shadow

Gwen jumped from one coloured square to the next. She balanced on her left leg.1

"Ha ha, you're wobbling!" sniggered Peter.2

"No I'm not," she replied, indignantly, "Look."3

And she stood ever so still for him to see.4

"Go on then," he urged.5

Gwen jumped forward in to the next red square. Her toes lined up with the edge, her heels in the corner.6

"See?" cried Gwen, flushed and breathless with her success, "I've only got two more squares to go now."7

"I can do it too, I'll show you," said Peter, shrugging.8

"Bet you can't, you'll fall over in the first circle!"9

And then he appeared.10

black and huge, he sprawled across the squares, smiling in triumph. He had his victim.11

"You don't want to go on," he whispered, "What's the point in winning? We'll always lose in the end."12

"I've only got two more squares to go," said Gwen, frowning slightly.13

He blotted out the colourful squares, crossed over the lines. They were all black. Gwen put her right foot forward, placing it on shadow's left shoulder. He grinned and danced out of her reach.14

"I told you there's no point," he repeated.15

"You put a foot over the line!" Peter shrieked, "Told you! Told you! Told you you couldn't do it. My turn now."16

He pushed her off the grid, shadow flew off and lay on the playground, looking up at her with his expressionless face.17

Shadow followed her every day after that. He danced ahead of Gwen and her mummy as they walked to school. He was small and nimble, but she could still see him.18

"Come on Gwen, don't dawdle or we'll be late for school," Mummy sighed.19

Shadow came to school with her; he played with her in the playground. When she bought her skipping rope, shadow bought his too and skipped beside her.20

"I can skip better than you can," he said, "You're useless."21

And he sneered as Gwen's leg tangled in the rope.22

When the children lined up to go inside, shadow lined up too, flitting out of the way of the children's hurrying feet. He lay against the wall by her desk, watching her work. Gwen couldn't concentrate, she hated being watched.23

"You're writing's scruffy," he whispered, "My writing's much neater."24

He sent black spirals on to the paper. Gwen thought they were very beautiful, but too black against the white paper.25

"You're not clever at all are you?" he pressed, "In fact, I'd say everyone in this school knows more than you do."26

Gwen was often told off for not paying attention.27

"If I have to tell you again, you will stay in at playtime!" Mrs Kroffts scalded.28

Gwen's lip wobbled and she tried not to cry. Shadow cried too, he loved going out to play.29

"You can always go out," Gwen said to him.30

"Don't be a clot!" he snapped, "I need you to play with, don't I?"31

He was huge in the evening, so big Gwen felt he never left her sight.32

"It's dark soon," he would call as he leapt around her, "I like the dark. She's my sister, she's as black as me."33

He came close and put his head against hers.34

"You won't sleep tonight. I won't let you. I won't leave you."35

He stood on the bedroom wall and prodded her every time her eyes closed.36

Gwen was throwing a ball against the wall, when Peter came in to the playground.37

"Hi Peter!" she called.38

"Why do you want him?" Shadow asked, turning to her.39

"Because he's my friend."40

"You've got me. I am your friend. I am your very best friend, aren't I?"41

Gwen shivered but didn't reply, searching desperately for her friend.42

"Aren't I?"43

Peter hadn't seen or heard her. He was walking towards the football pitch.44

"Aren't I?" he demanded in a shriek.45

"Y-yes," she gasped, "You are my shadow."46

Shadow grew huge, so big he almost blotted her out. He surrounded her, closing her in; trapping her, enveloping her, imprisoning her. Gwen felt as if she was being suffocated in the blackness.47

"You don't need Peter," he roared, "Because I am your only shadow."48

And then the sun came out from behind the clouds, so bright it almost dazzled her. They parted, revealing patches of naked blue sky. The clouds broke up as if they were weary and had no strength left. Then, they were gone. Sunlight filled the playground, warming her back and lighting up her face. Hesitantly, she looked down. Shadow was gone.