The Shadow

She could feel it. Call it instincts, all it experience, call it woman's intuition. But she knew that someone was following her. Having had to perform some emergency shopping at the pharmacy for her sick baby, the road back to her house lies silent, with only the streetlights for company.

Remembering the cases of theft and assault near the area, Natalia clenched her purse tighter to her stomach, and quickened her pace back home. After a few minutes, she could almost hear the footsteps of whoever was following her. She started to run towards the direction of her house, as quickly as she could, while taking care not to let go of her purse.

"Screaming won't help", she thought to herself. It would only attract more undesirables that could be lurking in the area.

However, just as she was about to reach her street, she felt her foot trip on a crack on the road. Before she could curse her luck, she fell flat on the ground. Before she got up, she managed to turn around, and saw a figure dashing closer towards her. Cursing her own bad luck, she braced herself for the inevitable.

But nothing came. Instead, she heard a scream come from behind her. As she quickly stood up and turned around, she saw a patch of darkness at the street, where no street lamps shone. From there, she could hear the sound of punches. She saw the shadowy figure of the thief, who seemed to be fighting...someone, but she couldn't see who.

"Where are you?! Come out! Come out and fight like a man!"

The thief couldn't see who it was he was fighting with. All he knew was that the attacks came from all angles, and he couldn't feel his attacks land on anything.

With one more well-placed hit (and with the sound of a cracked bone) , the thief was brought to his knees. He cried out in pain.

"Please! No more! I'm sorry! I won't do it ever again!"

"You tell your all of your friends. Never touch that woman again. Ever. Unless they want to die a horribly. And trust me, I know horrible."

"Y-yes! Yes! Anything you say!"

Natalia suddenly felt a shiver down her spine. The voice of the person attacking the thief...it sounded all too familiar. Once the thief ran away, she approached the spot where he was. However, she couldn't find anyone there anymore.

While she was looking, she suddenly felt someone behind her. But she did not feel afraid. She was all too familiar with this presence.

"Natalia..."

She couldn't believe it. It was him! Right as she was about to turn around...

"STOP, NATALIA!"

She stopped in her tracks. She was shocked.

"Please, Natalia. You can't turn around. If you do, I have to leave."

"Dan? Is that you? It's you, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's me."

"Why, Dan? Why can't I turn around? You've been missing for the past few weeks! I was so worried! Our daughter, she's..."

"Sick, I know. Natalia, I want you to listen closely to me. I can't be with you right now. Some things have...happened. I've...been changed, transformed against my will. I can't face you the way I am right now. I can't even go out normally anymore."

"What?! That doesn't make any sense! But I..."

"Natalia! Please, listen. I don't have much time.  I know things are hard right now. Trust me, I know. But you have to believe me when I say that I'm trying my best to rectify this situation. I will fix it. I will meet you and our beautiful daughter again. But until then...I will be watching over you. Protecting. Guarding. You won't see me, but I will always be watching."

"No, Dan..please don't go....don't leave me again."

"Sorry, Natalia. I have to go...but I will always be nearby. I will be your shadow."

Crying, Natalia finally turned around, but there was no one there. Not anymore.