The Shadow That Followed Me

Liam first noticed it on a Thursday evening.

He was walking home from work when he saw his shadow stretching ahead of him. But something was wrong.

It was too tall.

He stopped under a streetlight and moved his arms. His shadow copied him perfectly. But when he took a step forward, there was a delay.

Like it was catching up.

A cold shiver ran down his spine. He shook off the feeling and kept walking.

That night, as he lay in bed, he had the strangest sensation—like someone was standing at the foot of his bed, watching him.

But when he turned on the lamp, nothing was there.

The next day, it got worse.

Liam was washing his hands in the office bathroom when he glanced at the floor.

There were two shadows.

One was his. The other stood slightly behind, just out of sync.

His breath caught in his throat.

He lifted his right hand. Both shadows lifted theirs.

He lifted his left hand.

Only one shadow followed.

The second shadow just stood there, watching.

Liam ran out of the bathroom.

By the time he reached his desk, his palms were sweating. I’m imagining things.

But he wasn’t.

That night, he sat in his living room, forcing himself to stay awake. The lamp cast a soft glow, his shadow stretching across the floor.

Then—

The shadow MOVED.

Not his real one. The other one.

It twitched. Then slowly, deliberately, it turned its head toward him.

Liam bolted upright, heart hammering. The shadow twisted, stretching across the walls like something alive.

Then it whispered.

"Let me in."

Liam scrambled for his phone, turning on the flashlight. The second shadow flickered—then vanished.

Panting, he backed against the wall, his body trembling.

He didn’t sleep.

By morning, he had packed his bags. He didn’t care about rent—he was leaving.

But as he reached for the door, he made a mistake.

He turned around.

And there it was.

The shadow.

No longer on the floor.

It stood in the doorway—tall, stretching, twisting.

And then—

It stepped forward.

Out of the shadows.

And into the light.

The last thing Liam heard before everything went black was a voice.

"Now, I have a body."