The Woman Made of Shadows

I’m staring at the book. I know I am. I also know I have been staring at it, without blinking, for way too long. All the words and letters are becoming unrecognizable and blurry. I can’t help it. I am so shocked and afraid of this little black notebook and the secrets it holds. It should be harmless but instead my stomach lurches as I continue staring, attempting to process what i’m reading.

“if you're reading this, i have failed my mission. i have moved from this life to the next but the names on this list have not. these names will need to be handled properly, efficiently and swiftly. you must get to work."

I jump and throw the little notebook when there’s a pounding on my door. I stand on shaky feet and grab the notebook, just to throw it back in the trunk and slam the lid closed, hard.

“Hey Raine, open up! We don’t have all day to wait for you!” My best friend Lucille shouts for the outside of my door. At least that’s who’s pounding on the door. Now if only I could get my heart to calm down it’s racing pace. “I’m coming, I’m coming. Hold on!” I shout back trying to hide the overwhelming fear and panic from my voice. As i make my way across the tiny one bedroom apartment, i marvel at all the new furniture stuffed inside it.

“Geez, bang any harder on my door and you’ll break the thing down.” I say as i open the door, letting a huffing Lucille in and a guilty looking Kai inside. “We’ve been knocking for 15 minutes! It would’ve been your own fault if Kai’s pounding broke your door! Didn’t you hear us?” Luce, ever the spitfire, is practically yelling at me. That bring me to a complete stop. “What do you mean you’ve been knocking for 15 minutes? You just barely starting knocking.” I’m speaking in a quite voice. Much quieter than these two people are used to hearing me speak. “No, Raine. What’s going on, what’s wrong with you?” He says, while shaking his head so fast it looks like it’s going to detach from his spine. Kai must be picking up on my anxiety and overall unease.

“It’s okay Kai, i was just busy. Must have not been paying attention. I’m sorry.” I put my hand on his shoulder giving it a light squeeze to comfort both him and myself. Once i take my hand away a big goofy smile come across Kai’s face. Finally he turns are grips me hard in a bear hug. Picking me up and twirling me around a little bit. I can’t help but let out a little squeal and giggle. “Okay okay, put me down.” I tell him while laughing. “What are you guys doing here?” Kia is setting me on my feet as i ask this. He gives me a questionable look, “We had plans to check out that estate sell? You said you needed a new bed frame and something that you could store blankets in. Don’t you remember our plans?” He’s looking at me as if I’ve lost my mind. And i possible might have because i did forget about those plans. “Uh...” i mutter, feeling guilty and dejected “I already went this morning.”

Lucille scoffs at me, “Are you serious, Raine?”

Her face which is usually a lovely pale, is now bright red, also the same shade as her hair. Lucille and i are having a stare down. She is not letting me off the hook easy this time. From behind me I hear Kai move away from us.

“You went to the estate sell without us?” Kai asked with such a miserable tone it physically pains me to hear. “Kai, I forgot.” I sigh, feeling terrible about forgetting and apologizing. Looking back and forth between the two of them I see how much pain I’ve caused them by going on my own, without even thinking of them. “I am so sorry; I’m sorry to you both. It won’t happen again, pinky promise.” Knowing how serious pinky promises are to me, Lucille and Kai both look better about the situation. “Okay, well you better show us what you got then.” Luce says with the last remnants of bitterness ringing in her voice. Realizing what she’s asking my stomach drops. “i got a new bed, like I needed.” I mutter while pointing to the beautifully carved black bed frame in the middle of the bedroom area of the apartment.. “And, uh, an old looking trunk.” I have to say the last part fast, and it still feels like I’’m spitting out fire. Both of their heads turn as if they know something is off with the way i’m talking about the trunk. “What is it? Is the trunk odd? Kai asks, looking very puzzled by my reaction. “Ooo I know I know! Was there something inside the trunk?!” Lucille is jumping up and down, almost squealing with excitement. “You could say that” I say under my breathe. They still heard me. Lucille let’s out a loud excited squeal while Kai let’s out a loud whoop. “What is it?!” They say in unison.

“It’s some money” I’m cut off by dancing, laughing, and shouting of “we’re rich” before I can finish telling them the rest of what’s inside. “Uhh” I mutter out but it’s like I’m not even in the room anymore. They are overjoyed by this news and now I have to let them down. Harshly. “I can’t keep the money.” Even I’m shocked at how loud and menacing my voice comes out. However this gets them to stop their celebrating to look at me, confused. How can I let them get excited about this when the money comes with such awful ties? When I speak again, it’s nearly a whisper. “It’s blood money.” This news brings them back to reality all together. “What’s blood money?” Lucille asks looking utterly confused and taken aback by the term. “It’s an assassin trunk. It’s full of money, weapons, and a little black book full of names that need to be offed.” Saying it out loud makes me sick. They pale at my words. Both of them sink to the ground and sit, looking numb. Maybe I should’ve delivered that news easier. I walk over to the trunk, open it up and retrieve the book from where I threw it inside. Walking back over to them, I hand the book over for them to examine. “How much money is there?” Kai asks when he’s finished reading the first page and hands the book off to Luce to read. “About $20,000 dollars.” “YOU CANT KILL ANYONE.” Lucille is full on screaming now. Kai has a mischievous smile on his face, “She doesn’t have to. People on the list have money. They can pay her to take their names off.” At that, I smile a real genuine smile. “You, my friend are a genius. I’ll be the woman in the shadows not dealing killing blows, just bank blows. ” I say in full confidence.