My last post was the continuation/conclusion of “Testament”, a terrific story posted by Jack Tyler. It felt so good to be able to have some writing done, since lately life has been preventing me from doing so. I’m glad to say that I decided to start a short story for my post this week. But it’s becoming too long for a single post, so I’ll probably post it here in parts 1 and 2 (maybe 3). We’ll see when I finish it how long it’ll be. Last time this happened, I ended up with my “Halloween on Friday the 13^th” turning from a short story into a novel. So, for now I’m going to present you with a short story I wrote about a year ago, which was narrated and posted on the Visceral Imagination YouTube channel. Enjoy!

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THE SHADOW

‘The Shadow strikes again!’

That headline has been repeated daily for about three months now, ever since the unexplained murders began to occur. They take place in various locations in the city, at any time and often simultaneously.

It is rare for there to be witnesses. But when someone has supposedly witnessed one of these crimes, the witness behaves irrationally and gives an illogical statement. Most notably, all of the shocked onlookers, without exception, when questioned by investigators describe the killer as ‘a shadow with a human form’.

***

At first, the city panicked. People were afraid all the time as they didn’t feel safe even inside their own homes.

It was widely reported that the bodies of the victims were found in a state of mummification. Despite this, most people believed that it was some kind of conspiracy between the government and the media in order to control people.

Gradually, regardless of whether or not ‘The Shadow’ was real, steps were taken so that people could return to living their lives normally. It is now mandatory that in every public place the lighting must be adjusted so that it is not possible for one person to cast a shadow on another. Another requirement is maintaining a safe distance between people.

However, those who have witnessed The Shadow kill someone cannot overcome the trauma. These people have become unable to adjust and go back to their routines.

There is also a third group, people who go about their daily lives but are in a state of constant alert due to fear of their own shadow. And Jennifer is among them.

***

Jennifer is in such a deplorable condition that her boyfriend, friends, and co-workers are extremely concerned about her mental health.

Although the statements of the witnesses seem absurd, Jennifer cannot get the idea that the killer is a shadow out of her head. Because of this, she lives in isolation and no longer meets anyone in person, not even her boyfriend.

She works from home, but her paranoia is so great that she has altered her schedule so that she can work using only the natural daylight that comes through the window. She also positions herself in such a way that it is impossible for the lighting to create a silhouette of a person, even if it is her own shadow.

Jennifer keeps her home dark at night, and has become accustomed to acting as if she were blind. Every night, she sets out enough food to eat during the time she’s working. She has even gone so far as to put a potty next to her table so she doesn’t have to walk around the house and risk shadowing herself.

***

Each day at lunchtime, Scott calls his girlfriend. Invariably, the conversation ends in the same way.

“Jennifer, you need to stop this. Have you ever stopped to think that you don’t have a life anymore? That fear of yours is consuming you.”

“You don’t understand. Even if some people don’t believe The Shadow exists, everyone who has witnessed a murder always reports the same thing. It’s not possible that it’s just a coincidence.”

“Okay, let’s say that The Shadow is real. From the accounts given by these same people, it’s not our own shadow that attacks us, but one that’s formed by another person. So if we don’t cast shadows on one another, that means we’re safe.”

“All right, Scott, but what if our own shadow could take shape and slay us?”

“That’s impossible! A shadow only forms when objects or people come between them and a light source.”

“Yes, but the shadow can change its position depending on the source of the light. If we get distracted and shadow each other, we can kill ourselves.”

“I agree. But ever since this began, even people who don’t believe it’s real have been careful not to cast a shadow over anyone. In addition, measures have been taken with lighting to avoid this as much as possible.”

“You’re saying it yourself, avoid it as much as possible. What if…”

“Jennifer, take a look.” Scott gets up and pans his phone over the place where he is having lunch. “See? People are at a safe distance from each other, and the lighting inside is from the top down, causing any shadows to be directed downward.”

“Scott …”

“It’s the same in people’s workplaces. I’ve heard that even in public transportation, similar measures have been taken.”

“Well, I’m sorry, but I’m still afraid. I can’t help it.”

“We have no way of knowing how long this will last. What if it’s permanent? Are you going to just stop living, Jennifer?”

They talk for a few more minutes. Then, unhappy with his girlfriend’s irrational behavior, once again Scott ends the call by questioning whether or not they are still in a relationship.

***

A few days later, at around 2 p.m., Jennifer receives a call informing her that Scott was hit by a car on his way back from a restaurant to the office where he works, and that he is in surgery and in critical condition.

