was and why the sun was out in the middle of the night. But all I saw were giant peach boulders all over the ground. What was this place? It was different from my world, but sort of familiar at the same time.

      Hello? Um, shadow person? I said, not exactly knowing what to call the thing that had led me here. No one answered. "Just great! That thing insists I follow it to who knows where, and then it leaves me. Thanks a lot, you rotten shadow! What am I supposed to do now?" I squeezed my

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