The Shadow
It
had been several years since The Shadow came along. At first he would just stand around in
the shadows scaring people. Then people
started disappearing at night,
and being found dead in
the alley ways the next
morning. Everyone was scared.
But the worst was yet
to come. People
suspected The Shadow, but no one charged
him. Until one night.
The
city was dark and
black. No moon
or stars decided to shine
tonight. For it
was a night that would change
everything.
A
dense fog covered
up our little city. The air
was damp and heavy.
All were asleep, except one girl,
me. I saw The Shadow float
out into the
night. He held
a torch in one darkened black, hand. I
watched silently as he walked down
the street. Never did he stop moving for one
second. Like a plague that couldn’t be stopped he glided
down toward every house,
setting it on fire. Rows of
brilliant flames followed, dancing, laughing, praising The Shadow.
Screams came from
houses as people
awoke to realize
there was no escape. Others died peacefully in their sleep.
When The Shadow was at the house next to
mine. I froze
with fear. What would I
do?
He
caught my gaze.
His eyes were
blood-red, and hungry
for the kill.
Gasping I fell back onto my
bed. I knew that he
was coming to
kill me by hand, just
like he had done to
my friend Lila
who had quickly
written in her journal about it
right before he got her. Lying in my bed waiting I reached for the
hatchet I kept under my pillow.
The
only reason I have the hatchet under there is because, I’m afraid that someone
will break into my
room and try
to kill me
or something. Okay?!
Shivering
with fear I heard a
small creak and
I could tell
The Shadow had
come. I squeezed
the hatchet harder. My hand
was sweating, and I could barely keep a grip. A
warm air went blew onto
my neck. I
swiveled around and
yelled, “Stay back!”
Arm
shaking, hatchet quaking I stared
at the shadow.
His eyes were
calm, yet never
could be. He advanced toward me. I lifted the
hatchet higher, keeping his gaze. After
a moment’s hesitation he came
toward me again. I swung the hatchet and hit
home. Putting his hand to
his face he
stood
stalk still. Taking
my chance I raced
out of the room, and out the
house. The Shadow
would come after
me I had known it then
and I know it
now.
He’s
been chasing me ever since
that moment in my room. Everyone from the
city I had lived in had
been killed then. I
had to run away to
a new town
where he had soon followed
and destroyed.
After weeks I finally
came to
the town of
Maize where I
met my two best friends, Jake and Ally. They
had brought me into
their home and
have helped stay
safe from The
Shadow ever since.
By
this point in time
I was 14 and The
Shadow was a widely known
murderer, and destroyer. People now
knew me as The Shadow’s target. My friends
and I were outcasts.
No town would
let us inside they’re gates. Half starved, and frozen,
we eventually joined another
group of people who had
survived their villages
being destroyed, and were out to kill The
Shadow.
Two
years
after training in the skill of ax wielding in our group I
was ready. After
all this time
I had kept the
ax that wounded The Shadow,
and was destined to bring
him
down. No I wasn’t
the best fighter, but I was the
most determined of
our small group. Our battle with The Shadow
was great. Few died, because The Shadow was
weakened by age.
It was my
chance to get revenge, a chance
to end The
Shadow’s reign of terror.
So why can’t I
bring myself to
kill him.
“Come
on finish him
off already, Lexi!” Jake yelled to me, “You’ve been waiting
for this precise moment your
entire life! What’s
holding you back now?”
I
looked at the pathetic left over of
what The Shadow
once was. He
was weak and old with
only one eye
to see from, I
was strong and
in my prime.
What had he done to me? Destroyed my life, ruined my
hometown, killed thousands, tried to kill
me, made me
and outcast, and had
harmed my friends!
The nights when he
had hunted me were
over, but still they haunted me. I couldn’t sleep well anymore, for fear he would come. I
ached for a home to
live and a calm life once
again. One without fear and
one without harm. Still. Was he worth killing? Yes he is! No,
he isn’t.
Nothing is worth it.
“I
can’t,” I said as I turned around toward my friends,
“He isn’t worth it. Let
the nature of old age or diseases kill him
on its own. It
will soon enough”
I turned back to
see that the shadow
was gone. He had left a trail of footprints from his
limp I gave
him, but it didn’t matter to
me anymore. He
couldn’t do much
harm anymore.
“You
were completely right,” Ally said walking up
to me, “You don’t need to kill,
and be like
him. I know you made
the right choice.” She smiled that reassuring
smile a friend
does.
Looking
back at everyone
who had made it
out alive, I smiled
wide. For the first time in quite a
while.
“Let
us feast for our
victory, and be happy
that we don’t have to
bury him.”
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