An air of mystery lingered, and Halt felt obligated to understand why.
Most of the other entities were busy doing their own things; Seek was reading to Figure, Eyes was looking in the mirror, Jack and Hide were discussing plans together, Rush and Ambush were racing one another, Screech was swimming in the darkness, Timothy was napping and Window was creepily staring inside.
He wanted to ask Guiding Light why the air was so tense, so thick with suspense, but he didn't want to bother them too much.
A strange sound came from the following room, like a crackling and a static combined.
"Hello? Is there someone in here?" Halt called out, his fingers locking on the doorknob.
Could just be some faulty electrics. This place could use an electrician coming in and sorting the faulty circuits.
Turning the lock, Halt threw the door open to find a flickering shadow in the middle of the room, accompanied by a heart-stopping sound.
Practically, or impractically, having a heart attack, Halt clutched his chest,"Oh, what the hell was that for?"
His usually introverted nature was pushed aside by a burning rage; as entities, they were meant to stay together and not scare one another. Was it even an entity or just a smidge on a lightbulb, projecting a shadow.
A ghastly, fade voice whimpered,"I'm sorry.."
The apologetic tone vanished as an excitement overcame him,"Wait, you can see me? You can notice me?"
Flabbergasted, Halt blinked twice and stated as if it were obvious,"Of course..of course I can see you. You're right in front of me."
"I thought I was just invisible or something! Nobody ever..!" Shadow trailed off, hitting a realisation,"People just ignore me. Nobody ever wants to talk to me or anything! It's like I don't exist! But I do exist, I'm right here, aren't I?"
Reluctantly, Halt nodded,"Yeah, you're existent."
The shadow had the figure of a human, and it bowed its shady head,"Sorry if I sound a bit paranoid; I've never actually been noticed."
Widening his eyes, Halt glared at Shadow,"You've never been spoken to? Ever?"
The shadow made a shaking motion with its head,"Never. You're the first."
Completely dumbfounded by this knowledge, Halt tilted his head downward, wordless. What he was going to say had been yanked from his mouth, his brain scrambling the syllables so nothing but mutters and gasps came out.
"I..uh..um..eh-?"
"I get it, you've never seen me before and you're worried. It happens." Shadow shrugged it off as a normality,"Everyone who sees me rubs their eyes in disbelief, like I don't count as an entity."
"Wait, do you catch humans, too? How do you manage-?" Halt questioned, his gaze softening.
Lowering in front of Halt, Shadow extended a ghostly hand for Halt to feel,"I physically can't. My body isn't created to catch, just frighten."
Halt's body was quite alike, except he could be grasped and he was able to feel, to touch. He didn't necessarily have skin, but he didn't question his anatomy.
Reaching out, Halt's hand phased through Shadow's, as if it were nonexistent. An icy cold was all that he was met with, and he didn't draw back at it. Though it was a very alien concept to Halt, that Shadow's body worked in a more ghostly likeliness, he accepted it.
"Would you perhaps like to meet the others? There's eleven of us if you include Guiding Light. Their body is like yours, except they consist of a blue light instead of a black shadow. Would you happen to know them?" Halt pestered, Shadow's interest piquing.
Even without any form of expression, he could tell Shadow was enraptured in the concept of friendship,"I'd love to! Maybe another day, because I just.."
Shadow's head turned to Halt, and his eyeless glare pierced him. He opened his nonexistent mouth,"..I just need to calm down. I'm too thrilled to know someone can actually see me. I'm actually seen."
"Yep, I can see you." Halt confirmed.
"Does this mean we're friends now, you and me?" Shadow interrupted, its voice high,"I mean, you're the only person I know so you're technically my best friend now. Is that how it works?"
Halt would've laughed if he didn't feel as sorry for Shadow as he did; the entity had been kicked to the curb and ignored for who knows how long.
"Yeah, we're best friends." Halt responded, a grin sneaking its way onto his cheeks,"And best friends need to know each others' names. I'm Halt, I'm not so usually friendly and open but I think you need it."
He offered forwards a hand, remembering afterward it couldn't feel him. Scowling at himself in regret, he suddenly felt the cold air envelop his hand, as if someone was gripping his palm.
"The name's Shadow, the only entity in the hotel people don't typically see twice. And, the only entity in this place nobody seems to know of. Except you." It introduced itself.
"Well, Shadow, now I know you." Halt grinned, letting go of the air,"Don't you get bored of just existing here? Is looming in mid-air all you do?"
If Shadow could've expressed it, he would've shown how offended he was by being told he 'just existed'. He was right; Shadow did get bored of just existing without anything to do. But what was there to do without a corporeal body?
"Figure was planning on using a projector in the library so we could all watch a movie or two later. Maybe you might want to join in?" Halt sheepishly pressed his fingers together,"If you want to, of course."
"Oh, that sounds fun. I've never watched a movie, and I'd like to if you are. If I don't need a body like yours, then I'm in." Shadow whispered, its voice creeping up in volume,"Then I'll be able to befriend some others. This 'Figure' seems like a kind soul."
Turning to leave, Halt gestured Shadow to trail him, and he did. They continued to talk as they travelled to the library.
"Who's this Figure then? What's his gig?"
"He's really tall, but he's blind. Don't be fooled, he knows where everything is based off of his echolocation. He's an incredibly intelligent one."
"Ah, how interesting!"
