• There was a crunch of feet on frozen grass. A whisper of movement by the bushes and the sound of grunting moving fast towards me. The forest around me seemed to squeeze my body into its depth. The bleak landscape stretching away, like something from a fairy tale. And a monster was in that fairytale. An unseen monster that, well, couldn’t be seen. But it had to be there, hadn’t it? Yes it was there. I could here its movement, the shuffling of its feet, but why couldn’t I see it?
    I can see it. I just saw it, but then it disappeared again. What is it? I’m walking towards the place where I was sure I saw it. A black figure that stood out, even against the nightmare black of the dying night.
    I’ve got to the place were I saw it. There is a tree by me. Strange that, a tree in a forest. I’m stepping into the black shadow of that tree, cast high and tall by the shining light that came from the This is the place I saw it. But its not here. I can’t feel it.
    There’s a noise behind me. My head spun and my body followed. There it is. The creature that I saw. Standing in the midst of a shadow of another tree. I don’t think its human, it certainly doesn’t look human.
    It has wine red eyes, eyes that look like they have endured years of pain. Its skin is white and has creases in. It looks like screwed up paper. Its lank, black hair fell well past its shoulder and down its back. It’s wearing what looks like a dark blue cloak with a ruby increased bottom. It towers over me even though I’m many paces away from it. It’s reaching out a pale hand. I wonder what it’s going to do.
    I want to run, I really do, but I also can’t move. My head says run but my legs say stay. Unfortunately I listen to my legs.
    The creatures’ hand is now almost full out (it moves very slow). I’m ready whatever it throws at me, but as soon as its hand is fully out stretched it disappears.
    Suddenly understanding floods over me. I can only see it in the shadows! So as long as it stays still is should be able to keep my eye on it. But it won’t stay still, will it? Its gasping breaths told me that it will move and confuse me until I run, maybe I should run. I will. But wait, its mouth is opening. I can see teeth filled to spikes and, I may be wrong about this, but I’m sure I can see a fire blazing behind them. Its voice came in rasps that seemed to cut me up. It said:
    “The shadows show me for what I truly am. I was once a human like you but I spent to long in this god forsaken place,” he spread his arms wide so that they looked like stumps, “now that the forest has taken hold I am no longer human, instead I am a Shadow, a creature whose true identity can not be seen unless there is a blockage of light. Run young human run, do not let this happen to you.”
    At those words the Shadow sunk into the light and disappeared. Me on the other hand, I took its advice and ran, finding my way using the faint moon light. I did not want to end up like that. And if I stay in this place, I will