(MSDWC) Shadows

Well here goes:

Shadows

“ahhhhhhhh!! Ok I can see now.” Mike was talking to himself again, or rather, thinking out loud as he liked to put it.

Mike could make out very feint specs of light in the rock that was used for the walls of this underground chamber.

“See what?”
“Who said that?” Mike backed toward the entrance.
“I did”
“Who’s I?”
“Do you see any light?”
“No. What do you mean light? The light in the stone? Or light – light like a light bulb? What do you mean? Who are you anyway?”
“So does that mean you don’t have a shadow?”
“I wouldn’t think so. Not down here. Why are you talking in riddles?”
“Think again!”
“About what?”
“Why are you so jumpy and angry?”
“I am not angry – you just startled me.”

Mike Forest was a weekend-scientist-explorer-archaeologist-and-whatever-else who had stumbled upon a piece of paper in a library book a few weeks back. He decided to go and have a look for the chambers and passages described in the note since it was not far from home.

Mike looked around and couldn’t see anything even though his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness. He could make out items laying on the floor and hanging on the walls and that was all.

“So who are you then,” Mike questioned as he looked around the cold stone room.
“You know I never liked your kind”
“WHAT do you mean my kind?”
“Someone who thinks they have all the answers but still don’t have a clue”

Mike walk back toward the door and felt around the shelf near the doorway which had a few items he brought along and a torch.

CLICK!

Looking around, as the light from the torch moulded itself against the edges of the rocks and moved over the wall like a cascading waterfall, the light revealed nothing at all in the room which could have explained that voice.

“OK, OK… who are you and WHERE are you?” Mikes voice sounded strangely solid and had no echo or resonance in the room.

“Do you have a shadow?”
Mike looked around the room. “No – why?. There’s not enough light!”

There was no reply. Moving toward the door he was visibly shaken and a little scared or perhaps terrified.

He walked back to his car which was an old Land Rover in British racing green – well sort of green which was showing between the rust and dents.

On his way home he decided to stop at a friend’s place that was very much into the occult and paranormal. Peter wasn’t one of those weird wild haired bespectacled professor types but actually quite a normal looking guy you would usually meet for a drink at a pub after work.

“Hey Pete…”, Mike moved the phone to his other ear to change gears.
“Yo Mike”
“Are you home?”
“Yeah, just busy with this new telescope I bought yesterday.”
“Cool… I have something weird I want to ask you about.”
“What is it?”
“Hell...” Mike thought for a second, “I don’t know to be honest!”
“Yeah come on over”

Mike followed the winding lane up to Pete’s place. It was always a nice drive with all the trees lining the lane and hanging over to form an almost living tunnel filled with birds and small wild life.

Mike pulled up in front of the house which was an old Cape Dutch style house with a thatched roof. It was really in great condition considering it was over a hundred years old.

Peter came to the door to greet Mike who looked positively bothered by something.

“Want a drink Mike?”
“I shouldn’t but make it a triple!”

As Peter poured a drink for the two, Mike sat in one of the high back chairs in the lounge and grabbed the manual for the telescope.

“Nice toy”
“Yeah if only it cost as little as a toy”
“Peter, do you know anything about shadows”
“Mike, I hope you have a point because it isn’t something I have studied at all; I didn’t ever think there was a need,” Peter said jokingly.
“No, the reason I ask is I was down at the old ruins and I experienced something very weird”

Mike described what had taken place while taking a few swift sips of his drink.

“Hmmmm..” Peter thought for a second and then said, “Do you know what I think?”
“No, or I wouldn’t have come here!”
“Hey; chill Mike. Do you know what I think? I think we need to pack all this stuff, laying on the floor, away and go and chat to Fiona.”
“Fiona….? Ahhh… Fiona!”
“Yes. She has mentioned something in the past about Detachment”
“Detachment?”
“It was something about the ancients leaving their shadows or somehow getting their shadows to leave them; kind of like…” Peter paused for a moment. “You know this thing where people do remote viewing or OBE?”
“Yeah…” Mike listened intently.
“Ok, I remember her saying that they could detach themselves from their shadows and control them to do things that required no, or VERY little, physical strength. I guess things like going outside to see what the weather was like. Ok just an example but apparently they could, with a lot of practice, lift up items as heavy as a matchbox just by controlling their shadow.
“Ok Peter; now here it is, there was no light and I think a shadow spoke to me.”
“Yes you said that.”
“So who’s shadow do you think it was”
“Yours!”
“Mine? MINE?”
“Let’s go to Fiona Mike.”

