Lainey sat up, feeling a shiver go through her body. Had she left the window open? Groggily, she got up to check, and caught movement that should not be there out of the corner of her eye. Immediately awake and afraid, she froze in place, and watched a shadow moving through the open door to her room. She couldn't see who it was attached to, though, and that just seemed weird. Glancing at the window, she confirmed in the moonlight that it was tightly closed, proving that the shiver had not been from the chilly night air outside. Slowly, she moved away from her bedside, passing by the window. That was when she noticed. The light from the moon outside her window should be casting her shadow across the bed. But it wasn't. In consternation, she stopped, and looked from herself to the window. With shaky hands, she tried to do what we all learned to do as kids - make shadow shapes with her hands. But no shapes appeared. With a determination she rarely felt, she followed the shadow out the open door, trying not to notice that her own shadow still appeared to be missing. Rounding the corner of the hall, she stepped into the kitchen.. and froze again. A shadow was there, making ducky shapes on the wall. Like she had just been doing in the bedroom. Then, the shadow turned and walked along the wall, stopping in front of a... another shadow? The other shadow-form shook hands with the first shadow, as if in greeting. Looking about the room, Lainey tried to find either the source of the light that was casting the shadows, as well as the two forms that should be there making the shadows. But the room was empty besides herself and the two shadowy forms. She rubbed her eyes, and looked again. The first shadow-form also rubbed their eyes. Feeling unaccountably frightened, Lainey walked backwards to her room. The shadow followed, albeit a bit slower. By the time she arrived at her bedside, that shadow had once again caught up with her, and proved absolutely that it had been her own shadow. With a shake of her head, Lainey watched her shadow closely while she went and closed the door to her room. She really didn't know why, but she felt safer with it closed. It was a long while before she was able to fall back asleep. By morning, everything was back to normal. Lainey was left wondering if it had only been a dream. In fact, she was almost sure it had been one. Hadn't it??
