‘
I heard a voice, a soft voice. That of a girl. From where it came, I couldn’t make out.
‘Follow me,’ she pleaded, ‘please’.
I was then I saw it, a shadow stretching out from behind a wall. As I stood and stared, a tear stained face appeared.
‘Why?’ I asked.
‘Follow me and you’ll see’, she said.
‘I don’t want to’, I replied.
‘You must, please,’ she begged, and with that, she and her shadow were gone.
I felt a touch of guilt, so with trepidation I did as she asked.
She dashed down a dark alley. I could hardly make her out, but her shadow flickered as she passed a couple of lit windows and a dim lamp.
‘Hurry’, she shouted.
‘I can’t keep up’, I yelled, running as fast as I could.
‘You must’, she screamed.
‘I’m losing you’, I gasped as I stumbled to a halt, struggling to catch my breath.
She and her shadow disappeared from view.
‘Where are you?’ I bawled.
‘
I stood alone in the gloom, not hearing a sound, confused by what just happened, unsure even of where I was.‘
‘It’s too late’ she whispered in my ear, though she was nowhere to be seen.
‘It’s not’, I sighed, ‘let me help you, please’.
‘It’s too late’, she wept.
‘Forgive me’, I murmured as I strolled into the darkness beyond, her voice still echoing in my mind.
*
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Thanks to Sadje for hosting What Do You See?
Image credit; Tom Barrett @ Unsplash