Shadows Never Leave Us

A supernatural short story

Tas (they/them)

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a black and white human hand print
Photo by be cool on Unsplash

It was a normal day. No change to routine, no issues, everything was perfect. She walked the empty street occasionally stopping under the street light to check her watch.

Walk, walk, stop, repeat.

She heard a thump, crack as her phone slipped from her pocket onto the cement. She sighed loudly with disappointment, feeling like she jinxed her good day.

She paused while bending down slowly to retrieve the crushed bits of plastic. For a moment, she was silent and confused. The shadow on the cement was her size, petite and lean, but it was standing.

She was kneeling down.

Springing upward she whipped around, but no one was there. The shadow that was just above her was gone. Perplexed, she swiftly moved down the street, no longer stopping under the lights.

She didn’t notice that the shadow matched her pace.

The final street light was in sight. It was the last illumination before her front door. Feeling like home was a savior she sprinted into the darkness. In “bad day” fashion, she tripped and landed face-first on the roadway. Dazed and in pain, she tried to push herself up.

It didn’t work.

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Tas (they/them)

Tas is an autistic horror writer with a deep love for science fiction and body horror.