“Luster”
Joe woke up from his nap, feeling well rested, which was a relief because he had been plagued with nightmares the night before. He dreamt about dark shapes and felt so afraid in his bed. However, he couldn’t go to his mom because he was seven years old now, and that practically made him an adult; and everyone knew that adults don’t go crying to their mommies if they have nightmares. He shuddered at the memory of his nightmares and shoved the thoughts away.
He skipped down the hall, nose in the air, as he followed the delicious aroma of his mother’s cooking. As he walked down the stairs, he noticed something moving in his periphery.
“Leave me alone Jake!” he called out to his brother, who was surely trying to play a prank on him. He continued to feel a presence behind him, so he spun around, hoping to catch his brother in the act. “Jake! I sai-” he stopped abruptly because there was no one there. He felt a tendril of fear go through his body as he remembered that his older brother had gone to camp for the whole weekend. He looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. Every time he turned around, he saw nothing directly behind him. However, he could always see something moving in the corner of his eye. He felt more afraid by the second and stayed rooted to his spot. Inadvertently, he glanced at the wall to his right, and in a flash, he was down the stairs screaming for his life. "Momma!" screamed Joe, as he barreled into the kitchen. The woman in question almost dropped the casserole that she was holding, startled by her son’s screams. “Joe! What happened?” Joe clutched his mother, sobbing, “It won't stop following me!” “Who won't stop following you?” asked his mother. “This...thing! It was there last night and now it’s here again! It won’t leave me alone!” he screamed, looking around frantically. “It’s….THERE!” Joe pointed to the dark shape occupying the floor in front of him. His mother sighed and started chuckling in amusement. She kneeled in front of him and said, “Oh sweetie, it’s just your shadow.” “My shadow? What’s a shadow?” he sniffled. “It’s the space where your body covers the light. Don't worry about it honey, everyone has them.” His mother pointed to her own shadow, “See? I have one too.” “It won’t hurt me? …show more content…
Are you sure?” he asked softly. He had never noticed shadows before and it terrified him. Does everyone really have a shadow?
“Yes, I’m sure.” she chuckled. She stood up and ruffled his hair, “Come on. Get yourself ready for dinner.” Joe dried his tears and ran up the stairs to get ready for dinner. He stared suspiciously at his ‘shadow’ the whole time, not truly convinced that it wasn’t out to get him.
~
After dinner, he went to his room to play with the new Captain America and Iron Man action figures that his brother had gotten him for his birthday.. As he made Iron Man punch Captain America, he heard a soft rustling behind him. He turned around and there, by the window, was a dark shape moving looming over him. Joe opened his mouth to scream when the shape suddenly spoke. “Wait!” it said. “Please don’t scream! I promise I won’t hurt you.” “Wh-who a-are you?” he stuttered, scrambling back towards the wall. “My name’s Luster. I’m your shadow. I’m sorry for frightening you earlier. I’ve been trying to decide whether to speak to your or not,” explained Luster. “Why? What do you want with me?” Joe asked, feeling less afraid. “I just want to be friends! There are a lot of us because every human is assigned a shadow. However, we don’t exactly have the time to talk to each other. It gets quite boring being a shadow.” “Oh. Well I guess it’s okay if you’re nice,” Joe relented. “I know how horrible it is when it gets boring.” “Great! But you can’t tell your mom about me.” said Luster. Seeing Joe open his mouth in protest, he hurriedly continued, “I’ll get in trouble if your mom finds out! Shadows aren’t supposed to talk to their humans. Besides, she’ll think that you’re making it up. I just
Joe woke up from his nap, feeling well rested, which was a relief because he had been plagued with nightmares the night before. He dreamt about dark shapes and felt so afraid in his bed. However, he couldn’t go to his mom because he was seven years old now, and that practically made him an adult; and everyone knew that adults don’t go crying to their mommies if they have nightmares. He shuddered at the memory of his nightmares and shoved the thoughts away.
He skipped down the hall, nose in the air, as he followed the delicious aroma of his mother’s cooking. As he walked down the stairs, he noticed something moving in his periphery.
“Leave me alone Jake!” he called out to his brother, who was surely trying to play a prank on him. He continued to feel a presence behind him, so he spun around, hoping to catch his brother in the act. “Jake! I sai-” he stopped abruptly because there was no one there. He felt a tendril of fear go through his body as he remembered that his older brother had gone to camp for the whole weekend. He looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. Every time he turned around, he saw nothing directly behind him. However, he could always see something moving in the corner of his eye. He felt more afraid by the second and stayed rooted to his spot. Inadvertently, he glanced at the wall to his right, and in a flash, he was down the stairs screaming for his life. "Momma!" screamed Joe, as he barreled into the kitchen. The woman in question almost dropped the casserole that she was holding, startled by her son’s screams. “Joe! What happened?” Joe clutched his mother, sobbing, “It won't stop following me!” “Who won't stop following you?” asked his mother. “This...thing! It was there last night and now it’s here again! It won’t leave me alone!” he screamed, looking around frantically. “It’s….THERE!” Joe pointed to the dark shape occupying the floor in front of him. His mother sighed and started chuckling in amusement. She kneeled in front of him and said, “Oh sweetie, it’s just your shadow.” “My shadow? What’s a shadow?” he sniffled. “It’s the space where your body covers the light. Don't worry about it honey, everyone has them.” His mother pointed to her own shadow, “See? I have one too.” “It won’t hurt me? …show more content…
Are you sure?” he asked softly. He had never noticed shadows before and it terrified him. Does everyone really have a shadow?
“Yes, I’m sure.” she chuckled. She stood up and ruffled his hair, “Come on. Get yourself ready for dinner.” Joe dried his tears and ran up the stairs to get ready for dinner. He stared suspiciously at his ‘shadow’ the whole time, not truly convinced that it wasn’t out to get him.
~
After dinner, he went to his room to play with the new Captain America and Iron Man action figures that his brother had gotten him for his birthday.. As he made Iron Man punch Captain America, he heard a soft rustling behind him. He turned around and there, by the window, was a dark shape moving looming over him. Joe opened his mouth to scream when the shape suddenly spoke. “Wait!” it said. “Please don’t scream! I promise I won’t hurt you.” “Wh-who a-are you?” he stuttered, scrambling back towards the wall. “My name’s Luster. I’m your shadow. I’m sorry for frightening you earlier. I’ve been trying to decide whether to speak to your or not,” explained Luster. “Why? What do you want with me?” Joe asked, feeling less afraid. “I just want to be friends! There are a lot of us because every human is assigned a shadow. However, we don’t exactly have the time to talk to each other. It gets quite boring being a shadow.” “Oh. Well I guess it’s okay if you’re nice,” Joe relented. “I know how horrible it is when it gets boring.” “Great! But you can’t tell your mom about me.” said Luster. Seeing Joe open his mouth in protest, he hurriedly continued, “I’ll get in trouble if your mom finds out! Shadows aren’t supposed to talk to their humans. Besides, she’ll think that you’re making it up. I just