Elian and The Dark Shadow

Elian looked at the sky one evening, he saw that lights began to fade. They flickered less and less until they fizzled out and completely disappeared. From downstairs he heard a collapse of a person falling on top of plates. Crashes and stumbling. He peered downward, from the balcony onto the front porch. There a door opened, and a man walked out with a quickened pace.

‘Let me tell you—,’ the man tried to say.

‘No! Let me tell you. You, arrogant prick! I ought to call the guards on you,’ the woman replied.

‘B-but baby,’ the man tried.

Elian sighed.

‘Mum,’ he shouted, ‘just shut the door.’

The man picked up the luggage that the woman had thrown onto the porch. He gave one fell look at Elian as he turned his back and walked away.

Elian shut his balcony door and climbed down the ladder to approach the door to the hallway. But his mother already stood in front of it and opened the door.

‘Elian, dear. I am sorry for your father,’ she said. ‘He’s just a prick and you should never follow in his footsteps, you hear?’

‘Yes mum,’ Elian replied. ‘What happened?’

‘O, we got into a fight about whether he should get back to work already. Which is, of course, the case. And he should.’

‘But mum, why can’t he just stay here? With us.’

‘Because, because he is a no-good doer. He just feeds off you, like a leech, like a parasite. We work and we try our hardest but he, he won’t do anything at all. It’s better that he just removes himself from the equation.’

‘But mum. I like Dad. Sure, he has some faults, but don’t we all?’

‘Yes, but his are above my level of tolerance. We might see him again, but if he doesn’t change, then he will not be missed. Not by me at least.’

‘O-okay.’

The following morning when both Elian and his mother awoke. Elian met her in the kitchen.

‘Hi,’ she said.

‘Hi, mum.’

‘What will you have this morning?’

‘Oh, nothing. Just an egg and a salad if that is an option.’

‘Yes. Here, let me just take a second.’

She took the egg and her swiftness in the kitchen was something to behold. Some new life was blown into her spirit it seemed like.

‘Here you go.’

‘Wow mum, you look like a different person. Jolly almost,’ Elian mentioned. ‘Listen, mum, I saw a star falling yesterday, but it did not only fall. It just fizzled out and disappeared. What does it—’

‘It means that someone has died, not far off of the city, dear,’ she said sternly.

‘W— do you mean that someone has died yesterday?’

‘Yes. It is well known; I am surprised that you didn’t know about it.’

‘Well. Maybe school didn’t seem important enough to tell me?’

‘Shame on them, you know,’ she said while she shook her head.

Elian stood up and gathered his gear for the field to help the local farmer out on his errands.

‘Mum, I’ll be back later this evening. I’ll be careful of course. Love you!’

‘Love you to son,’ she said while she smooched his cheek and hugged him. ‘Go and have fun.’

‘Will do!’ he said while he went through the front door.

Some time later he arrived at the road to the barn. He sniffed in the fresh air and looked at the sunlit clouds that cast shadows over the broad fields. He kneeled and took out a piece of bread and water that his mother had packed for him. There on the grassy hill, he sat down and looked around him. Cows farther than the eye could see.

Then a strange sort of shadow moved around in the shadows cast by the clouds. It was darker and denser, way quicker than the other clouds as well.

What should I do? What is that? He narrowed his eyes but that did not help much. He stood up in fear of what might come. He looked around him and while the dark shape neared, he spotted a person walking up to him.

‘Elian is that you?’ the person said. ‘Hiya son. It’s me, dad.’

‘Hey, Dad. I was worried someone else might’ve snuck up on me. I am glad it’s you.’

‘Of course, it’s me. Who else might’ve walked here around this hour?’

‘Yeah. Listen, Dad, do you see that there? The dark shadow among the shadows of the clouds in the field?’

‘H-hmm? No, not really. Why?’

‘I thought something awful was nearing us. Or me. My hands are still sweaty.’

‘Y-yeah. Okay, I think you need to calm down a bit. Magic or anything the like has been banned for a thousand years. Something of what you speak of could be used as a case to get you imprisoned or worse, hanged. Listen, son, you must not tell this to anyone else. Promise me that.’

‘Well—’

‘Promise me you will not tell this to another living soul. I fear your mother won’t even be happy or understanding to hear about this.’

‘I promise.’

‘Good. Now, I’ll Walk you toward the end until we’ve reached the barn. Okay?’

‘Thanks, Dad.’

‘No problem.’

They walked away from the hill and the path towards the barn. On the path, they spotted a heron that sat on top of a bar in the river. A smaller bird that flew past almost got caught in its beak while the heron tried to fish.

Arrived at the entrance of the barn. The farmer was nowhere near to greet them.

‘That’s strange. Normally he would’ve stood here,’ Elian said.

‘Let’s take a look around,’ his dad said.

A fell voice caught both of their ears. A figure appeared from a dark corner near the door that stood ajar. It was a woman, dressed in a lavish gown. She cackled and, in her hand, she had a knife which she held threateningly.

‘Well, well, well. If it isn’t Jacksby, how are you my dear,’ the woman said.

‘Lithia!’ Elian’s dad said.

‘My, o, my, Jack. Is that your son?’ she said mockingly.

‘He is. What is it to you?’

‘Nothing, just asking.’

‘Ma’am, who are you and where is farmer Turley? Have you seen him?’ said Elian.

‘No, I have not,’ she replied while wiping the blood from her knife onto her coat. She smirked.

‘Son. Let us leave. You’ll have to help farmer Turley some other day,’ Jack said.

Lithia cackled and went inside.

Elian walked back to the entrance while Jack guided him by his shoulder. Flowers lay trampled alongside patches of dirt. Elian felt a shiver coming down his spine. Thinking about what that woman had done to farmer Turley. Jack meanwhile looked about them. He seemed more tense than usual to Elian. He asked about the woman and Jack would only reply that the woman influenced him a couple of years ago. Causing all sorts of trouble that he would rather not tell him about just yet.

‘But dad, why not?’ Elian asked.

‘Because… I don’t want to,’ Jack replied. ‘It’s a part of me that I rather want to not think about, to be honest. Let’s leave it for now. I will talk to you about it someday. Just not today. Because I am tired, and I need to apologize to your mother soon. Not tonight though. Tonight, I will seek shelter in the tavern. I need space, and I reckon your mother would need it too. You are welcome to sleep in my room, or just at home. Your choice.’

‘Okay, I think I will stay at Mom’s tonight. I need to tell her at least that.’