They climbed into Mikes Landy and went off toward town. As they pulled up outside Fiona’s place Mike was a little hesitant as he started to think that perhaps he sounded like a complete idiot and now his breath stank of liquor.

Knock! Knock!

A minute passed and then the door opened. Fiona stood in the open door way and her red hair flew back over her shoulder as the wind made it’s entrance.

“Hey guys,” she said cheerfully.
“Hey Fiona,” they echoed.
“What brings you here?”
Peter looked at Mike and said, “Mike has had a weird experience, down at the ruins.”
Fiona looked at Mike and said, “Go on.”

Peter told Fiona about what Mike had experienced and as he spoke she walked to the old bookcase which was really worn and grey. Her green eyes reflecting in the glass panels which she slid back and revealed a collection, of what looked like, really old books and journals.

“Ok, I have heard of this sort of thing happening but it usually takes a lot of study and teachings and was really only, well as far as I know, practised by the Manchuna people.”

Fiona opened one of the journals and ran her finger across some of the text then swung the pages over looking for a specific place in the book.

“Ok here it is”

Fiona started to read, “hmmmm… and they managed to control all forms of matter with their minds and this included acts of Detachment. The Manchuna Elders would detach themselves from their shadows and would command their shadows to do their bidding. This was especially useful when they had to travel long distances and would want to know how safe the road was ahead. However, although it was quite a harmless act some Elders would use this ability for the wrong purposes.”

“Mike… How did this happen? It is actually something that died with these people.”
“I don’t know. Like I said, I was in this chamber and this, whatever it was, I don’t know - shadow, started to talk to me”
“Did you have a headache or anything like that?”
“No, why?”
“Just asking; some that have tried to do this have experienced headaches etc.”
“What are you saying. I didn’t try to do anything.”
“Well it is possible this was your shadow!”
“MY SHADOW? MY SHADOW?”
“Yes… Well according to other notes in this book, the chamber you may have been in, which I can’t say till I have seen it, may have been the chamber where the Elders were trained and taught to use this ability. Do you guys want some tea?”

“That will be good right about now,” Peter remarked.
“MY Shadow? What the…” Mike was visibly shaken.
“Perhaps you should take her down there Mike”
“Peter, do you know how I feel right now? I am scared to the core”

Fiona put the tea on the table and handed the cups to the guys, “Sugar?”

They helped themselves to sugar; Mike a little more than he should have. He was visibly trembling.

Fiona started, “ok! Look Mike, we can sit here and go through this journal as much as we think is necessary but it won’t explain why this thing happened to you. Can we go to this place now?”
“Yes, ok, but I would rather not.”

They climbed into the landy; Peter climbed into the driver seat and they moved off slowly in the direction of the ruins. Mike was looking out the window as they were bouncing along the sandy road and saw how the sun was cutting through the trees. The shadow of the landy was bouncing up and down being stretched and squashed as the contour of the ground changed.

“OH DAMN,” Mike shouted.
Peter got such a fright he slammed on brakes and brought the old landy to a very sudden stop.

“What is it?” Pete demanded, “You nearly made me lose control!”
“Sorry; look out the window.”
Peter looked. “What is it? I can’t see what you are on about.”
Fiona stared out the window. “I see…,” she cleared her throat, “I can see, or perhaps rather, I can’t see Mike’s shadow.”
“Peter froze as he looked at the ground where the sun shone through the landy from the driver side through to the passenger side. Sure enough, holding up his hand in the light Peter could clearly see his shadow but no shadow cast from Mike. It was like Mike was transparent and the sun shone though him onto the ground.

“Did you see your shadow when you left the ruin Mike?”
“I didn’t look”
“Damn Mike!” Peter looked at him with eyes like saucers. “I don’t even remember looking, or even thinking to look, when you were at my place and we were chatting about it.”
“OK,” Fiona said, ”Let me think… OK, OK, OK; I know that you can get your shadow to leave you at will but ONLY when you actually know what to do and how to do it. This can also only be done in absolute darkness. Sometimes, if this is done wrong, one can lose their souls and it is said that the souls are collected in the rock where these practices took place and shine like diamonds…”
“Like diamonds? In the Rock? Shine? Like light?”
“Yes… So they say Mike.”
“It is down there…”
“What is Mike, Fiona? What is he talking about?” Peter asked.

Fiona looked at Mike and was feeling a little rattled herself.

