“Not All Shadows Bite”

Posted on Wed Apr 23rd, 2025 @ 12:11pm by Skylah McBride [Lalor]

Mission: Season 6: Echoes of the Zynari
Location: Skylah's Bedroom
Timeline: MD2 02h00
584 words - 1.2 OF Standard Post Measure

The lights in Skylah’s room were dim, just the way she liked them—bright enough to chase the deepest shadows away, but soft enough that the walls didn’t feel like they were watching.

Her plush rabbit, Mr. Bunbun, (Only her Aunt knew about it. Not even her best friend knew about her Rabbit) lay tucked against her chest, his ears well-worn and lopsided. The gentle hum of the ship soothed most children on board. Not Skylah. Not always. She was waiting. Listening.

That sound. Again.

It was faint—like bells… or chimes… but more slippery. Like a giggle caught in a snowflake. She sat up slowly, holding her breath. Her heart thumped. Was it the bad ones again? The ones from before?

She slid off the bed quietly, bare feet touching the cool floor. Her little fingers clutched Mr. Bunbun tightly as she tiptoed to the corner where her toys were stored.

Except… they weren’t.

Her lego blocks were dancing.

No, not moving on their own—floating, twirling. In midair, in a slow spinning spiral. The tower she’d knocked over earlier was reassembling itself, backwards, brick by brick, until it stood again. Only now it had a smiley face drawn on it.

Skylah's breath caught in her throat.

She wanted to scream, but it wasn’t scary. Not really.

Something was there. A shimmer in the air—like heat haze, or bubbles made of starlight. The shapes moved, fluttering at the edges of her vision, too quick to catch but not hiding either.
One floated closer. Just enough for her to see the suggestion of a face—wide eyes made of glowing fractals, tiny hands that left silver streaks in the air when they moved.

It did a spin. A twirl.

And then, it bowed.

Skylah blinked.

“...You’re not like them,” she whispered hoarsely. She couldn’t help the tremble in her voice. “Are you?”

The being didn’t speak. But a soft laugh echoed around her—a sound like wind in a music box. It touched the tip of Mr. Bunbun’s ear, and suddenly the rabbit squeaked, “Protecting mode activated!” in a tiny, robotic voice.

She gasped—and giggled.

A shimmer of soft green and gold light sparkled over the walls of her room, and her closet door opened just a crack… revealing nothing except a pile of glowing candy. Wrapped in foil, each had her name written on it.

One of them hovered over to her.

Skylah looked around slowly. “Are you… trying to be nice?”

The being’s light pulsed in reply.

Still holding Mr. Bunbun, she took the candy gently. It was warm. Safe. Like the kind her aunt made in old stories—back before everything.

“I remember monsters with no eyes and hands like knives…” she whispered. “But you’re… not them.”

She didn’t get an answer.

But the shimmer blinked once—bright and quick—and then vanished, along with the floating blocks and the candy trail. Only one piece remained in her palm.

She sat on her bed again, heart still racing, but not with fear this time.

Maybe not all strange things were bad.

Maybe… this ship had ghosts who liked to play.

She glanced at the stars twinkling outside the viewport, then back to her plush toy.
“Mr. Bunbun… I think we just made a new friend.”

And somewhere in the circuitry of the ship, as lights flickered and consoles chuckled in subtle tones, the Zynari pirouetted in delight.