The Shadowed Boy

You need to read this story.

There are things in this world which most humans do not understand: the feeling of Love, the infinity of God, the nature of light and darkness. With light and darkness, humans already understand many things. Light is only photons of energy swirling around the cosmos. Day, they know, is light because of the yellow dwarf sun that our world ellipses around. Night is a shadow from the sun; an absence of photons; dark, just as cold is an absence of heat. But that is not all it is. Curiously, Night is alive, as much as any other person. More than this, Night is a woman. Some have even seen her, they say, “She is lovely.” “No, hideous.” “She was blue.” “No, black.” She is never quite possible to explain. Would Night be a harsh frost or a cool relief from the day? A wicked queen of bats and wolves, or the gentle bringer of stillness and dreams? One can only guess, until one meets her face to face.

When Susan and Frederick conceived their first child, they weren't really in love. Neither of them wanted a baby, but they decided that it could have been a surprise blessing to them, so they got married and bought a cheap house on the edge of San Francisco and prepared for the coming child. If those first nine months were sprinkled with doubt, the next few were drenched in it. She gave birth on July 12, 1913. The pain of childbirth for her soon became the pain of a stayed life. She needed changes and excitement in her life, not routine. Fred's job could hardly afford the three of them, and the bills were ever increasing.  

Susan, unfortunately, had a sort of mental condition; her normal motherly instincts must not have been as well placed as in other women. She would have horrible thoughts, even when she didn’t want to.

One evening, four months in, Freddy came home from work to find the baby screaming, but Susan was not there. "Sue!" he yelled and strode to their bedroom.

Susan was asleep on the bed. He shook her, and she turned her neck to him. "Whhaa..." her drowsy voice asked, but then she heard the crying, and such a poison settled on her face.  

"I'm not a fan of comin' home to this," Fred stated.

She slumped out of the bed.

"No one said it was gonna be easy, but it was our choice, so you gotta do your job."

Susan kept her back turned to him. She picked up the crying baby and started swaying.  

"You haven’t even made dinner," Fred said as he looked at the stove.

“Or lunch or breakfast,” she said, finally making eye contact.

“Well maybe you can live like that, but I can’t. I need food.”

“Once he calms down,” she said, “We need to make sacrifices, remember.”

“You don’t think I’m making sacrifices? I shovel dirt for twelve hours, Susan, then I come home to this.”

“You’re the one who wants to keep it.”

“I ain’t giving up my son just ‘cause you can’t handle your end. Why can’t you just calm him down?”

"You want to try to make this thing shut up?" Susan said, and slipped, and almost dropped the baby. A look of horror came over her and her husband’s face, and Fred would have hit her if she wasn’t holding Henry. Susan's lip was trembling, “I’m sorry Fred.”

“I’m getting out of here, since you know what you’re doing,” he grabbed his coat.

Susan followed him, “Fred there’s something else."

Fred walked out, "I'm gettin’ some real food."

"I need to tell you something," she said faster, but he got in the car. "Fred, I'm pregnant again," she pleaded. He started the car. "Do you hear me!"

And he was gone. He had to have heard her.

When she finally breastfed the baby enough for it to fall asleep, she laid him down and thought for a long time. Then an idea slithered to her mind that should have never been there. No, she whispered, I couldn't. But still she thought. She struggled to put the idea out of her mind, but increasingly she was convinced that there was a way she and Fred could be happy. Why did life become horrible as soon as the baby came?  she thought, but she felt guilty for thinking it.

Enough thinking can get a person anywhere, and Susan eventually began to forget her emotions. Slowly, she was able to settle her thoughts into a carefully crafted plan. With no guilt or second thought she crept to her baby and picked it up in her hands. Without looking at it, she stalked out her back door into the frozen night and gently laid the baby on the ground, still wrapped up in its blanket. Then she walked back into her house and closed the door. The crying was muffled enough for her to begin quite a restful sleep. Fred usually came back a day later from his tantrums, so her plan was to come out early in the morning and warm the thing up inside before he got home, then she would cry and cry when he walked in the door. Of course, they would both be heartbroken for a season, but they would move on and he would be more tender in the future. She did not know, however, that someone else saw what she had done.

Night was observing, as she has observed so many other things in the shadow of the world, but she had seldom observed a sight like this. Who knows whether it was a pity for this baby as it cried out for its mother, or anger at the wretch herself, but the dark woman glided to the dying child, and stood there, deciding whether to do something for the child. The baby was crying hard. No tears, just screaming as loud as it could. How could the mother let this happen? The baby’s eyes opened. They were green like leaves in sunlight, staring into the dark, pleading for life. This made the woman want more than anything to help the child, but she was not completely sure how. She knelt and reached her fingers out to the baby’s lips. “Please stop crying,” she said, and it lessened. She delicately brought the infant up to her shoulder and embraced it, as if it were her own. Swaying slowly, she sang to it a lullaby. Hesitantly at the start, like the first few drops of rain, or the first crickets to sound in the evening, her song grew to a melody so wonderful that all the night animals became silent to listen. Her voice twisted and turned in company with the wind blowing the trees around them, and the baby was lulled to sleep. Night prepared herself, and whispered, “I give you my blessing,” and she kissed its little forehead. “You are now a part of me." The spot that her lips touched was shaded, almost black. The dark spot began to spread through the baby’s veins. Its shivering stopped, and she could feel its gentle breathing on her. A new problem came to this heroine then. She had nowhere to put the child, but back inside the mother’s house. She hated the idea of placing the child in this witch’s clasp, so before she left the baby alone, she visited the mother. Seeing the woman sleep soundly, she sat and thought of how to ensure this boy’s safety.  

Night is, as far as elemental beings go, very rational, but at the same time, she is wild, and often unpredictable like the dreams that she gives us. She thought of, in that moment, a very devious idea, which she thought so clever and so helpful. She awoke Susan shortly after midnight, staring at her from the edge of her bed. Susan became petrified and felt an enormous pressure on her chest as Night spoke.

“You, a sin among mothers, have created a tragedy,” Night said in a thin voice. “Look at your son.”

Susan turned her terrified face to see her son lying next to her. His face was dark blue.

“See what you have done to him, for this I curse you,” and then the room turned terribly cold. Susan could barely breathe. “You will never harm this child again, and when he has no more need of you, you will end your own life.” Then Night exited through the paned window, but the room kept its coldness. When Susan could move, she grasped her baby. He was breathing. She sighed a sigh of relief so great, that it woke the exhausted infant. The two of them lay there motionless until the sun rose, and then she called an ambulance.  

When Fred rushed in the hospital room, he couldn't believe his own sight. Henry didn't even look real. Susan, of course, never told her husband what she had done, but neither Susan, Fredrick, nor the doctors knew what was happening to their baby. They said it was most likely some rare type of anemia that hadn’t been formally studied yet. After all the commotion, their terror was renewed when they left the hospital and found that Henry had no shadow. This ended any hope they had of fixing Henry’s condition with doctors.  

