Shadow

A walk in the woods takes an ominous turn

My heart sank as I peered around the looming forest.

The sunlight fell into gleaming ribbons on the muddy pathway as my shadow flashed under the trees. I panted, my heart beating as hard as a drum, my feet racing, touching the ground and picking up in a rhythm. I zoomed through the forest, leaving a dusty trail behind me, the type you would cough and sneeze at even if you didn’t have an allergy. My baggy clothes billowed through the wind. As soon as I started running, I became famished and out of breath. The once blue and beautiful sky had turned as dark as a black cat, and the full moon glowed menacingly. I shivered, peering around me at the trees, which seemed like they had eyes. Hard, brown leaves cracked under my feet. At that moment, I saw a shadowy figure jump out from behind a tree.

“Peekaboo!” my sister shouted, and the world seemed normal again.