I'm not sure how to do paragraghs in this. I hope it stays somewhat okay for reading. Good luck to all! Moonlight streamed in through the window to light Elizabeth Gomery’s room. A chill settled in the air as the coals in the hearth died down to nothing more then bits of glowing embers. All was quiet. Except. Shadows raced across the walls on the far side of the room. Large ones chased smaller ones. And smaller ones grew into large ones who gobbled up the others. Liza pulled the covers over her head and peeked out. Her heartbeat hammered painfully against her ribs. Fear thrummed through her blood and pounded in her ears. A scream stuck in her throat. She fought valiantly for control. If she let it loose the shadows would race to their hiding places. No one would see them. The shadow people were crafty. They did that on purpose. Papa would storm into the bedchamber with Mamma on his heels. He’d be angry for Elizabeth upsetting the household again. No, she’d be brave. She took in a shaky breath. The blankets made whispery sounds as she hid beneath, quaking. The shadows stopped and merged together. One jumped into the other, growing larger and larger until it formed a grotesque figure. The hair like sharp swords stuck out at all angles. It grew larger and larger. Its hands curled into claws with ten inch daggers for finger nails. The scream trapped in her throat fought for release. Liza bit her bottom lip until the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. How badly she wanted to scream for Papa, but she couldn’t. Not this time. Her eyes widened when the shadow jumped off the wall. This was it. The shadow would finally get her. Eat her. She’d be nothing more than a memory to her parents. What if it didn’t eat her, but brought her into the hidden shadows of the room and trapped her for all eternity in the shadow world? She’d heard it told that children never escaped. A moonbeam brightened and stretched across her bed, across the room and settled on the foot of the shadow figure. The shadow reared up and grabbed its foot and fell over onto its bottom. More moonbeams flittered in and brightened while they reached toward the shadow monster. Long silvery pale fingers grasped onto the shadow and tossed it up into the air where other moonbeams wrapped around its neck and feet like pale shackles and bindings. Then they dragged the shadow across the room toward the window. When the shadow beast was dragged onto the bed, Elizabeth rolled off. Her elbow slammed against the wood floor, sending pain radiating up her arm. She covered her mouth with her hand to stop the whimper. She rose to her knees and rubbed her elbow. The shadow grabbed at the covers on the bed, while the moonbeams dragged the creature away. Blankets slid from the bed and onto the floor in a jumbled heap. The shadow grabbed the nightstand and then the unlit-lantern, sending it crashing to the floor. Shards of glass and oil landed on the blanket and skittered across the wood floor. Another moonbeam wrapped around the Shadow’s neck and jerked with one big heave. Then the shadow flew through the window and into the night. “Liza.” Her mother said rushing into the room. “I heard a crash--” Mamma held her lantern up and stared at the mess in the room. Her night cap tilted to the side, and her robe hung open. Elizabeth remained on the floor, rubbing her elbow afraid to tell what happened. Mamma would never believe her. “Shadows?” Mamma asked and set the lantern on the dresser. Liza nodded. Her mother knelt and pulled Liza into her warm safe arms. “I used to see the shadow people too when I was your age.” “But Papa...” “Shhh... let’s keep it between you and I. Papa doesn’t like this foolishness. It upsets him because it’s something he can’t protect you from.” She looked up into her mother’s round face and felt safe. Her heartbeat returned to normal and the shaking subsided while Mamma soothed and rocked her. After a long while Elizabeth drifted to sleep, safe and warm. The shadows disappearing into the moonlight.