​Your Shadow​ Michelle Xu

10/18/17

My eyes roamed up and down the dirty mirror placed against the wall. The mirror

displayed pale legs that contrasted against the pitch black wall; which was chipping leaving bits

of paint on the floor. My bag ridden eyes stared back at me, ​they say the eyes were the window to

your soul and yet I could not see anything of the sort.

“You’ll get through it, it’s just another day,” sighing I dragged my frail body out the door

allowing the warmth of the sun to gently kiss my freckled face. The view I saw could not have

been described as anything but exquisite; the sort of beauty that does not allow you to avert your

eyes, the kind of beauty that fills your body with contentment. It was funny really, a girl who

was the embodiment of isolation was bathing in the reaching arms of the sun. Realising my

thoughts would have kept me here longer than needed I hurried to the old bus station. I took a

seat on the hard metal seats, that once served as a bed for me. The loud rumble and screech

pulled me out of my trance, my head snapped up and I grabbed my bag entering the cold empty

bus. The bus ride was long and quiet, despite my never ending thoughts. The bus was always

ideal for wandering thoughts because it was quiet besides the screech of the old engine, but the

chairs were repulsive with old pink bubblegum stuck to the bottom. The walls were a bland

yellow, with flecks of red which most likely was blood. My hatred for my job could not be

expressed in words, the men were disgusting pigs and the women were whiny, needy harridans. I

was lucky that no one was in the locker room to pester me, I could not bear to hear about

Darlene’s constant whining about her unfaithful husband. Twisting the rusty lock, when I yanked

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the old locker open but a slip of paper fell out landing at the base of my feet. My dainty hands

slowly went to reach for the piece of paper. My eyes scanned the words steadily consuming the

words again and again.

​ ‘Good morning, my radiating sun, your allure never fails to amaze me.’

-Your Shadow

Attached to the note was a plastic zip-loc bag containing a toothbrush, a toothbrush that

went missing from my home a few weeks ago.

“What the?” my quivering hand immediately released the piece of paper. I snapped my

heading looking across the bright blue locker room, I tilted my head to look behind the big

hamper of dirty laundry in the moldy corner of the room. ​Is this a joke? Is one of the guys trying

to scare me again?​ Something in my gut told me it wasn’t.

“Josie! Darling you’re awfully early today,” Darlene’s thick southern voice suddenly cut

through the thick nauseating air. Darlene was a middle aged woman who was always happy and

bouncing of the bright blue walls.

“Ya’ know, last night was hectic, did I mention some tall hooded man came in to find

you? Too bad you were sick.” Darlene opened her locker and threw on her grey uniform.

“H-hooded man? W-w-what?” my voice was unrecognizable laced with emotion.

“Yes darling, do you need a hearing aid? Oh my you’re so young though Josie!’ Darlene’s

unnecessary comment vexed me but my mind was solely focused on the supposed hooded man.

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“Goodnight Josie!” I entered the cold and unforgiving night, shivering and leaving the

diner’s glass door ajar. The diner was a old place populated with mice and cockroaches, the

vibrant blue walls drove customers away to the modern grey walls of the Italian bistro across the

street. The street was empty with flickering lights and closed shops. The bus has stopped running

at this hour, leaving me to walk home as a last resort. I walked down the dingy street humming

songs, until I realized a black car was inching behind me. My head tilted to get a better view of

the driver, but the tinted windows did not allow a view. My legs sped up until I was practically

sprinting and panting down the street. My hair whipped back and forth, blocking my vision

causing me to trip and fall on the pavement. I scrambled to get my belongings but a pair of rough

hands picked me up. I froze up afraid to look at the owners of the hands, gulping down the bile

th​3​at threatened to spill.

“Josephine, are you okay?” his voice was croaky and held a slight accent. Like a animal

sensing a predator I stepped back, trying to keep the distance between us. He chuckled, taking a

large steps forward, while I continued to back up into a wall.

“Josie, don’t be scared I'm not going to hurt you, I love you!” his voice was laced with

yearning and desperation for me to respond with something similar. My head was pounding and

it felt as if the starless sky was closing in on me, restricting my breathing. His white frosty hands

reached out to grab me but before he could, I bolted with nothing in mind but to escape. I heard

his loud steps behind me and his yelling, but nothing was going to convince me to stop and wait

for this psychopath.

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I knew he was catching up, his footsteps were accompanied by the beating of my heart creating a

symphony in my head. When I finally thought I was safe and away from the man, I slowed down

to a walk.

“Don’t you get it Josephine, you still have a shadow in the dark,” his voice held little

humor, swinging the metal pipe he held against the back of my head. My eyes were resisting the

urge to close but my body was shutting down giving up to the darkness. Before I realized I had

slipped into oblivion, with my last image of a tall hooded man standing over my body.

My ears perched at the sound of hushed whispers, eyes slowly opened to the bright white

light and sunshine. ​Was that all a dream?​ I was in a state of confusion, wondering where I was.

“Josie, darling you're awake, praise the heavens!” Darlene stood at the edge of the bed

talking to man who seemed to be a doctor.

“Where am I? Who is he?”

“Oh, Josie..have you lost your memory? I didn't know it was that severe. The police

found you on the side of the street with a concussion,” her face wrinkled with concern.

“I-I was on the sidewalk unconscious?” ​Did those things actually happen last night? Was

I going crazy?

“Darling, yes! And they found this note next to you, the police didn't understand it but

maybe you will. Darlene dug into her shirt pulling out a post it note, then handing it to me.

‘Josie, I am so sorry about last night, I was overwhelmed by your reaction, I did not

mean to scare you but I promise I will be back to fix everything.’

-Your Shadow ​ ​4