The Shadow
Tom tilted his head and eyes towards the sky. Even in the darkness, he could see the silhouette of a murder circling overhead. Waiting for the inevitable, he thought.
Caw! Caw!
Tom tilted his head and eyes towards the sky. Even in the darkness, he could see the silhouette of a murder circling overhead.
Waiting for the inevitable, he thought.
He turned back to the road. The moonlight made a futile attempt to fight its way through the overarching trees on either side. He squinted to get a better sense of what lay ahead, but it wasn’t much use; darkness took over about ten feet in front. Apart from the crows, all he heard was the pebbles crunching under his feet.
Loose dirt scraped against his heel as he spun around to walk backwards—still keeping up his pace. Tom’s shoulders rose, and a cool breeze parted around his neck, making the hair on his nape stand. Every muscle in his body tensed.
They were still there—always there. Two floating eyes, resting about three feet in the air. They should have reflected the dim yellow moonlight, but instead they glowed red. To calm the demons in his head, he assured himself that the eyes had not gained distance. They remained at a stalking pace, not ready to commit to any action yet. The rest of the figure taunted him, a vague shadow in the nothingness around the eyes.
Tom’s heel collided with a rock. His arms shot out to catch his balance. He had to keep moving forward. He pivoted to his right, his eyes leaving the entity only at the last moment.
The thought of what might occur if he let the shadow catch up to him tightened his entire body. His mind turned to his wife and daughter waiting for him down the road. I can’t let it consume me; I need to keep going for them.
Tom loved them unconditionally. They brought light, not leaving a single space for something to conceal itself. His thoughts floated to the memory of his daughter's second birthday. Open boxes in the corner, the lingering smell of chicken and herbs, and the warmth of the fire. He thought of the way his wife’s eyes squinted and her forehead raised when she smiled. He remembered his daughter’s laugh. A laugh that demanded the corners of your mouth to ascend. He smiled. That was his peace. A place safe from the darkness and all that loomed.
I must return to them! I won’t let the darkness have me; I will be with them again!