Stella POV:

"What do you want from me?" I shouted to the shadow monster as I backed up against a wall.

In front of me stood the shadow monster. Its dark eyes glistened in the light, which made them look lighter than they were.

"Oh, Stella, we are the same," it growled.

I shot up in my bed in a cold sweat. I kicked off my sheets and took deep breaths to slow my racing heart. Its words echoed through my mind as I got out of bed. This was the second thing it had ever said to me. First it said it was mine and now 'we are the same'. But how could we be the same?

I couldn't help but think about my encounter with the Darklings just a few days ago. This monster was different from the Darklings, but maybe they were closer than I was thinking. The Darklings listened to me, and now this shadow monster said we were the same.

With quick steps, I walked into my bathroom and pulled on my shirt to reveal my scared shoulder. It looked the same as it always did, with its black mark trailing to my collarbone. I wanted to believe that these three things were related, but I had nothing to prove it. And with no help from Gray, I wasn't sure how I could get to the bottom of it.

Snapping me from my thoughts was my alarm that started going off.

I ran to turn it off and sighed. "At least I didn't wake up too early this time."

With sleepy movements, I got ready and walked upstairs to get a cup of coffee.

"Morning. Are you sure you don't want to spend one more day at home?" dad asked as he sipped his morning coffee.

"No, I really don't. I want to get back as soon as possible."

He nodded. "Ok, but if you don't feel well, please call Bec or I."

"I will. Promise."

He smiled as he pulled out his phone. "I have to go. But I'll see you tonight."

"Sounds good," I said as he got up from his seat and went downstairs to the garage.

It was as if my little field trip was nothing more than a dream, even though it just happened yesterday. It made me realize I did an excellent job convincing my dad I was fine. And as much as he loved me, he had other important things to focus on, which also occupied his worry.

Making him calm down about the experience was one thing, but the getting that Darkling encounter out of my mind was another story. That encounter was the only thing that that consumed my thoughts.

I knew Darklings. They were killers, so why did one stop? Why did it listen to me? It was as if I was in control. But how was that possible? The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I needed to see one again. I wanted to make sure that it wasn't a standalone experience, but something that was constant. Could I really tell them what to do?

The more I thought about it, the more it frustrated me. I didn't have the answers I was looking for yet, and the easy way to get them was impossible to reach. Gray was someone I needed now more than ever, but I don't think I would have the chance to see him any time soon. The way Else pulled him away, she would do all she could to keep him from me.

Darkling thoughts consumed my thoughts until I sat down in first period in school. It wasn't until Alice talked to me that my thoughts shifted.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Alice asked with a smile as I pulled out my notebook.

"Better," I lied as I thought about all the pain killer. I downed right after my father left this morning just to quiet my migraine. The migraine was still there, but it was manageable now.

She smiled as she sat down at a desk beside me. "Good, because I need some support."

"What's up?"

"Bobbie Jo and I broke up," she said as her lip quivered.

I understood that this was the most important thing that revolved around Alice's mind. If it was that important to her, I should at least offer some support. "Oh, Alice, I'm so sorry."

She nodded with a frown. "Me too. I really liked her. Guess she didn't feel the same about me."

"That's a same, Alice, because you are a catch."

She smirked slightly. "You are the bestist friend I could have asked for."

I smiled back at her as the teacher talked to the class. "And I feel the same about you."

As the day wore on, I did my best to distract Alice from her loss. By the end of the school day, I felt more like a broken record, telling her that everything will be fine and anyone would be a fool to break up with her. She seemed to be comforted by these words the more I repeated them.

"You are really amazing, Stella," Alice said as she zipped up her coat at the end of the school day.

"And you are too. Alice, everything will work out," I responded as I looked out the front door of the school.

In the distance, I saw a shadowy figure move into the woods and it caused my heart to pound. The memory of the Darkling encounter popped into my mind once again. To prove my theory, I needed to face one of them again. Maybe that shadow was nothing more than a fox, but I wanted to see if it was a Darkling. I didn't want to waste this opportunity. I had to at least try.

Quickly, I texted Bec, telling her I would catch a ride with Alice. This was the perfect moment I was looking for. I hoped to be lucky to see them again. Did they really listen to me, or was it just a lucky moment last time?