“Mike, you saw diamonds?”
“NO! I saw what looked like little pin head sized glowing specs of light – I don’t know - but it was strange. I can’t explain it now.”

They walked slowly toward the entrance of the chambers and Mike motioned to which doorway they need to enter. As they went in Mike suddenly felt a cold chill and shook with what felts like the feeling of someone walking over ones grave.

“Mike, come here. Peter, you need to see this too!”

Fiona walked through the doorway which was far enough down the passage that no light could penetrate the chamber. Mike felt around where the shelf should be, fumbled with the torch and turned it on.

“NO NO NO,” Fiona screamed. “Turn it off!”

Mike turned the flashlight off and there was dead silence in the chamber with only the sound of their breathing. As their eyes started to become accustomed to the dark they started to make out the specs of light in the rock walls. Mike looked toward Fiona who just stared at the walls.

Fiona whispered, “Mike, how are you feeling?”
“Like I have been here before”
“Very funny…”
”NO, I am serious; and I don’t mean earlier today.”
Fiona took the torch from Mike.
“Mike, stand there and don’t move. I am going to stand behind you, Peter also needs to move, and then I am going to shine the torch at your back.”

Fiona moved behind Mike and stood there pointing the torch at Mike but not yet turning it on. Slowly she pushed on the switch feeling it budge as it slid toward the on position. Fiona did this as slowly as she could. Suddenly light filled the chamber and they stood there with their jaws opened wide.

Mike had no shadow - but that wasn’t what had them so dumbstruck. There were 3 other shadows in the room, amongst their own, but attached to nothing and no one. Fiona turned and ran shoving the torch intro Peter’s hand. The two men followed running and tripping as they exited the ruin.

They came together outside the entrance and sat on the rocks not saying a word. Mike looked around at the other two with a questioning look on his face and brow bent down.

“Fiona…,” Mike paused. “Fiona…”
“Y…. yes” she stuttered.
“What just happened in there?”
“It seems that there is something not right going on in there.”
“I’d say!” added Peter.
Fiona looked at the two men and added, “We need to find out more about this. Let’s meet tomorrow morning at my place say around 9am.”

Mike arrived home and walked into his bachelor pad which was cosy but had a feint smell of cat. He had tried to keep it as clean as he could but the cat would have nothing of it. He threw his keys on the couch and dropped into an easy chair to watch the telly for a while before heading to bed.

Mike woke with a sudden jerk and looked around. He was still sitting in the easy chair with the cat laying sprawled out on the chair next to his. He rubbed his eyes and looked toward the clock. 1am.

He pulled himself out of the clutches and comfort of his chair and dragged his feet toward the bedroom. Suddenly the cat flew past him at breakneck speed and stopped at the bedroom door and looked towards him.

“Ok Lemon, we are going to go nighty night in a few minutes.”

Mike brushed his teeth and crashed into the mattress as he dropped his weight down onto the bed.

Mike woke suddenly as his cell phone rang. It was Fiona reminding him of their 9am get together. It was already 8:15 am and he hadn’t even moved from the bedroom yet. He threw on a t-shirt and his running shoes with an old pair of faded jeans and grabbed an apple on the way out the door.

They met up at Fiona’s place and gathered in the kitchen around a large oak table. Fiona opened her notebook and ran her finger down the page.

“Mike, I was talking to a friend of mine last night about what had happened and he will join us shortly. He has had an experience similar to the one you are experiencing now. Not personally but with one of his students. He specialises in the occult and ancient rituals etcetera.”

Mike shook as the doorbell rang. Fiona opened the door and led her friend to the kitchen.

“Guys, this is Nathan Pritchard.”
“Good to meet you.” Mike and Peter responded.
“He runs a small group that researches weird and wonderful things,” she laughed.
“Hi Guys. Fiona told me about what happened and I think I know what has happened.”

He took a seat at the table, “who’s Mike?”
Mike smiled and put his hand out, “good to meet you Nathan.”
“Like wise.”

Nathan paused and looked at his watch. “Right; I have heard and seen this before. Your shadow has detached itself from you. There is really nothing to be alarmed about…. Yet! “We need to go back there and have a look to see what is in that chamber. There is surely something there that has residual energy which has caused this to happen. This usually would only happen during a ritual and not simply by entering or wondering into a place where these acts have taken place. Shall we go?”

