LITERARY: “The Shadow Man” (For Halloween Special) by: Jemina Gonzalez

Narrated by: Dave Bancoro

TW // CW: Self-harm scars mention 

"Eight... nine... ten! Ready or not, here I come!" Riley shouted as she ran to the nearest possible hiding spot. No one was there. She then ran across the street and looked behind the bushes. Again, no one. She continued running and looked around for any signs of her friends.

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, she thought.

Thirty minutes had passed and, still, there were no signs of her playmates. "Can you come out now? It's getting dark!" she shouted as the street lights illuminated. Nobody answered.

"Riley!" a familiar voice called. It was Theresa, her mom. "Come home already! Your friends went home somewhat thirty minutes ago!"

"What? We were playing hide-and-seek!" Riley shouted back as she ran to her mother.

"Just get inside. Dinner's ready," her mother said.

Riley silently followed her mother inside. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘦𝘭, she thought. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦.

Later that night, Riley was about to sleep. She closed her eyes and said, "I wish I had good friends." 

Sadness, anger, and envy of people who have splendid friendships filled her mind. She never had friends. Many people thought of her as a weird and attention-seeking girl. She didn't cover up the scars on her wrists, and it was disgusting for others. Even her parents thought so. It was overwhelming for an eleven-year-old girl like her.

As she opened her eyes, something was moving around her room. It was pure black against the moonlight that shone in her room through the window. 

"Who are you? What are you doing in my room?" she asked as she trembled in fear.

The creature stopped and looked at her. It did not speak. It made Riley realize that it was no human but seemed like one. A silhouette with long, thin arms. Longer than an average human arm. Its legs were the same slender build.

The fear she felt a moment ago was gone. The presence of the creature was, in a way, comfortable. It made her feel calm, as if she was about to have the best sleep in two years.

Ever since that day, she had spent more time in her room, with dim lights, so that the Shadow Man, as she decided to call it, could freely move. She talked to the Shadow Man as if it could talk back. But, she didn't mind. All she ever wanted was someone to listen to her. All she wanted was a good friend.

Years later, she was celebrating her 18th birthday in her room. It was twelve o'clock at midnight. The shadow man stood at one of the corners of her room. 

“Thank you for staying with me all these years,” she smiled.

What happened next shocked her. For the first time since they met each other, the Shadow Man walked towards her. He stretched his hand until it reached her head. The Shadow Man patted Riley in the head.

It went on for seconds, almost lasting a minute. But what broke her most was that after the last pat in her head, the Shadow Man disappeared. And that was when she knew that it was time to let him go.