They settled for, “It was meant to be,” and tried to have normal lives, which was all Susan seemed to want now. Their second child they named Alexander. Fredrick praised God that he never developed Henry's condition. As Henry grew, often they were afraid that the boy was hurting from his condition, but he acted the same as any other boy would have. All anyone knew was that he somehow had no shadow, and his skin was gray, but even more surprising than the color was the lack of any. It looked pale and faded. Henry could walk outside on a summer day, and still appear like he was in a room with the shutters down. It was as if light wanted nothing to do with him.

They didn’t want him in school at first- for not all unselfish reasons- but Henry and Alex insisted on going together. They thought that it couldn't hurt him too much, with Alex there to protect him. Alex was more like the bigger brother, Frederick always said. Until he got to school, Henry didn’t fully realize that his appearance was irregular. How odd this must have seemed to him when he saw regular, other children besides his brother. Everyone had a weird black thing that followed them around everywhere, but he didn’t. He only had himself and no black thing to sit next to him when no one else would. Alex did his best to convince the other kids that Henry really wouldn’t hurt them and that he wasn’t a ghost, but no one believed him. Even teachers were solemnly off put by the child. It seemed to Henry that his skin wasn't the only reason people were mean and scared of him. Maybe his soul was abnormal, because even when people got used to the color, they still seemed afraid.

By the second week of school, a third-grader was brave enough to touch Henry's arm, to his extreme delight. This broke the no-touch barrier that most of them had against Henry, which seemed like a great development, but the touches soon turned into pushes and trips and slaps and punches. The insults were almost always worse, though. “My name’s Henry,” he would keep reminding everyone, but they still called him “Freak,” or “Satan.” For the first few years, Henry only had Alex as a friend, while Alex eventually got friends of his own. Maybe it was because of the peer pressure, or maybe it was because of his father's example, but Alex started spending less time with Henry as they matured. Who could blame Alex? Henry did not seem dependent on his younger brother, and he was too good at pretending to enjoy solitude. Henry learned the art of hiding resentment or pain. He never complained about his condition, and never said, “I hate myself,” aloud.  

He did enjoy some parts of his abnormality: in shadows, especially at night, he was barely visible. Sometimes he would sneak in front of people and they wouldn’t know he was even there. As he grew, he learned that he was very good at stealing. He made a few friends in the city, homeless or orphans, who were delighted with this. He would help them steal pocket watches, rings, change, or anything else loosely connected to someone. The friends were always amazed at how stealthily he could glide next to people in the shadows. Usually there was a shout, or jump as people felt a finger touch them, but they wouldn't see anything, so they would just keep walking a little faster. The friends thought this was hilarious. Henry usually didn't want the things he was stealing, but he was at least good at something and he at least had friends who wanted him.  

Of course, he’d have terrible thoughts, but every night when it was too much for him, a comforting, familiar presence would come around him, which would last until morning. Sometimes he even saw a woman floating at the edge of his bed. Whenever he did, she would talk or sing to him. They conversed about school, trees, animals, and anything else Henry liked to talk about. He would always look forward to these talks, and he began to have a hard time sleeping if the woman didn't come. One night, Henry asked, "Lady, who are you?"

"I've told you before, child, I am night," her wafting voice responded.

"But you look like a person."

"I look like anything I want to, but I want to be as helpful to you as I can. I look like a human to not frighten you."

"Why would you want to help me so much?"

"Because I love you, and I have been helping you since your birth."

"Really? My birth, was I always like this?"

"No, once you were just like the others."

"Then how did it happen? Do you know?"

"Yes, I am sorry to tell you this, but it is your mother's fault for your body."

"It is not, Mummy has always protected me. She would never harm me."

"No, she won't ever again, so you can stay with her until you don't want to. But believe me boy, she did harm to you and she will pay." At this the boy teared up under his covers, so Night kissed the sheets and left.

Henry asked his mother about it the next day, and she whitened instantly. "Henry, that's crazy! A woman coming to your room at night. And accusing me of d-doing this to you," her shaky voice hesitated to continue, "Don't tell your father, Henry. He wouldn't like it."

But Fredrick did find out that something was going on at night. He would wake up to voices, coming from inside the house, he thought. He would burst all the doors open and find nothing ever out of place. The kids would be sound asleep in their beds, actually Henry was awake most of the times. This worried Fredrick: either there were intruders in his house or Henry was talking to spirits, and he greatly preferred the first option. He wasn't going to raise ghost talkers in this house. Henry and Alex were surprised one evening to see their dad walk in with a revolver.  

"Now I'm ready for any intruders comin' in here," he said, but then he locked the gun in the basement and said, "I don’t want ya lookin' at that gun. You look at a gun 'n pretty soon you want to use it, and I ain't raisin' criminals in this house."  

Henry didn't steal after that. He decided that he shouldn't even be around his old friends anymore. This made him a little lonelier, but it was worth it for his family. He wouldn't let his dad down. One day, he came straight home after school for the first time in a year. He wanted to surprise his mother and show her how good he was. As soon as he walked through the door, he heard a piercing scream. It was Mother. Henry ran through the house to his parents' bedroom. There was blood on the floor. Evidently Henry came just in time. Susan was lying face up on the ground, and she was still alive. Henry screamed for help, and her terrified face saw him.  

"Henry!" She said out of breath, and too weak to cry, "go get bandages, and call the hospital."  

He ran for the medicine drawer as fast as he could, and called the hospital, telling them that his mother had been attacked. "Mum," he said, "is the person still here?"  

"No," she faintly said, "don't worry, you're safe."

The ambulance arrived shortly and took Susan and Henry to the hospital. There was unfortunately no way of contacting Fred at work, so they left a note at home. He arrived in his car with Alex, in a frenzied rush. She had just woken up by the time they got in. Alex had seen the note and had to wait another half-hour for their dad to get home and take him. Fred was so relieved to see her alive, but after seeing the two bandages on only her wrists, his expression changed to fear, horror even. This confused Henry. Why would he not be pleased that the invader only hurt her wrists, and not more of her? The person didn't even steal anything. He must have not had time when he heard the door open.

“My darlings,” she said when she saw them and put her hands out.

Henry and Alex gently embraced her, careful to avoid touching her wrists. Fred stood and waited his turn. It seemed like they were all crying then. Then it seemed like Susan was trying to say something to her husband, but she wasn’t getting the words out. She finally whispered, “sorry,” to him when her children were farther away.

She had to stay a lot longer than Henry thought she would have. The police came and talked to her, but he couldn't stay in the room for that. They just asked her some questions, she said. A specialty doctor also came in to see her and ask her things. Alex and Henry couldn't agree on what his purpose was. Finally, this specialty doctor allowed her to go home. Apparently, he was in charge of healing Mother now.  