They left in Fiona’s car and headed toward the ruins. There was a slight drizzle and the wipers were spreading the droplets and leaving streaks across the windscreen. It sounded like the tick tock of one of those large grandfather clocks. Tick! Tock! Tick! Tock!

They pulled up outside the entrance to the ruins. The stones all glistening grey in the soft morning light with the odd mushroom poking out between the blades of grass and twigs.

Fiona wondered off for a few minutes with her Doc Martin boots getting all wet from the drops of rain on the grass. She was into collecting strange looking twigs also flowers which she pressed in old books. He mother was a white witch and basically followed Wicca so she knew what she was looking for, and sometimes not, but found it none the less. She always carried a pouch with her that contained a number of crystals, and a few herbs, which she could use as and when she needed them. This was a special place for her.

“FIONAAAAAAAAAA…. FIONAAAAAAAAAA,” Peter called out for her. She was no where to be seen but they could hear the snapping of twigs as she walked around out of view.

Fiona came walking toward them with a hand full of wet twigs and stones. “What? Sorry I got sided tracked. Are we ready?”

Nathan grabbed is lantern and led the way into the ruins as if he had been there any times before. Mike followed with Fiona and Peter not too far behind.

They entered the chamber and Nathan held the lantern up high and looked around. “Ah yes. That’s it.” He walked to the corner of the chamber and bent down to pick up what appeared to be a medallion.

“I think this has been the reason for these strange happening. I am convinced that there was a ritual here and the people who were performing it were possibly interrupted, and possibly killed, before they managed to complete what it was they were doing. What happened, then, is that the shadows never returned to their owner and Mike came in and fell victim to this since it was unfinished. Mike was looking around in the dark and, as we know, ones shadow can only be detached in darkness.”

They all listened closely as Nathan spoke.

“What we now need to do is get Mikes shadow reattached. It is very important that we follow this very closely and be really quiet when I say so. A shadow is not really part of us and is the opposite of what a person may actually be in personality etc. It takes many years of training and practice to properly control your shadow once detached or there could be serious consequences.”

Nathan placed the lantern on the floor and picked up a number of smooth stones which were scattered around the chamber. He arranged these in a triangle on the floor and motioned for Mike to come closer. He placed the medallion around Mike’s neck and told him to sit on the opposite side of the circle from him. He asked Mike for a piece of his hair and wrapped this around another stone which he placed in the middle of the circle.

Nathan began to chant some words in a language only Fiona had a slight clue about. He leaned forward and turned the lantern off. Suddenly it was pitch black and one could not see anything at all. Nathan continued to speak in a language no one understood. Mike was becoming a little scared in fact very scared. He did not know what to expect at all.

Mike felt a sudden jolt and jumped up screaming. Nathan turned the lantern back on and noticed that Mike’s shadow was across his face. Mike was thrashing around battling to catch his breath. Nathan was starting to shout out this strange chanting in a frantic manner. Mike dropped to the floor grasping at his throat.

Suddenly a loud bell sound rang out. Mike jumped up and looked around.

“Are you ok Mr Forest?”
“Yes nurse.” he replied very shaken.

Ding! Dang! Dong! An intercom crackled to life.

“Will all patients please move toward the dinning hall”

Mike turned toward the door, “OK” he though, “it was just a dream!” He walked toward the dinning hall and turned just in time to see his shadow slip under a door.

Your story pefectly illustrates the reason why I don't go into caves - they're bad luck! Nice job with the dialog and using characters. I enjoyed the story, especially the shadow going under the door and the points of light within the rock. Very spooky.

Very interesting plot, couldn't stop reading!

Loved the twist at the end, thanks for a fun read!

STM

I am really glad you enjoyed it Thanks for reading and the compliments.

Nice shearder, interesting subject, caused a little shudder at the end too. Cool.

Thanks a ton Mojo. Much appreciated that you read this and enjoyed it. I guess this could be turned into a long Steven King novel LOL but i tried to keep it short and written in a short space of time hehehe.

Shearder! You are really good! I was very impressed with your ability to make the picture come to life in my imagination, thankyou for the creative excellence, Antar

Much appreciated antar. I am glad you liked it. I think we have a good selection of writers in this competition. Perhaps masqua will give us all 1st place?

Good Grief you have me doing a constant shadow check now Good Story!

Thanks AccessDenied. It makes it all the more worthwhile if the story has an impact. I am glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading.

I wonder where everyone is? Has there been a decision on the winner yet? Ok i had to bump this LOL... not really but it was lost in the netherworld...