Jennifer grabs her car keys and drives to the hospital, without even thinking about The Shadow. What is running through her mind now is that she has not been with her boyfriend physically for over two months, and if she loses him all her efforts to keep herself safe from the killer will have been in vain.

As soon as she enters the hospital, she remembers Scott’s words and notes that even in this environment, distancing and lighting measures to prevent anyone from shadowing another person have been implemented. However, she still notices an occasional partial shadow. But now her main concern is learning her boyfriend’s prognosis.

About two hours later, Scott comes out of surgery. The doctors inform Jennifer that his condition is stable and he is no longer at risk of dying. Only then does it occur to Jennifer how it can be possible for doctors and nurses to perform any kind of procedure without casting a shadow over the patient. One of the doctors answers her question.

“I don’t know if I fully believe this, but according to the witness accounts of the murders committed by The Shadow, the figure takes human form from the head of the shadow. And the shadow has to be perfect for it to become a person capable of killing. So we have spotlights positioned at various angles so as not to allow shadows of our heads to form over the patients.”

“Maybe that’s why I saw some shadowy partial figures in the corridors?” Jennifer asks. “The Shadow can’t fully form because people’s heads aren’t clear.”

“If you believe in The Shadow, then that makes sense.”

“Don’t you believe in it, Doctor?”

“No, not really. But it doesn’t cost me anything to take precautions and follow the preventative protocols, right?”

***

A few hours later, Scott is moved to a room. Jennifer keeps a safe distance from him to avoid casting a shadow on him.

When he wakes up, Scott is happy to see his girlfriend there. They talk for a while, until it is time for her to leave. She arranges to come back in the morning and says she will spend the day with him.

It is only when she leaves the hospital that Jennifer realizes it is now dark outside. The streetlights are on, and she fears they are sure to make a perfect shadow until she is safely inside her car. Jennifer is careful to keep a safe distance from the lights and anyone who might cross her path. She finds that the few people outside now are also doing the same.

The parking lot is mostly empty now. Before reaching her car, Jennifer sees a young woman about to open a car door when a man approaches and tries to grab her. The woman breaks free from him and tries to run, but he knocks her to the ground and his body casts a shadow over her.

Terrified, all three of them watch as the shadow grows larger and takes on a human form. Then the sinister figure engulfs the woman lying on the ground and begins an accelerated mummification process, draining all the fluids from her body while the criminal runs aimlessly in desperation. Jennifer is paralyzed and totally unresponsive as she witnesses the murder of the young woman.

After a few minutes that seem like hours to her, someone notices her condition and, without getting too close, asks if she is okay. Then the new arrival sees the murdered girl’s body and runs for help.

It turned out to be difficult to help Jennifer right away, as it would be risky to get too close and cast a shadow over her. Several spotlights were lined up so that the officers could carry out their investigative work safely and get to Jennifer.

***

After this episode, Jennifer’s life is pretty much over. Because of the trauma of witnessing The Shadow murder the girl, she can no longer focus on work or anything else that is not related to The Shadow.

Her psychological state is such that she ends up retiring from her job early and spends her days isolated at home with the curtains drawn and the lights off. The only person she still talks to is her boyfriend, but even then only using the voice feature on her phone.

Three weeks later, Scott leaves the hospital and tries to visit his girlfriend, but she refuses to let him into her home.

***

Months pass, and Jennifer’s isolation continues. Scott tries to do everything possible to rescue her from her situation, but in vain. Because of this, their romantic relationship deteriorates and ends, but they still keep in touch daily by phone.

Most people’s lives are getting back to normal now. Many doubt that The Shadow was ever a real thing, but they still believe that if they follow the precautionary measures to the letter, they will be safe and able to live their lives to the fullest.

***

Years later, Scott is still in the habit of calling Jennifer every day. He knows that this is the only way for her to have contact with the outside world.

The shadow murders have become increasingly scarce because of all the mandatory precautionary measures. One day, Scott finally convinces her to let him come visit her. She enforces some rules, such as they meet at night and no lights will be turned on near them. They spend hours talking in the near-complete darkness and make plans for Scott to come back more often. It looks like Jennifer might finally be able to overcome her fear. They end up falling asleep in the living room.

Early the next day, Scott wakes up and notices that it is dawn. Daylight is beginning to seep into the room around the edges of the curtains. He sees Jennifer sleeping peacefully next to him and decides to let her snooze a little longer. He gets up and grabs his car keys from the coffee table in front of the sofa. When he turns around, his body accidentally shadows Jennifer. He watches, horrified, as a sinister figure takes human form and wraps itself around her body, killing her mercilessly.