Home was different after this, but not at all how Henry had expected. He thought his father would take the gun into their bedroom to prevent further attackers, but it stayed locked in the basement. They had to take out the locks to every room before Susan got home. Henry thought this was ridiculous; why would they only make it easier for an intruder? It was the doctor who made the decision, Henry knew, but he didn't know why his dad did everything the man said. Frederick only kept the lock on the basement, where the gun was.

Henry was coming home after school again one day when some old buddies saw him on the street.

"Henry!" One said as the two ran up to him, "Where you been off to? Heard you died."

"I've been trying to take care of my mum."

“Yur mam huh? Henry, you're our brother, we don't like to hear that y’only lookin out for mam, and not your whole family,” the friend said. The other one just grinned.

"I'm sorry guys."

"Well I'll tell ya Henry, it's been real hard without ya,” he said. Henry saw a lady wearing a fur coat walking. The friend's eyes followed his, and he smiled, “how 'bout just one more, for old times' sake?”

“I don't really want to steal for you,” Henry responded.

“Why not? Nothin stopped ya before,” friend tilted his head.

“I don't want to be a criminal anymore.”

“Ya think we're criminals? Ya think you're any better than us because you haven't stolen in two months?”

“No I'm, I don't think I'm better than you,” Henry insisted.  

“Sure sounds like that. Well tell ya what, you steal that purse from high lady over there, and you can keep all of it.”  

“I can't,” Henry said with clear regret in his voice.

They shook their heads, “Wow, you really can't, ya pansy," one said.

"I'm not a pansy."

"Na, I think you are, it would explain a lot," they inched away.

Henry finally clenched his teeth together, “I'll do it,” he admitted.

“She's gettin' away.”

Henry hurried to the large, rich woman, and waited until she walked under a shadow, then disappeared under it. It was only then he found out that she wasn't wearing a purse. He had to leave with something, though, or his friends would make fun of him. He grabbed the fur coat, trying to rip it off her. She screamed and thrashed behind her, but when she saw only a dark blur, her face turned to horror. “Ghost! Demon!” she yelled and slipped out of the coat. She stumbled and hit her head, and went still.  

His friends were already running away. Henry left, but came back that night to see if she was all right. Her body was gone, so he prayed that she wasn't dead.

Alex was strolling home and saw Henry carrying a huge coat on his shoulder. “What are you doing Henry? Where'd you get that?” he yelled to him.

“I just found it,” Henry said.  

“Well you probably shouldn't bring it inside.”

“Why not? I think Mum will like it.”

“Where would you find a coat like that?”

“I found it I told you.”

“Henry, what will Dad think?”

Shrugging, he said, “Mom’ll look pretty.”

Alex shook his head, “I'm only trying to look out for ya. I don’t want Dad to be mad at you.”

“I'll tell you when I need your help, Alex.”

"Fine."

Susan was not happy about the coat initially, but at seeing Henry's feelings hurt, she put it on and said she was thrilled with the texture. Fred came home while she had it on, and smiled, “Wow you look lovely,” he said.

She blushed in front of them and said, “thank you.”

“Who gave it to you?”

She paused, “Mrs. Locksley, she had just got another one.”

“That's nice. We'll have to thank them somehow.”

“Oh I'll figure something out, don't worry about it,” Susan said.  

Three days later, when Henry had disappeared after class, Alex was strolling home. His feet stopped at their porch. Lying there was the daily paper. A picture of a fur coat stood out on the top. Alex snatched it up and tore off the rubber band. It was the coat, exactly like the one Henry brought home. He didn't even need to read that the caption said: STOLEN RARE COAT, REPORT IF SEEN. $50 REWARD. He ran to the fireplace, where a log had been smoldering, and threw it in, but the paper bounced off the log. His hand moved to push it into the fire, but then he stopped and walked away, leaving it there.  

Henry came home to his mother screaming again. His dad's car was here this time. He ran in and saw Alex on the floor with his head between his legs.  

Alex's bruised face shot up, “No don't,” he shouted as Henry rushed past him into their parents' bedroom.  

“No, no,” Susan screamed, “it wasn't Henry!”

"Don't lie to Me!" Fred screamed back.

Henry came in to see that his mother had a bloody lip. He tensed his muscles. The fur coat was in his father's hand. Fredrick glared at Henry with an intensity that he had never before seen.

Susan was whimpering, “I stole it, not Henry.” Fred hit her again.

“I took it,” Henry blurted out.

Fred kept his cold stare, “finally manned up, huh? Think this makes you tough? You think you gonna get away with this?"

Alex walked in. “Dad,” was all he could say.

“You leave this room right now, Alex,” Fred commanded, "Henry don't need you anymore, don't need any of us, do you?"

“Fred he's your son!” Susan pleaded.

Fred shook his head and stormed out. They heard the telephone being dialed, then Fred's voice said, “Yes, I need the police."

"No!" Susan screamed she scrambled out of the bedroom. Alex followed after her.  

Henry knew this was his last opportunity.

"Yes, I have him and the coat right now," Fred stated, and heard the door open. He went outside and called, "Henry, come back right now. I know you're hiding here. You will pay for this."

Susan ran out, "Henry please don't hide. We'll work it out. Don’t be scared of us!"

But Henry wasn't hiding and he wasn't scared. He was sad and he was running. He was running and running, he had never run for so long before. He reached the highway in thirty minutes, and only then stopped, gasping. Night found him right there.

“Child,” she descended and took her human form.

“My parents don’t want me,” Henry cried.

“That is not true,” she said, “but they do not deserve you.” Henry didn't argue. She continued, “I knew this day would come, yet I cannot tell the future, but humanity never changes.”

“I don't care. I'm lost, I have nothing.”

“You have your life, be thankful for that.”

He gave a slight nod and kept sobbing.

“If you would like, I can take you anywhere you want to go.”

Henry gave a laugh and looked up, “How about the moon?”

"It is possible, if you wish it."

“Really?" Henry said, and thought about it, "I would like nothing else."

"You will not be able to breath there. Also, it is freezing and there is no water or food."

"But I can survive?"

"For a time, I will make you like me. I can do this, but only because I trust you as my own son. I have given this power to others before, and they abused it."

"Ok," Henry agreed.

Night spread out her arms, and what looked like long black curtains came from them. She floated off the ground above Henry and let the curtains fall on him. Henry’s shoulders and back were absorbed by the strange substance. It seemed solid and liquid at the same time, and he felt it stretching into him and pulling him up. He almost could not believe that his feet were leaving the ground. There was no strain from the pull. This was the most thrilling experience Henry had ever had, and at the same time, the most serene. He saw the roads and buildings getting smaller and smaller, and he was able to see very far off.

