By Noelani K.

The Shadow follows me. I don’t know who they are or where they’re from, but I know they’re there. Every time I turn around, they’re there. They follow me, always there, always watching. Always waiting. What for, I don’t know. At night, I see them in the corner of my room, staring at me with their glowing white eyes. Their whisper skitters across the room. “Raven… Raven…Raven…” they call my name, in a voice that is both familiar and unfamiliar. The Shadow is always with me, wherever I go. They know that I’ve done something terrible, something that can never be forgiven. They are there to remind me of my victim. The nameless face. Their ghost will haunt me forever, through the Shadow. The Shadow is my guilt, heavy and oppressive. 

It’s dark outside. The darkness reminds me of my past, of my demons haunting me. The Shadow is a constant reminder of my sins. Their haunting presence drives me to the breaking point and my patience shatters. 

“What will it take for you to finally leave me alone?!” I burst out, turning my furious gaze towards the Shadow. Anger is curled up inside me, like a viper, ready to strike. The Shadow’s expression hardens. 

“You’ll see,” they hiss, their voice otherworldly, their eyes like blocks of ice. Cold. Sharp. The Shadow is the memory. “I watch you now, to ensure that you will never make the same mistake again.” 

“I wish I hadn’t done what I did! I’m sorry!” Tears drip down my face as all those memories come cascading back to me. I remember the scream, the voice crying out. I remembered the whispered plea, the haunted face. 

“What do you want?!” I demand, wiping tears off my face.

The Shadow looks pleased at my grief. Their white eyes glint dangerously. “I want you to feel the weight of what you did. For years, you kept the truth buried. But now, you feel the 

anguish,  feel the regret. So my work is done.” The Shadow dissolves into wisps of black smoke, gliding out the window as quickly as my guilt leaves me. All the memories of my regret and grief vanish. 

I never see the Shadow again. 

But I know, somewhere, far away in a distant land, the Shadow haunts a person.

About the Author

Noelani K. is an incoming 6th grader in the Bay Area. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, and playing Minecraft.