The Shadow of Darkness

            The rocker stopped as the old man’s head turned to see the young girl emerging from the Library.  His vantage point from the front porch allowed him to watch the comings and goings of not only the Library but several businesses just down the street. 

            He watched as she went to the corner and turned to cross the street heading east.  Looking to see if anyone was with her and not seeing anyone, he jumped up and reached for his jacket and his beret.

            Timmy was nearing sixty and had been alone for the past ten years since the death of his parents.  He liked to walk the streets of the tiny town wearing the all familiar beret cap and nodding to people he’d known all his life.

            Some would nod or even speak, but most hurried by without paying him any mind.  Timmy wasn’t like most people.  His parents were older when he was born and his mind had never developed.  His parents had taught him anything he might need to know if he was ever left on his own, but secretly he knew that they hoped he would die before them.

            But he hadn’t and now he had been on his own for ten years.  He had learned to care for himself even if it was meager.  But he was lonely and he wanted friends to talk to but no one wanted to be his friend.

            He knew he could catch up to the young girl by taking the next street over and catching her at the intersection.  He recognized her and knew where she was headed.  It was two blocks to the intersection where he should meet up with her and his pace quickened.

           

            Anna Brown knew she had stayed too late at the library.  She’d promised her mother that she would be home before dark but she hadn’t paid attention and now she had to hurry as it was past sunset and the moon was rising to the east.

            She shifted the books in her arm and walked faster.  She should have called home and had someone come get her but it was only about a mile and she wasn’t afraid of the dark; only the scolding she would get when she got home but nothing else.

            She reached the corner where she would turn north.  When she came to the first intersection, she crossed and continued walking briskly thinking about what her mother was going to say when she got home. 

            She was mid block, in the darkness between the street lights which were also shaded from the thick leaf cover.  She thought she heard a noise and turned to look behind her but didn’t see anything.  She continued on, crossing the next street and back into the darkness.

            A feeling of being watched came over her as her heart began to beat faster and she could feel the adrenalin of fear rising.  She turned to look back and saw someone dart behind a tree.  She stood there for a moment watching but didn’t see anyone so thinking it was her imagination, she proceeded.  It was only six more blocks to her street. 

            She continued walking, hurrying her step without breaking into a run, shifting the books which kept slipping from her rapid movements.

           

            Timmy had kept his distance behind her.  He’d seen her stop and hid behind a tree so now tried to stay close to the edge of the sidewalk in case he needed cover again.  The leaves on the trees were moving due to a breeze that came up which caused uneven light to shine and he was afraid she might see him. 

            He knew that as they neared the end of this street, the street lights were gone and it was complete darkness.  He could make his move then.

            Anna couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was following her and looked for a familiar house that she could go to and have them call her parents to come get her, but of all the ones she knew, they were dark as if no one was home or perhaps asleep.  It wasn’t that late but the houses were dark just the same.

            Now the fear was overwhelming her making it harder for her to breathe as she walked faster and faster.  If she could make it to the corner, she could hide and then run the two blocks down her street in the darkness.

            Timmy could see she was moving away from him faster than he was keeping up.  He had to reach her before she got to her corner.  He quickened his pace, running from tree to tree, hiding behind and peering around watching.

            He lost track of her once and stood out where he could see and then caught a glimpse of her about a block ahead of him.  He started to follow again and saw a car coming.  He jumped behind the tree hoping they hadn’t seen him.  He watched to make sure she hadn’t gone out to flag them down.

            Anna had seen the car but it was going south and she couldn’t get the driver’s attention without making more noise or going out in the light to be seen.  If someone was following her, she had to get to her street and make a run for it. 

            Just two more blocks and she would be safe.  The sidewalk ended a block before her street and she turned to look behind her as she started to move out to the side of the street for the final block.  She didn’t see anyone and thought it had to be her imagination.

            She made it to the corner and when she turned, she saw the dark figure emerging out onto the street.

            She began to run into the darkness and didn’t stop.  She could make it home now.  She knew the road. But the gravel was rough under her feet as she ran and she hoped she wouldn’t fall.

            Timmy had reached the corner and peered into the darkness.  He could follow but he didn’t know how far ahead she was.  He stood there listening and could hear the gravel crunching under her feet.  She was running.

            He had missed his chance.  If that car hadn’t shown up, he could have grabbed her before she reached the end of the sidewalk.

            He listened and didn’t hear the crunching.  Should he follow or stay there?

             Anna had stopped just short of her house turning to see a shadow.  It was faint as the light wasn’t that good but she knew someone was there.  She began running again but tripped and fell.  She tried to get up, feeling the pain in her knee and her hand.  She heard footsteps coming closer and then her hand felt a big rock.  She picked it up.           

            Her eyes were accustomed to the dark but the shadow was wearing dark clothing and it was hard to see where he was.  She stood quietly along the side of the road afraid to breathe as the steps came closer. 

            She could hear his labored breathing and taking a chance she stepped forward and with all her strength hurled the rock in her hand straight at the shadow.  She heard the moan and a thud.

            Running as fast as she could, she ran into the house out of breathe and through broken words managed to tell her parents that someone had followed her and she had struck him with a rock.

            Her father went out to look around.  He saw her books on the ground but there was not sight of anyone else.  He shown the light up and down and could see no one.   Going back to the house he told her, “I didn’t see anyone.”

            Anna was shaking.  She knew someone had been following her and she knew she had hit them and they fell to the ground.

           

            Timmy had managed to crawl off to the side of the road and saw Mr. Brown approach.  Hiding in the ditch, he froze hoping he wouldn’t shine the light his way.  When it was clear, he made his way home.  He would get his chance again.

            Two weeks later, Anna was walking home from her friend’s house, just two blocks from hers.  It was dark but she had no fear.  Until the shadow stepped in front of her.  The shadow of darkness enveloped her as her voice froze from fear and she couldn’t make a sound.

            The last sound she heard was the raspy voice, “I just wanted a friend.”

Barbara Foster

Copyright(c) 2011