"The moon is very far away, but to me, it is just one shadow away from here," She said as they floated up, "The earth casts a shadow upon the moon, which is why we can only see a portion of it now. I can ride this shadow as fast as light pushes the darkness, but you cannot go that fast, even as you are. It would only take me just over one single second to reach it, but we will only go as fast as you are able."

Then night shot off. They accelerated so quickly that Henry thought he was dead, but he could bare it. He felt almost as part of the air, and suddenly he didn't feel anything anymore, but they were still moving. He could see the shapes of continents now.  

"Where are the cities and lights?" He asked, confused.

"They are too small to see," Night said.  

Henry was amazed. He looked around at all the stars and was surprised at how many there were. The whole earth was visible, a round, blue and white ball. The ride took about two hours, but it felt like nothing to him. They arrived and slowed down to a stop. Then he was gently lowered to the ground. He felt cold and out of breath, but eventually that faded. There was no longer cold or warm and there was no longer the need to breathe. He took a step and slowly glided, to his astonishment, a full ten feet before his step ended. Laughing, he leaped another twenty feet.  

"What is this?" he asked Night.

"It is because the moon's pull of gravity is one sixth of earth's, and also you now have almost no mass because of your transformation."

"Transformation," he said, and looked at himself.  

He was even blacker and more translucent than before. He himself looked very much like a shadow now. It scared him, but the new movement ability made him more excited than afraid. A playful smile unbefitting of an eighteen-year-old crept onto his lips. He crouched down, then shot up as high as he could go. He saw the puff of dust his feet made as he soared higher. He must have been hundreds of feet off the ground before he started to descend. He saw craters, and lines, and canyons, and even the curve of the moon's horizon. The fall was more of a gentle sinking, though, and he could see the ground slowly approaching.  

He flew and explored miles around the moon for fifteen minutes before Night said, "The time is nearing when I must return. Earth's shadow is almost past us, and I must continue my circuit before then."

Henry looked at Earth and saw the light of the sun peeking around the edge. He was surprised at how small it was. It looked smaller than the moon did from Earth. "I thought the moon was smaller than the world," he said.  

"You of all people know that things don't have to be as they appear," she said, "It is and illusion that your vision tells you. Just like you, you had a soul, a heart, emotions just like any other human, but the others did not agree because of what they saw."

Henry tilted his head, "Some of them did. Alex and Mother."

Night looked angered at this, "You still call her mother? After she again abandoned you?"

"I ran away from her, not the other way around," but then, with fear he said, "What do you mean again?"  

Night paused, then decided to tell him, "Years ago, I was travelling my circuit around the earth like I always do, when I saw in a house a sleeping child and a woman sitting and pondering. My instincts told me I should stay; there was something strange about this woman's manner. She rose up, and with her baby, walked outside. I thought this was odd, since the air was very cold. My instincts were correct, for she placed the baby on the ground, and walked back inside, and slept. I was not surprised that this had happened, so many horrors have happened at my watch, but I was still moved to help this poor creature. I touched him with my lips, and caused what you have called a curse, but it was this that kept you alive."

"I don't believe you! My mother would never do that to me," Henry said, and glided away from her.

Instead of refuting him, Night stood still and sang. Henry stopped. This melody was so familiar, but he couldn't remember when he heard it before. It seemed to draw him in, and most nerves that were agitated were calmed. He moved closer to night, and it was more enticing. He knew this melody, like he knew himself. He couldn't deny it anymore and leaped into the cloud of her dress. He felt his skin being absorbed by hers.

"Now you see," she said, "I am your mother, your home. I am the one who will never abandon you."

"I know," Henry started sobbing, "How could she do that? And only to me, not Alex."

"The cruelty of humans disgusts me, too. Don’t worry, she is paying for what she did."

"What?" Henry asked.

"I have cursed her. She raised you with guilt and fear and regret, knowing that as soon as you left her, she would die."

"She's going to die?"

"By her own hand. I can also kill the others who harmed you, would you like that as well?"

"No!" he pushed himself away from Night, "Why would you even think about killing them? Why would you make Mum do that?"

"They deserve it."  

Henry moved farther away, but when he reached the full sunlight, it burned his skin and he flinched back.

"Don't do that, Child, your skin can no longer tolerate light," Night said, concerned.  

"But I was fine before," said Henry.

"You are less human now."

"This is not what I wanted! None of this was what I wanted. Please change me back."

Night talked slowly like she couldn't believe her words, "You want to be like them?"

"I can't live like this, take me back. We can still save my mum!"

"I've given you everything," Night suddenly looked horrendously angry, "My life, power, vengeance. How can you not be grateful."

"Please," Henry begged.

"No, I will not let you see that woman ever again. I do not even have the ability to change you back. You must stay here and be happy with me," she started to lift off the ground, "I must go. I will return in a day."

Henry jumped and grabbed her dress, but she shoved him off of her. "Wait," Henry pleaded, but then she was gone in an instant.



Alex dragged his feet through the fallen leaves. Why did Henry have to do that? It was Henry's fault after all, but Alex still felt the uncomfortable guilt. It had been a day since Henry left, and he still hadn't come back. Alex knew he probably wouldn’t this time, they pushed him too far. Still, Alex felt obligated to investigate Henry’s condition. He knew everyone already had, but he had to try. He was just coming back from reading biological disorder books at the library all day again. They wouldn’t let him take any of them home. There seemed to him to be a glimmer of hope for Henry, and the only reason he left the furious study was that he realized he hadn't eaten in ten hours and headed home for stew. He wondered if he should let Henry know what he'd been doing. There wasn’t a chance to right now anyway, no one knew where his brother was. No one even cared to look, not that it would have done any good.  

"Dad’s probably glad he’s gone," Alex spouted, but what about Mum? With her Illness, there was no telling what reaction she would have. He picked up his pace, then started to run. She wouldn't do that, would she? Questions raged in his mind. He got home, noticing the fireplace had only ash left, though Mother always kept the fire up.  

"Mother? Mum," he called. Everything was silent.  

He ran to the bedrooms, then the bathroom, "Mum, please answer." he shouted, and panicked.  

He ran to their backyard. She was sometimes gardening, but she wasn't there either. Maybe she went out for a walk, but he knew she hated Autumn weather. Where else could she be?  I checked all the rooms, and she cannot be in the basement, it's always locked, but it was the only room that he had not checked. When he got there the door was wide open.

"Mum!" he called, but only silence answered. No, the gun.



The night sky was beautiful from where Henry stood, but he was only looking at the earth. He felt betrayed. The earth seemed so peaceful, so harmless from up here. The loneliness he had felt his whole life was boiling up to his mind now. He was completely cut off from everything. Hopeless. If there was any way to get back, any sacrifice he could make, he would take it. All his life he had this small hope of being normal and having a loving family, but it was gone now. He looked at his arm. It was black, and he could see through it. The outline seemed to grow and depress with his breathing. He didn’t even know why he was breathing, he didn’t need to anymore, but it was a habit, he supposed.  