"Are you sure you don't want a ride?" Alice asked as she got into the car. "We could get hot chocolate or coffee."

I shook my head as I stuffed my phone into my pocket. "Positive. Bec is just running a little late. And I really should be getting home. However, I promise, tomorrow that is the day we can go out."

She beamed at the thought. "Ok. I'll see you tomorrow then," she said with a wave, then felt the school building.

I watched as she got into her car and sped off down the road to get to her house. With a deep breath, I stepped outside to chase down the shadowy figure.

Every step I took with such surety. As I edged closer to where I saw the figure to begin with, I felt my headache start to fade away. My mind was clear as I moved forward. Deep down I knew this wasn't dangerous, that I could defend myself if my hypothesis was wrong.

I stopped as I reached the tree line. The large fir trees loomed over me, casting shadows within the forest. Every movement caused me to look that way, hoping to find a Darkling. But as moments ticked by, I started to believe that the Darklings were nowhere to be seen. Maybe the shadow figure was nothing but made up in my mind.

I shivered as the cold took over. Waiting as the sun set behind me was nothing but a waste of time. I was just getting cold and frustrated. Just as I was about to give up and call it quits, I heard the snow crunch close to me.

"Hello?" I called out into the woods, hoping for something. "Are you there?"

I turned around myself and stopped as I saw a Darkling move out from behind the trees.

I swallowed a lump in my throat as it moved closer to me. It was larger than the one I saw the day before. It towered over me like a true monster.

I waited for it to attack, but instead it just stared. Silence made my nerves get the best of me. I couldn't wait any longer for it to make the first move.

"What do you want?" I asked the Darkling as it stared at me.

It cocked its head to the side, then bowed towards the ground.

"Oh, interesting," I mumbled as it got up from the ground to look at me again.

it looked towards the direction of the gate, then back to me as if telling me something.

"Do you want me to go?" I asked it.

It looked back in the gate's direction.

Snow started to fall, landing on the Darkling, turning gray as it touched its skin.

"You need to go back to the gate. Go to Churchwell. You don't belong here," I said to it.

With its head hung low, it turned on its heels and bounded towards the gate without wasting a moment.

I stood in the snow until I couldn't see the Darkling anymore. This was the second Darkling that listened to me, which could only mean one thing. My hypothesis was right. Something had changed. For reasons I didn't know, they were listening to me.

As I started my way back home, I thought back to all my encounters with these monsters in the past. They were always baring their teeth, ready to kill. But the one I saw was very different. It looked innocent, helpless almost. Seeing it in front of me made me realize there were more to Darklings than I realized.

My eyes were alert as I walked home. If there was one Darkling, there were bound to be others. A part of me wanted to see more, to see if I had the same control over them as the one I just met.

"Stella, what are you doing out here? I thought Alice was taking you home!" Bec called out to me, snapping me from my thoughts.

I stopped to face her in her four-wheel car. Shoot. This didn't look good. "I got out a little early because I thought fresh air would be good for me."

"Girl, you are crazy. It's 27 degrees out here. Get in the car. I'll take you home."

Knowing I couldn't be able to convince her otherwise, I got in the car without another word.

"How far had you been walking?" Bec asked as she drove down the road.

"Not far. Only a few minutes."

"Listen, I know you want to pretend that nothing is going on, but I can see something is up, Stella. Your father might, but I do."

"Nothing is going on," I replied too quickly. There was nothing I wanted to tell Bec. She wouldn't understand.

She shook her head. "You don't need to hide anything from me. I hope you know that. I don't want to push you to say anything you aren't ready to say. But just know I am here."

"Thanks," I said as she drove into the garage.

"Of course. Just know your father and I care for you, and we are worried."

"There is nothing to be worried about. I promise."

Bec gave a tired sigh as she turned the car off. She stared at me in silence for a moment before getting out of the car. "I better get started on dinner."

I didn't feel bad about holding back the truth. But what did make me feel bad as the look in Bec's eyes. It was as if felt like she failed in some way. The thing was, she hadn't. She was the best step mother I could ask for. What she failed to see was that there were some things I would never want to share with her, but that didn't make her any less of a wonderful mother.

With my backpack in hand, I got out of the car and made my way to my room. There was homework I had to do, but I had a feeling that I would struggle to finish it tonight.