A Series Of Short Stories (Complete ✓)

Shadows

The truth behind our shadows is unknown.
-
Kage ~

The sun was setting. It's brilliant rays shining down, allowing me to be seen. I looked around, cautiously. As it continued to set, the darker the world became. It was becoming eerie and black.

Tonight was a cloudy night, one of the few nights I could venture out on my own. It was a rare occurrence, but when it happened all the shadows came out to play.

Now I could finally be free from my master without anyone noticing. Immediately after the sun set, I stepped away. It was dark, and it was hard to see us.

I walked around the park, grabbing onto the straps of my backpack. Tugging nervously, I looked around. Tonight, something was off. My hair continued to fall in my eyes and I brushed it away as it blocked my vision. I couldn't let my guard down tonight, and the other shadows seemed to notice something was off as well.

The park had many street lamps. It was a hard place to be. I stepped further away from the light to protect myself. My footsteps were nearly silent. Not many shadows were around me.

I felt a presence behind me and I turned around. Letting out a sigh, I realized it was just another shadow. Throughout the night I walked around anxiously. My eyes scanned the horizons to see if anything was off. Nothing was, and that was what made me so rilled up.

Throughout the night I continued to walk alone. I said a few hellos to passing shadows, but never holding a true conversation. Sitting on a shaded park bench I noticed a couple, shadows of course, fighting. They had rings on their fingers and I sighed.

Not all shadows were made for each other. It was hard for shadows to leave their masters, but not impossible. I heard the man talking to his partner.

"You know I can't do this any longer!" His voice got louder as the couple anger continued to flare. Eventually, I decided it would be best to leave and go into town.

I looked around, a few bars were open, and not much else. I rubbed my eyes, looking up at a clock hanging in a store window. It was just after three in the morning, and it hadn't started to brighten yet. I let out a sigh of relief. I hadn't had enough time to check the sunrise, but it was a bit lighter than earlier.

I continued to walk around, I saw a few drunk shadows stumbling out of a bar. They probably just left their masters, I could tell because shadows can't get drunk without their masters being drunk first.

The moon was beautiful, shining in the clouds. I smiled and then felt another presence behind me. It was another shadow, but I still turned around.

It was a man, standing at around six foot. My eyes widened as I stumbled back. His gaze was set on me, as if he could see me. I looked at him, confusion and awe the only expressions on his face.

I turned to go, but felt something grab my wrist. This was not possible, we're shadows. Humans cannot see or touch us, so what is this man doing? My grip tightened as I yanked it away from him. My body flickered a bit at the sudden movement.

I crossed my arms over my chest. He continued to look at me, star-struck. Eventually he composed himself, and I waited there for answers. Before he could speak, I asked him a simple question with a simple answer.

"Can you see me?" At my voice, he let out a gasp. I raised an eyebrow at his... excitement. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, still excited I presume.

"W-What are you?" He asked, his voice extremely quiet. No one was around us so I was confused on why he was speaking so softly.

"I'm a shadow, something that follows a human during the day." There was no harm in telling him, no one would believe him if he started to blabber. He immediately let out a sigh and pulled out a notepad.

I stepped back and he chewed on his pen as he opened to a new page. He clicked the pen nervously, and I could see his hands trembling.

"How did you...migrate away from your master?" He murmured, his voice so quiet I could barely hear him. I was not standing here to get questioned. His eyes were wide as his foot tapped on the ground, impatient for my answer.

Sighing, I said,"I'm here to ask questions and you answer them. It's not the other way around." Immediately his expression changed to something dark. His demeanor changed as well, he stood up, put his notebook away, and pulled out a cigarette. He looked down on me with a smug grin.

"That's fine by me, but let's take a walk. Shall we?" I was still confused at his complete change. Not having anything better to do, I walked beside him. His gait was much larger than mine so I had to quickly walk beside him.

"Why were you so anxious and impatient earlier?" I questioned. He looked back at me, and continue to walk for a few minutes before answering. He took a long drag of his cigarette before putting it out. I noticed that he tossed it into a cigarette tray before pulling out a ratty journal. I could see that multiple pages had been torn out and that it was old and fragile.

"I've been studying shadows since I started high school. This was my father's old journal before he passed." He handed it to me. I quickly flipped through the pages, scanning the contents. Most, if not all, the information was correct. I was shocked, I just wondered if his father was able to see shadows just like his son.

"I can see that you're shocked. I was too, you were the first shadow I've ever been able to communicate with. My father could see, but not talk with shadows." He looked back at me, and I handed him his journal back. I nodded, not sure how to respond at first.

"So... How can you see and communicate with us?" The question had been looming over my head the entire wall to the flower garden. The flowers looked monochromatic to me in the moonlight, but nevertheless they were beautiful.

"My mother was a shadow." My eyes shot open. How was this possible? I was about to ask but he continued to speak. "My father fell in love with a woman, but she passed before he could tell her. He saw a woman standing alone that night and went up to speak with her, it was the girls shadow, but he thought it was the girl. He didn't know the girl has passed, because he talked to my mother as if she was the girl. Eventually, he fell for her. He never told me much because he passed before I was 10. That's as much as I know. So I think the reason I'm able to talk to you is because I'm half-shadow."

I couldn't form words. None of this seemed possible. It was so hard to comprehend, but made so much sense.

"I saw you and I went to go try to talk to you. I didn't realize that you didn't remember me until you started to speak with me. We met in first grade-"

It was the first day of first grade. I was following my human and not paying much attention to anything around me. There was one boy though, and he immediately waved once he saw me.

"Hi!" He came running over, but I didn't respond. My human turned around and glared at him, I was too scared to say anything. No human had ever spoken to me before then.

Years passed and we became friends, but then my human moved in the third grade.

My memories started to come back in waves. I was taught to ignore humans, but he was the only being to speak to me. Shadows ignored me, outcasted me, and all humans didn't know I existed, except for Aaron.

I looked up at him and shook my head. He smiled and ruffled my hair. "It's been a long time hasn't it Kage?" He asked. I just nodded, remembering the only friend I ever had. His gaze stayed on me that night. He never left my side, and we talked until sunrise.

Once the sun was starting to creep over the horizon he looked at me. I looked back at him, and smiled. He handed me a piece of paper before he knew I had to go.

"Goodbye," he said before I disappeared and went back to my master. On my way back I looked down on the piece of paper in my hand.

267-644-6397 Call me when you want to meet again

I clutched the paper to my heart and smiled as the sun rose over the horizon.