He realized that he couldn’t feel his feet. He looked down, but he couldn’t see them either. Terrified, he jumped, and saw them being pulled up out of the shadow. It looked like they had been spread out on the ground like cold molasses on the floor. He saw the dark swell up into his legs and become feet again. What is happening to me?  

“Night!” he shouted, but was somewhat relieved when she did not come.  

He glided back down and felt his feet touch ground. He stared at them, and they didn’t sink. He sighed in relief. His skin hurt again. The Sun’s light caught up to him. He shrieked and jumped out of the way. This time he almost felt like he teleported. In a few seconds he was a thousand feet away, but it hardly felt like he’d moved at all. Then he thought: If I am like Night now, then I should be able to move like her, and he calmed down a little. Focusing on keeping his body whole, he moved into the darkness as fast as he could, and shot another few thousand feet to his left. A shred of hope filled his spirit as he looked toward Earth again. He jumped straight towards the earth as far as he could, then looked below him and saw the curve of the moon. Eventually he stopped though, and sank backwards. He figured out that he could control how fast he sank, also, and shot back down to the moon. He repeated the same process again, and he got a little higher.  

At this rate, I’ll never get to earth, he thought, it doesn’t look any closer at my highest point.  

He concentrated again and closed his eyes, and with caution, imagined his body blending in with his surroundings. He felt no different, but when he opened his eyes, he could not see himself. He jerked himself on instinct, and he saw his form come together again. He calmed himself and tried again. He felt connected to the whole shadow of the Earth now, but he could still distinguish himself from it. He imagined himself floating, then looked down, and was amazed to see the ground fifteen feet below him.  

“I’m flying,” he said, and then shouted, “I’m flying!” and started moving to the left, then up, and laughed. He looked at a large grey mountain about a mile to the north of him and flew to it in less than a minute. He knew it was still not as fast as when he was with Night, but it was something. The Sun’s light was still steadily approaching. He was running out of time. ‘I can ride this shadow as fast as light pushes the darkness,’ he remembered night saying. How does she do that?  

‘Just one shadow away’ He remembered and looked again at a mountain much farther away. He imagined himself being pulled there by the retreating shadow, and when he opened his eyes, his surroundings were all different. He could see that the stream of light looked a lot farther away now, and he was above a mountain larger than the last one.  

“I did it,” he whispered.

Hope began flooding him again like it hadn’t since he was a child. He looked longingly to Earth. He had to get back. Keeping his eyes focused on the blueish sphere, he lifted himself from the ground, and imagined being pulled there. He was immediately launched from the ground faster than any of the times before. He saw the earth getting larger as he went. The fear didn’t really hit him until he neared the earth and realized he couldn’t stop. He hit the atmosphere, but when he thought he would hit the ground, he slowed to a stop. His eyes stung and he realized he was under water, and floated up. It was amazing the landing didn't hurt. He was still for a while, in utter wonder of what he had just accomplished. Then the thought came to him, I don't know where home is. All he could see around him was water.  


Alex sat in the dark outside of his house, and couldn't bear to go in. Father was still talking to police in the basement where the revolver and Mother were both missing. Where had she gone?  Anxiety poured through the young man's veins, though he was initially relieved when he didn’t find her in the basement. He called the police and searched all over the farms and streets their house was connected to. No one he talked to had seen her. Eventually he had to just wait for Fred to get home. He was standing there staring down the street when Fred and the bulls finally came out.  

"Alex, ya comin' in?" Fred yelled.

Alex reluctantly tore his gaze from the road and paced inside.  

"It's chilly here, we gotta get a fire goin," Fred grabbed some logs.

"Father shouldn’t we be searching?"

"I'm too tired. There's nothing more we can do tonight, Al. I'll skip work and we'll go tomorrow."

"But Dad she's out there."

"I don't want to think about what she's doin' out 'er with my gun, but whatever it is, she don't want to be found. If she did someone woulda seen her."

"I can't sleep tonight, not when she's not here."

Fredrick gazed at his son, then said, "fine," and grabbed the lantern. He strode out the back door toward the woods.  

"You don't want to search towards town?"

"Like I said, someone woulda seen 'er."

The two searched all night without luck. Exhausted at 5:00, Alex nearly fainted rather than fell asleep in his bed. Fred called in and his boss said he'd give him a day off to look for his wife. He brewed another pot.

It was two days until they found the body. Fred had about an hour of sleep when there was a knock at the door. Shortly after Alex came in and woke him, saying they wanted to speak with him. He slumped out of the room to see two men in blue standing at the door. No words can express the huge juxtaposition of emotions that this sight brought Alex and Fred: an untame hope of good news, and an undeniable dread of bad. When they heard it, Alex ran outside sobbing, but Fredrick stood still. He knew it would be appropriate to cry in this situation, but he didn't.  

Susan was found at the bottom of a cliff, neck broken. The revolver was still in her hand, all the bullets fired.  

"We think she must have been running from some wolves or maybe a bear. We'll find out for sure soon, 'specially if she shot somethin'," the officer was saying, but it got difficult for Fred to hear them.

"What about witnesses?" Fred finally blurted out.  

"Well one woman said she seen a lady runnin' in her nightgown into the woods. Said she was bein' chased by the dark."

"What?"

"Well y'see it was old lady Farnoaks who said it, and we know 'er eyesight ain't that great. She said there were some big shadow chasin' after her, which is why we're thinkin' bear."



Night viewed Henry from above while he scoured a beach for signs of people. It had only been two nights since she had left him on the moon. When she could not find him there she grew worried. Now that she saw the boy she contemplated bringing him back there but decided to wait to do that. Henry just spotted more lights in the distance when she came down next to him.  

"What do you want?" Henry asked with disdain when he noticed her.

"I have come to take you back home," she said.

"I don't want to go with you."

"Child, please listen to me. You cannot fight against me, just make peace with me and be content."

Henry started for the lights. "I'm finding my mother."  

"You will not find her," she said, and Henry looked at her, terrified. She continued, "You are on the wrong side of the Earth."  

"You didn't do anything to her, did you?"

Night thought for a moment while Henry's face morphed into anguish, "She is dead."

Henry was not moving or breathing. Night moved to console him.

"Don't touch me," he screamed.

She quickly grabbed his arm and moved a few thousand miles.

"Let go of me," Henry yelled, and realized that they were near his house.  

"I will not approach you again," Night said, "but you should know this before I leave you. Of all the curses and blessings I have given humans, none have ever been annulled until the one you call your mother."  

Henry asked her how, but she vanished into the air.

