The lump of terror lodged in Asha's throat grew tighter.
Clinging to Ravi's chest, the creature mimicked the stillness of a rescued stray.
But the image of that bruised, abyssal tongue still burned behind Asha's eyelids.
"Papa..." Asha's voice was nothing more than a trembling rasp.
She dug her fingernails into her palms, drawing sharp crescents of pain to stay grounded.
"Can... can I sleep in your room tonight?"
Ravi and Priya exchanged a lingering look.
In Priya's eyes, the fear had been replaced by a weary maternal softness.
To her, it seemed her maturing daughter had regressed into a frightened five-year-old.
Chased by the phantoms of exhaustion.
"Of course, beta. Come inside," Priya said, gently pulling her into the room.
"The way you're shaking, I'm afraid you'll catch a fever if we leave you alone."
Ravi leaned down, his movements fluid and kind, and adjusted a small, plush cushion in the corner of the room.
He placed 'Shadow' upon it with a tender touch.
The tiny black silhouette sat perfectly still, its gaze fixed on the floor.
A picture of submissive, silent innocence.
The heavy oak door settled into its frame with a definitive, metallic click.
Lying in the center of the bed, Asha felt the warmth of her mother on one side.
And the steady presence of her father on the other.
Yet, the cushion in the corner felt like a black hole.
Pulling the light and safety out of the room.
"Go to sleep, Asha," Ravi whispered into the darkness, his hand smoothing her hair.
"Four nights without rest are playing tricks on your mind."
"It was just a dream by the window, nothing more. Close your eyes."
The silence in the room was so dense that Asha could hear the rhythmic synchrony of her parents' breathing.
She refused to look away from that corner.
In the gloom, Shadow looked like a discarded toy.
No movement. No sound.
It was the creature's absolute stillness that was the most terrifying thing of all.
Slowly, the crushing weight of fatigue began to override her dread.
The toll of sleepless nights pressed down on her eyelids like lead.
She felt the room's temperature stabilize, though her feet remained as cold as river stones.
Her consciousness blurred, and she finally plummeted into the depths of a heavy, hollow sleep.
The oppressive silence of the night began to dissolve.
A pale, jaundiced ray of morning light crept through the sliver in the heavy curtains.
Reaching across the hardwood floor.
The distant, muffled chirp of birds signaled the arrival of dawn.
Asha's eyelids fluttered open, heavy with the residue of deep sleep.
As the dim morning light filled the room, a brief sense of peace washed over her.
Until the memories of the previous night surged back.
She sat up with a violent start.
Her eyes darted immediately to the cushion in the corner.
The cushion was empty.
The sight of the empty cushion made Asha's pupils contract.
There was still a heavy chill in the room, but she refused to let the panic reach her face.
She took a slow, stabilizing breath, transforming her rising dread into cold resolve.
She knew she was currently the only one in the house who grasped the depth of the threat.
And she would have to secure her own safety.
Her gaze shifted to the sliver of the doorway.
In the dim light of the corridor, the creature stood like a statue.
Its back was toward her, yet its ears twitched slightly.
As if it were counting her every heartbeat.
One side of the bed was already cold—Mummy had been in the kitchen for a while.
Only her father's heavy breathing filled the room.
Asha slid out of bed, her feet feeling every ounce of pressure against the floor.
She adopted a deliberate, silent pace.
The kind of movement born from the need to outmaneuver an opponent.
She crept toward the door.
Reaching it, she didn't hesitate.
She threw her weight against the oak and slammed the iron bolt home.
Clack...
The sound of iron striking iron was a soothing melody to her ears.
She had successfully placed a barrier between that creature and her sleeping father.
She hurried to her room.
Standing under the cold spray of the shower, she scrubbed her skin.
As if trying to rip away the memory of that dark shadow's presence.
Before the mirror, she hardened her gaze.
She donned her school uniform and brushed her hair with such precision.
That her face appeared perfectly calm and serene.
She looked at her reflection—she no longer looked like a frightened girl.
But like a strategist who had finalized her moves.
She sat at the breakfast table, appearing entirely unaffected.
Then, Ravi's voice boomed from inside the room.
"Asha! Did you bolt the door from the outside? Open it!"
Priya hurried from the kitchen and flicked the bolt open.
Ravi stepped out, looking slightly puzzled.
Asha set her teacup down and kept her voice light and effortless.
"Oh, sorry Papa," she said, looking Ravi directly in the eye without a flicker of hesitation.
"I must have been half-asleep. I thought Mummy had already come out and the room was empty."
"I must have slid the bolt instinctively; I had no idea you were still inside."
Her delivery was so convincing that not a shred of doubt remained in Ravi's mind.
"It's alright, beta," Ravi smiled, patting her shoulder.
"Sleep can play tricks on you sometimes. Now, finish your breakfast; the bus will be here soon."
Asha offered a faint smile.
But beneath the table, her hands were white-knuckled as she gripped the fabric of her skirt.
She noticed the creature sitting in its usual spot again, wagging its tail with an air of innocence.
But Asha had made her choice—she was not one to back down.
To be continue...