241013 The Shadow

In the dark of night.

A hunched old shadow roams the halls of his abode. Few ever knew who lived there.

During the long nights his window shades would open for a few seconds and then close. It was as if the shadow was looking for something, but only the shadow knew what that was.

At times, in the middle of a dark night, the shadow would leave to dispose of something in a large container. No one knew what it was and none dared to ask. The shadow would hurry back to his abode and lock the doors and windows once again.

At first light of day, the shadow would seek rest throughout the daylight hours before returning to his nighttime ritual.

Every third month a package would arrive on his doorstep and stay there until after dark only then would the shadow retrieve it. The door was again locked and bolted. No one knew what was in those packages nor did they ask.

One day the manager of the rented abode called the shadow to remind him rent was past due. Her call was not answered. She thought perhaps the shadow was out of town for a bit. Another two weeks went by and there was no rent paid. She went over to his abode and knocked on the door, no one answered. She used her pass key and opened the door. The stench of decay was overpowering. There in the hallway was the body of the long gone shadow. The manager fled outside, locked the door and called the police. They called the coroner. The coroner pronounced the shadow as dead, then he called an ambulance to remove the body to a mortuary for cremation and burial.

The abode was cleaned and painted. A new family moved into the place. Two weeks later they fled the abode, claiming that a shadow was roaming the halls every night, all night long.

The manager rented to another family who also left in one week. They claimed a shadow was walking the halls, making eerie sounds at night and the window shades would be opening and closing during darkness. The abode was never rented again. Some say the shadow is back again and the window shades open and close as before. Perhaps he is and he will never go away until he finds whatever he seeks.