 

It's been two days, we're okay, Alex thought. He was very occupied with getting ready for the University, and Fred took up double shifts at the factory. It seemed to be the only way that men knew how to get past grief. Alex asked Fredrick to let him work at the factory, but he only said, "Ain't the kinda life for you."

Alex left the library at four, in time to run home and start supper. Fog was thick today, and dusk came a bit early. Fred got home later than usual, and they ate in silence. Alex knew the stew was bad, but Fred didn't mention it. He only had one bowl instead of two. Their dinner was interrupted by a voice shouting, "Let go of me." Alex looked at his father. Eventually Fred stood up to go see what it was. When he saw that no one was there, he walked to his room.  

"I'm gonna sleep," he said to Alex.

"Ok," Alex complied.

He was curious to see what the shout was about, so he looked around after washing the dishes outside. Alex heard another voice, faintly this time. It sounded like someone said "how" farther to his left.  

He looked, but didn’t see anything. His heart rate accelerated. "Hello?" he said, "anybody there?" He walked over to where he heard the noise from.

"Hi Alex," Henry said.

“Henry. Where are you?” Alex felt an arm touch his and jerked away.  

"Sorry, I'm right here."

Alex continued to feel around and look right past Henry.  

"Alex, stop playing around," Henry said.

"I'm not playing around, where are you?" Alex said, still groping towards Henry.  

"You really can't see me?" Henry asked, and grabbed his brother's hand.  

Alex stared down, "I can see my own hand just fine," he said.  

It wasn't until they walked well into the light from the cabin window that Alex saw Henry. Like an outline in the air, no real color.

"Henry, what happened?" Alex asked.  

"I... you wouldn't believe me."

"I wouldn't believe you? Just tell me, Hen."

"I went to the moon. I no longer breathe oxygen. Sunlight stings me."

"Uh ok, I wouldn’t put it past you." Alex walked inside, but Henry hesitated. "He's out like a rock, don't worry."  

Henry stepped in and breathed a sigh of relief.  

"I," Alex started, but waited a while to continue, "I need to tell you somethin'."

"Is it Mother?" Henry asked. Alex nodded. "Then I know."  

Alex nodded again.  

"You found her?"

"Someone found her. We had a funeral yesterday."

Henry sobbed. Alex started to also.  

"It's my fault," Henry said.

"No it's not!" Alex said, "she was running from a bear."

"Really?"

"Yeah, there weren't many tracks, but they don't know what else it could have been."  

They cried for a bit, then Herny said, "I don't know if I can stay here."

"Hen, it's fine. We'll talk to Dad tomorrow."

"I don't know if I want to talk to him."

"Are you serious? Henry, you have to. We have to stick together now. Want to visit the University with me tomorrow?"

Henry's face said no, but he said, "Ok, but I don't see why. I can't do school there."

He stared at the dark ceiling all night, but Alex fell asleep.

Going through the city was an experience Henry never wanted to repeat again, but the university itself surprised him. Rather than be frightened of him, many of the students were fascinated. They studied him and conjectured about why he looked the way he looked. They welcomed him and Alex to come back as often as they wished. Alex swore that Henry looked less dark that day than the day before.

Fred was already asleep when they got back. This isn't so hard, Henry thought, He might not ever know I'm even here.  

They woke up to a knock on the door and Fred’s voice saying, “Alex, you’re going to church today, right?”  

Alex shot up and wriggled into a shirt. “Yes, sir.”

“You still in bed?” Fred said, and he opened the door to see Henry in his bed. No one moved.  He stared at Henry for ten seconds, then said, “What're you doing here?”

“I just came last night,” Henry said.

“You're not answering.”  

“We thought,” started Alex, but a cold glare from Fred shut him up.

“Did you want,” said Fredrick, “to be welcomed back here?“

“Dad, I’m sorry,” Henry said.

“That won't get her back,” said Fred.

Henry slowly stood up and walked past his father out the door.

“Happy now?” said Alex as he followed Henry, but the comment was unnecessary, Fred was already tearing up.

“Come back, Alex,” Fred commanded.  

“No!” Alex screamed, “I’m getting Henry back.”

Henry was already in the air. Alex shouted, but Henry kept moving. He ran as fast as he could in the direction Henry was going. Soon a line of trees blocked his view, but he kept moving. After a while he stopped and looked around. He knew where he was and walked over to the hidden ravine and stood gazing down. Before he realized it, his footing slipped, and he fell, knowing he was about to die like his mother, but he seemed to hit a spongy material instead of the ground. The air was knocked out of him, and he started to lose consciousness.  

“Hey,” said his brother, “can you get off me?”

Alex struggled and finally caught a breath. He rolled over and held his bleeding head. “I would have died,” he said.

“I know,” said Henry.

He sat up, “This is where it happened.” Alex puked, then started crying, “I can’t believe she’s dead.”

Henry couldn’t believe it either.

"Say something, Henry, how have you said nothing about her since you've been back?"

"I can’t,” he finally said. “Are you alright?” referring to Alex's head.

"She was our Mum," Alex said, "I'm not doing that great," meaning his heart.  

Clouds gave way to bright sunshine, and Henry moved to the shade. “She was always close to you,” he said.

“And you.”

Henry helped Alex to his feet and they started limping back.

“Hen, it wasn’t your fault,” said Alex eventually.  

Henry gritted his teeth, “I know whose fault it was, but it doesn't matter. I can’t stay here anyways. Dad’s right about me influencing you.”

“Wait, no.”

“Dad's not always wrong.”  

“Henry you're not a bad influence, look, you just saved my life. We'll tell that to Dad.”

“It's not about Dad, it’s about me. I always hurt people, it just happens.”

“No, Henry”

“I've always brought you down. We’ve never even been a family because of me.”

“How can you say that? Of course we're a family.”  

“Then why don’t I feel like part of it?”

Alex didn’t reply.

“I know Mum tried, but I don’t think she loved me deep down. And Fred always blamed me for everything.”  

“Henry, that’s not true.”

“Alex, you have to accept this. I don’t belong with you. You have to move on and try to live a normal life. You’re the only one who can. Mom was stuck, Fred's stuck, I am definitely stuck, but you actually have hope.”

“But we have to stick together now especially.”

“No, you need to get out and live a real life, for me, please.”  

“But families help each other.”

“But you can’t help me!” Henry yelled.

That ended their conversation. They limped the rest of the way in silence. Fred wasn’t there when they arrived in the evening.

Alex packed his suitcase. “Alright,” he said, “I’m leaving to the university tomorrow, and I’ll find work, too.”

Henry nodded.

“Where will you stay?” asked Alex.  

“Probably Murphmill.”

“Ha, people are definitely going to think you’re a ghost, now.”

They laughed.

“You think Dad will be ok?” Alex looked concerned.

“You tell me.”

