A Shadow's Grip

You hear it, don’t you? The voice outside of reason. The voice emanating from the corner where nothing should be. You decide to check it out. Unsurprisingly, your reasoning is correct. Nothing waits for you in the shadows, but the voice is still there. Taunting you.

“Don’t you recognize me,” it asks.

"No, you say, "should I?"

The shadow doesn’t like this answer. It wraps its cold, powerful hands around your skull. You feel its fingers digging into your brain. The pain is excruciating, and the voice grows louder.

“Do you recognize me now,” It mocks, “I am you.”

You shake your head. The shadow grips harder and you find your own fingers squeezing your head as you fight to pull the shadow’s away. It is impossible, you think, fighting is meaningless. The shadow is yours and you its. Why fight what cannot be separated? Would it not be better to just embrace it?

A warm, tingling sensation runs through your body. “Yes,” cheers the shadow, “You and I are we.”

…

We shuffle through the trenches of time. Left… Right… Left… Right…

We have a rhythm. Others try to dance with us. To steal the spotlight, but we don’t let them. We are a one person show. We know what we need. We don’t need them. We only need each other. You and me.

As we continue down this journey. A steel wall covered in barbed wire blocks our path. We feel restless. “We must keep moving!” Hisses the Shadow. This voice, you think, it sounds different. Scared even.

“No!” Shouts the shadow, “We are one! Keep moving forward! Focus on the next step! We need each other!”

We look at the wall and know we can’t go any further, so we start walking alongside it. This feels wrong.

A jolt of pain in your head throws you to the muddy ground. “Listen here,” bellows the Shadow. “We are one. We will get through this. Trust me. You are nothing without me.”

You reach for the wall. The sharp, metallic thorns dig into your hand as you pull yourself up. Tears fall from your face. Yes, your face. You hear voices you once knew on the other side. They are cheering for you. They want you back.

The shadow pushes harder, but you focus on the pain in your hand as you search the wall for an opening. A tiny sliver of light shines through. You pounce on it. The shadow’s grip lessens. A door appears and there are silhouettes of people you no longer recognize, but you must step through the barbed wire to reach them.

You look back. The shadow is no longer holding on to your head but trailing behind you. Its voice has become a whisper. begging you to stay. You feel lighter. You jump through the sharp doorway. Its wire shreds your skin as you push through, but it is worth it. You have never felt more free because you are once again you.