Shadow Man

• Indianna Leonard, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2023

As my eyes slowly start to open all I see is the black spread across my room except for the light that is peaking between the cracks of my bedroom door. I reach my phone to check the time. My eyes quickly squinted as the bright screen turned on. 2:39am. I was confused as to why I was awake this early. I love to sleep in. I was very awake but it was essential I had a couple more hours sleep, so I close my eyes and tried to feel numb. I tossed and turned around my bed trying every possible position. I kept telling myself ‘dream, dream.’ I counted sheep. 36 - but it didn’t work. I turned over onto my stomach and reach for my phone. 3:33am. I quickly placed my phone down back onto my bedside table and put it back on charge when I realised how dry my mouth is. I throw my covers off and placed my feet onto the cold wooden floors. I grabbed my phone and turned on my torch so I was able to get around my room. I stand up and walk over to the door, placing my finger tips on the black rectangular door handle, turning it ever so slightly.

‘Click!’ I peer around the corner and I spot a black, tall figure standing at the end of the hallway. I squinted to see whether it was my mum, dad or brother. It wasn’t any of them. I turn and run backwards as the hallway got darker and much more skinny as if it was an illusion. I open the bathroom door, run inside and slam the door. I lock it and sit in the corner. I think to myself ‘I should’ve gone back to sleep’, ‘Why was I so dumb to get out of bed!’. I sit there for what feels like 3 hours but was only ten minutes. I lift up my phone and check the time - 4:11am.

I jump up and open the bathroom door ever so slightly so I could peek through, no one or nothing was there. I continue to open the door so I could just squeeze out and begin to walk back to my room with my head down with turning my phone torch on to illuminate the ground so I could see where I was walking. I grasped onto my black metal door handle and turned it quietly with a stiff hand and walked in. “CREEEEK” went my floor as I took one soft step, my head was down clutching my phone tight. I see my bed. I run to jump into it and “thud” I run into something tall, stiff and skinny. I look up and see the the shadow man standing there with his beaming bright white eyes looking at me as if they were staring into my soul. I jump around him as he tries to stop me with his arms out trying to grab me, I bounced into bed and hid under my sheets as my eyes shut. Was it all a dream?