“He’ll be fine,” said Alex, “We don’t see much of each other anyways.”

They stood there for a while. Henry finally said, “Take care of yourself,” and flew southwest. He arrived at his location in a few minutes. Murphmill was the old Murphy Windmill that was abandoned three years back. People said it was haunted, which was why it was one of the only places Henry could be alone for a while. He didn't intend to stay alone, but he couldn't currently bring himself to talk to people in the open. He intended to stay there a few days and plan a way to somehow make a living in the city.  

Alex found the mill two months later, but it wasn't deserted. A few kids were surrounding the mill, and creeping near it slowly. Henry must not be here, Alex thought.

One of boys held up his hand for them to stop, and they all looked at him.  

"I saw it move!" he whispered.  

They all hesitated, but eventually continued inching forward. The one closest to the steps stopped when he reached them. Everyone else encouraged him to go in.  

"This was the deal," one of them mouthed to him.  

The ten-year-old was shaking so hard that he couldn't help but make some noise on the way up.  

"Quiet," another whispered.  

The one on the steps when he reached the open doorway, "All right, I'm here. I don't see anything."

One of the boys grabbed the opportunity to run and push his comrade through the doorway and then shut the door. The poor ten-year-old screamed like he was being tortured. All the kids laughed and ran up to hear him better.  

"Let me out, please," he begged, "It's in here!"

"Hey!" Alex yelled at them.  

They all jumped from the startle and ran right then. One boy finally opened the door for his friend.  

"Get out of here," Alex threatened and walked closer to them. They knew better than to mess with a late teen, and ran away, some of them were still laughing at the ten-year-old.  

Alex walked through the doorway, hoping his brother wasn’t there. "You there, Hen?" he asked.

He heard a muffled breath higher up, and a sniff like someone had a cold, though it was summer. "Yes," came a cracked voice from somewhere in the dark.  

Alex didn't know if he should say something about what happened. It was obvious Henry had just been crying. "I'm sorry," he began.

"For what," Henry said.

"I could've stopped those boys."

"What do you want?"

"I just came to see you," Alex said, but then he realized he was looking right at his brother, just an outline in the shadows. "How's the Sun?"

"Stings pretty bad."

"That why you haven't left?"

"You don't know what I've done."

"Well just in case," Alex said, "I brought a snack," and handed him a chocolate bar.  

Henry took the gift. "You didn't have to spend money on me."

"Well I wasn't gonna steal it."

Henry chuckled.  

"I got a scholarship that allows some extra spending money."

Henry ate his candy bar until Alex continued. "I've looked into your condition at the University."  

"Stop," Henry said, "Alex, you were supposed to forget that. You have a new life now, remember? I don't want you being dragged down by this anymore."

"I don't care. I talked to some professors. Professor Leonard, remember him? He was especially interested."

"Who cares that he's interested?"

"Well he thinks there's a possibility."

"No, Alex, I can't go along with this."

"He said that in a lot of cases of discolored skin, the blood is what causes it."

"So?"  

"So if we change your blood, we could get your skin better."

"I have no shadow! How can they fix that?"

"I don't know, but wouldn’t it be better than nothing? Don't you want to try?"

"No."

"Henry"

"I've finally accepted that this is how I am. I can't hope for anything better now."

"Come on, I know there's a way."

"Shut Up! I can't hope anymore. It's ruined me."

"Sorry, I'll stop talking, but can you do me a quick favor?" He took out a syringe, "I just need some blood, then you can forget it forever."

"Fine," Henry said, and held his arm out. When the blood was drawn, Henry said he needed to be alone, and Alex left, looking at the thin, black blood of his kin.  

Dr. Leonard needed to work fast to salvage the blood Alex brought back to the laboratory. All he needed to know was Henry's blood type, so it didn't take very long.   

"It's B," the professor said.

"Same as me," Alex said.

"Now we just need the volunteer."

"I can do it," Alex said.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Alex, but you seem a bit skinny for what we need. It'll take a lot of blood."

"You said yourself no one is going to want to do this. It's a new procedure, not proven and risky. I'm the only one who's going to volunteer."

The doctor laughed, "You'll be amazed at what people will do for a little cash these days."

"No," said Alex, "I'm not going to risk a stranger's life for this. He's my brother, it's my responsibility."

"You realize that this could very well kill you. You only have ten pints of blood in you, and we'd need at least four," said Dr. Leonard. Alex nodded. "Ok, if you say so," he agreed, "This'll work out better anyways, I would be somewhat shunned by the medical community if this was done publicly. Not to mention blood transfusion is not completely legal yet."

"Whatever it takes."

"Great, then I'll see both of you back here next Wednesday and it'll all be ready for you. And good luck on that paper in Smith's. He can be quite harsh with grammar."

"Thanks," Alex said, and took off to find Henry.

He went to Murphey's Mill again, but it seemed empty when he walked inside. "It's me," he finally said, and shadow shifted towards him.  

"Hi," said Henry.  

"I know you don't want to get your hopes up, but Professor Leonard said he would perform a special process that could cure you."

"That's impossible. You're fooling yourself."

"No, it's true. People have already been cured of blood diseases."

"I don't want to try, Alex."

"Why? Because you think it won't work, or you don't want to be better."

"Of course I want to be better."

"Then shouldn't you at least try this? What do you have to lose?"

Henry thought about it. "Nothing I haven't already lost, I guess."

"Exactly. We need to be there next Wednesday."

"So what's the procedure? Why'd he need a needle of my blood?"

"To check your blood type. There are four different blood types that we all have. It's called a blood transfusion, and it's where we take someone else's blood and put it into you, but you have to have the same blood type for that to work."

"That doesn't sound too bad."

"No, but at the same time we'd have to drain your blood."

"Oh, how much of it?"

"About half for your body to start producing the new blood rather than the old."

"Wow, that's a lot. Who's going to give me the blood?"

"Well I'm the obvious candidate."

"What? No, I'm not letting you harm yourself for me."

"It's fine, I won't give half my blood, just four pints, that's forty percent. I can handle it."

"No you can't. How can you be wanting this?" he asked his brother.

"How are you refusing? You can be cured! Wouldn't you do anything for that?"

"No, I wouldn't, not risking your life."

"It's worth it to me."

"How? How am I worth it? You would do this just so I could look normal?"

"I've seen my brother get spit on and hated for seventeen years, and I've had enough. I've seen you get slowly more and more miserable every year for seventeen years. How can I not do something now?"

"Just let me be. So what, I hate myself, I'm basically a ghost. I've been living with it, I'm fine."

Alex just looked sad. "But you're not fine," he said, "I don't want to admit it, but you seem worse."

Henry couldn’t refute that, but restated, "I'm not going to let you do this."

"Well I'm not letting you sit here anymore in your self-pity until you kill yourself."

Henry was silent, and still. Tears welled up in his eyes, which was response enough.

