Stalking Shadows (Scary Mary) by S.A. Hunter

shop has been closed for years. I thought he’d retired and moved away.”
    “Tell her about the thing attacking coma patients,” Rachel said.
    “Mr. White called it a Shadowman.”
    Gran’s eyes widened. “Are you sure? Is that exactly what he said?”
    “Yeah, and we saw it. It was lying on top of a coma patient, not Vicky. When we turned on the lights, it left, but it was a black misty form with red eyes.”
    Gran shook her head and got up. “This is bad, girls. You two should not be dealing with this. Leave it to me. I’ll talk to Ezekiel and work on removing the Shadowman. Don’t worry about it anymore. Your friend will be fine.”
    “Gran, let us help.”
    “No, I’ll take care of it. You both should probably not volunteer anymore until I’ve dealt with this.”
    “Gran--”
    “I mean it, Mary. Do as I say. This is far too dangerous for you. You too, Rachel. Swear to me that you won’t go to the hospital until I say it’s safe.”
    “We swear, Gran. Just be careful.”
    “I’m always careful, dear. No need to worry about me.”
     
    *    *    *
     
    “So what have you found out?”
    Mary would really like it when she could once again claim sleep as a Vicky-free zone. She turned to the girl in the hospital bed. “There is something supernatural attacking patients at the hospital, but I think if someone’s with you, and you keep the lights on, you should be fine.”
    “Oh, that should be simple to manage. I’ll just—Oh, whoops! I’m in a coma!”
    “Don’t worry. My grandmother is coming to deal with this thing. You’ll be fine. She knows this stuff.”
    “Is your grandmother a real witch? I always thought so, but--”
    “She’s not a witch. She’s a fortuneteller and a medium. She doesn’t cast spells or perform ceremonies.”
    “Then what’s she going to do?”
    Mary didn’t answer because she had no idea. She wished she’d gotten more information from Mr. White. Instead, she asked, “Has the Shadowman bothered you any since last time?”
    “Not really. I’ve felt it sort of pass by a few times, but it hasn’t come after me again.”
    “Probably because your mom and Cy are with you.”
    “You saw my mom?”
    “She seems nice. She really cares about you.”
    Vicky looked away. “Well, she is my mom.”
    “You’re going to be okay.”
    Vicky kept her eyes turned away. There was a small furrow between her brows. “Even if this thing is taken care of, it doesn’t mean I’ll wake up.”
    “You don’t know that.”
    “This thing didn’t put me in the coma.”
    “But it might be what’s keeping you in it.”
    “Thanks for helping me, Mary. And thank your grandmother. And I guess Rachel, also. She’s been helping, hasn’t she?”
    “Yeah, she has.”
    “Then thank her, too.”
    Mary was uncomfortable with the way Vicky was talking. Why did anyone need thanking? They hadn’t done anything yet. “You’re going to be okay.”
    “Maybe, but if not, tell my parents that I love them, and tell Cy that he’s a really great guy. I wish I’d had more time with him.”
    “No.”
    Vicky finally turned her head to her. “What do you mean ‘no’?”
    “I’m not telling your parents or Cy any of that. In fact, if you don’t wake up, I’m going to tell them all sorts of horrible things. I’ve got plenty of stuff I could tell them, true stuff at that, and if you’re not awake by the time I’m done, I’ll start making stuff up. I’ll lie, and you won’t be able to stop me.”
    “You’re bluffing. You wouldn’t dare.”
    “Don’t wake up, and you’ll find out.”
    “I know what you’re trying to do.”
    “And I know what you’re trying to do, too. Oh, boohoo, you’re in a coma. Let’s all build a shrine to the poor, unfortunate cheerleader. Nuh-uh. I’ll tear it down. I’ll spray paint 'Vicky The Hickey' on it, burn all the flowers, and eviscerate the stuffed animals. You don’t get to be a martyr.”
    “Yeah, and how am I supposed to stop