The blinding shadow

Marion was a little child who live down the road. One day Marion went to pick the cherries in the bushes, where the blueberries scattered among the leaves like freckles on a lovely smiling face. As the basket was getting full and the picking began to tire her, Marion sat beside the little spring nearby. A rabbit passed by, looked with its dolly eyes, and went away. A refreshing breeze blew but with it the clouds were dragged along, exposing the ground to the open sky. Marion edged herself to a nearby tree, when she noticed a man standing close by. He was sweating under the direct sun, that Marion asked him whether he would like to come under the shade.

The man declined. "Oh how I wish I have a shadow, so I can sit with you in the shade," he lamented.
"What happened to it," Marion asked. The man sat cross-legged and began to unfold his story.

"It began a long time ago, when I was only a boy, slightly older than you. I was like any other boy of that age. Our life consisted of playing in the day, sleeping in the night, and eating in the lapse of time in between. My life was simple and if anyone asked me then and there, what would I want to be when I grow up, I would straightly answer a policeman. The uniform held its magic to me like any boy and to add to that, we always played hide-and-seek, pretending one was a policeman catching robbers. And on one of this games when I was the one who had to seek the others that my world changed. In the excitement of the moment, I had already caught two of the robbers and I saw another one running into the crowd at the market. I took a route between the stalls and jumped onto my friend, rolling ourselves on the ground. I stood up laughing when my voice suddenly stopped as I noticed the person lying on the ground was not my friend. What's more it was not alive. Only a black shape lying on the ground."

"My body began to shake with fear and I began to run away. I heard a voice cried, shouting after me. I looked back and I saw an angry man with a very large nose and eyes burning furiously, cursing at me. He chased after me but I was faster. I was losing him and was just about to cross the bridge when something tugged me sharply. I looked back and saw the man holding a crumpled black cloth in his hand. My body felt cold at a sudden, knees trembling that I had to grab the bridge to prevent myself from falling. The man pulled the cloth sharply which caused my body to jerk backwards. Only then I realized the man was holding my shadow by its neck and pulling me to him bit by bit. "Come to me, boy!" the man's voice echoed hoarsely. He continued pulling the shadow, tugging hardly. I clawed hardly at the ground, frantically pulling myself away.

""Come to me booooyyy!" he shouted again. His eyes was blazing and foams are coming out of his nose and mouth, dripping all over his beard. I do not know what would happen if I didn't run, but I ran. I stood and with all my might I took a step over the bridge. And another. And another. Suddenly the force pulling me back snapped, sending me stumbling over the bridge. I didn't look back as I heard the man shouted and for that few days I walked without stopping. That was 14 years ago but I still remember it clearly like it was yesterday." There was a short silence as he finished his story.

"You don't have a shadow now, do you?" Marion asked.
"Yes, I lost my shadow to that man. I wish I have it back. Now I can't stand under the shade, fearing my shadow cannot find me when it escapes, or worse, if a wild shadow comes to me."
"That is so sad," Marion said, "can't anyone help you find it back?"
"Well yes. You can help me, if you want."
"Really?!" Marion dusted herself and stood up.

"Yes. It is quite simple. I just need you to stand over there. There. There, not under the shade. Come away from the shade. A bit further so your shadow will appear. Right there, brilliant! Now, walk to me. Come to me now, closer. Closer. Come to me now, girl...