"I'm going to the clinic," said Alex, "and I’m bringing you with me, conscious or unconscious, and I’m telling them to put all my blood into your body. You want to stop me then do it now.”  

Henry decided to accept his brother's offer and swung at his face. The fist made contact, but Alex turned in time to escape most of the force. He yelled and kicked Henry in the gut, almost knocking him over. Henry charged him again, and they grappled to the floor. Alex got up first and managed to push Henry out the door into the sunshine. Henry screamed in pain but stayed out there and waited for Alex to follow him and threw him down the steps to the ground. The wind was clearly knocked out of Alex, but he stood, wobbly, and charged back in. Henry had never seen Alex this determined ever before. They continued tussling in the shadows until Alex was bleeding from his lip and had a black eye. Henry was in much better condition than his brother, but still Alex wouldn't give up like he usually did. Something in his eyes had changed, he was completely resolved.

"Alright," Henry said, raising his hands, “We’ll go.”  

Alex laughed and lowered his arms.  

Henry could not deny the small hope that rekindled inside of him. The painful, nostalgic, yet pleasant feeling that he'd forgotten.

Wednesday they both got up early and walked to the tram station which took them to San Francisco University. Henry avoided all the glares of people sitting by them, as they avoided his eyes whenever he looked at them.

Alex whispered, "This is the last time you're going to have to endure this," which comforted Henry, contrary to his thoughts.

When they arrived, a few medical students were getting everything ready. Henry felt intimidated in the big room. It didn't look like it was meant to treat patients.  

Finally, Dr. Leonard arrived. "Excuse my tardiness, gentlemen. Hello, Alex, Henry." He offered his hand to Henry. Stunned, Henry looked around him, then back at the hand. He cautiously took it. Dr. Leonard almost laughed. Alex would have laughed too if he didn't know why the situation was also so sad. "Shall we get started?" Leonard asked, "This process will take a few hours."

Henry and Alex laid down in their skinny rolling beds, and they exchanged a look that meant more than any words could have. The needle was larger and stung more than Henry would have expected. One needle hooked into Alex's right arm, feeding blood into Henry's left, and another syphoned the blood out of Henry's right arm into a pale on the floor.

Henry admitted he felt different an hour in. The doctor said he did notice some changes. Alex was convinced of it. The thought of him being cured was too good to be true for Henry. In another hour, though, he saw Alex’s face turning ghostly pale, and he forgot about himself.  

"Is this ok?" he asked Professor Leonard.  

"Yes, it's to be expected," the doctor consoled.  

"I'm really fine," Alex said.

They talked through most of it, but by the halfway point, it was harder for Alex to concentrate enough to hold the conversation. He was closing his eyes, wanting to fall asleep. Twenty minutes later he could barely speak.  

"That's enough," Henry said, "He's had enough!"  

"No" croaked Alex. Their arms kept draining.  

Dr. Leonard even looked concerned now. One of the medical students felt his pulse for two minutes, and looked at him, "his pulse is slowing, but still stable."

He gave a last look to Henry, then fell asleep. A few minutes later, he looked so close to death, Henry couldn't take it anymore. He ripped his needles out of his flesh.

"You still need more!" Leonard said, but Henry didn't care anymore. The students immediately took out Alex's needle and bandaged his wound. The same one felt his arm again and looked at the others hopelessly.  

Another one felt his neck and wrist, then put his head next to Alex's mouth. "He's alive," he said, "It's hard to say if he'll last, though."

They all waited. One by one the students meandered out. Nothing more could be done. Dr. Leonard sat and wrote in his scientific log, every now and then looking up at Henry. Henry was as silent as Alex.

The door burst open suddenly, revealing the last person on Earth Henry expected to see. Fredrick rushed over to Alex's table, and held and rubbed his hand. "Will he be alright?" he asked Dr. Leonard.  

"I think he will," replied the doctor, "I'm very glad you received his invitation."

He stared at Alex for a few more minutes, then his eyes met Henry's. He looked horrible. Henry had never seen a grown man so broken before.  

"You," he started to say to Henry, but words were difficult for him, "…I'm so sorry."

Henry didn't know how to respond.  

Frederick went on, "You were always my son."

A huge lump formed in Henry's throat at this, and he was so overwhelmed, he stopped focusing on his brother.

Then Alex made the first audible breath in an hour, and Henry thought he would never feel any lighter, but he was wrong.

A week later, they sat in a diner. Over the past week, Henry's skin began to gain color. It was a full pink right now, which any normal man would have been embarrassed by, but he loved it. Compared to before, he was glowing. Dr. Leonard was surprised with this result, and was feeling very good with himself. But he could not hope to explain the other effect: Henry's shadow could be seen now. There was no logical explanation for this, but Henry didn't need one. All he knew was before, he didn't truly believe that people could love him. But now, he had proof, who was sitting across from him, drinking tea.  

"How is it?" Asked Alex, staring at the shadow Henry's moving hand was making on the table.

Henry looked at his arm, then back at Alex and shrugged. They both laughed more.

Night happened to glide by his apartment years later and didn’t recognize Henry either at her first glance. When she did, she didn’t even say hello, but hovered outside his window for a time, enjoying what would now be her new favorite sight. Henry was sitting on his bed alone, yet he was smiling. There was a slight glow around his body. She giggled and flew off.

Reviews

[sramspoker]

I like the idea of a for your story of a guy who has no shadow. I also like the idea of night as a god like character. However, as a character nothing in her dialogue or actions quite come across as being night and there's a lot you could do with her that you didn't utilize. Your narration occasionally addressing the reader by using words such as "Now.." did not work for me. I get that you're kind going for that style of narration, but I think the style needs to be pushed a bit farther for it to work. Also certain parts of the narration feel a bit clunky such as "At first, this would seem as a step up for Henry." Some of the transitions are a bit awkward such as when you switch from speaking about the boy to Susan and Fredrick, especially seeing as it's not entirely clear that they're the boy's parents.

[Joshua Kepfer]

Thank you very much for this review. I'm experimenting so it helps to know what people think.

[Dust That Drifts Throug..]

This is one of my favorite stories. I would edit a few things like delete some commas that don't belong.

[Joshua Kepfer]

Thank you. I am torn with the commas. Though it's not their purpose, they provide pauses and rhythms to a story, which I like to use even when it may not be perfect grammar.

[Nwang]

Great original story, liked it very much. Nice touch with 'Night' character, I wish there was more of her. Keep up the work and thanks for sharing.

[Joshua Kepfer]

Thank you I appreciate it.

[JoeM]

What an original story! You told it very well. I particularly liked a phrase you used. 'Susan soon became the pain of a stayed life.' Very perceptive.

[Joshua Kepfer]

Thank you!

[alankillsmonsters]

i liked it, do check mine