harry in the shadow

Harry hated walking this street in the evening because it was so dark and scary. He wouldn’t let anyone know, you know, because he was a man. Not a big man, no not like his parents. But a man. And a man wasn’t afraid to walk a street at night, no matter how small he might be.

But he was afraid. He tried to be like his older brother, but the overcast skies weren’t helping. He was still afraid. He pulled up his small jacket and crossed the street.

There were no cars, no people, only the occasional light in a window of the four-story buildings that lined the street, and the streetlights.

Harry stopped and looked down. He could see the shadow growing in front of him, joining his shadow. He turned around. He went to ask who’s there, but he didn’t see anyone. He turned back around, and the shadow was gone.

He shook his head, trying to clear it. He turned back and started walking. This was always so scary. He hated having to come down here, but he had to or there would be hell to pay. His mother said so, so he came to visit every Monday.

He tucked his hands into his pants and walked faster. He could hear his own breath as he passed the buildings. They seemed to loom over him and leer down on him.

At least its not raining, he thought. Then made the sign of the cross as he realized he had just jinxed himself. If he hadn’t thought that, it wouldn’t rain, but since he gave voice to it, it was going to rain.

Maybe I can get there before the rain, he thought, and picked up his pace. A sound came past him, and he looked down, seeing the shadow start to lengthen in front of him. His head swiveled as he tried to look in all directions.

Nothing. The shadows retreated and all he saw was the street. No, he thought, it had to be something.

He stopped and looked around, trying to will whatever caused the sound to show itself.

Nothing happened. He stamped his feet, hoping the sound would scare whatever it was away. He turned and started walking, almost running, down the road.

He crossed a street and stopped, trying to see where he was. He looked ahead and the buildings looked familiar. Was he almost at her house? So he could get off the street and out of these shadows? Yes, he thought, it is just a couple more blocks.

He started to walk again, then slowed. No, she was going to be mad. He looked at his watch, showing just after 7. Already? He had not dallied, had he? I mean there were shadows and sounds, but he had kept walking.

She will be mad, and then I will be in trouble. He started to slow, almost to a shuffle. The lights around him seemed to flicker and he picked his pace back up.

I am always late, and she always gets mad. And I didn’t bring anything. Oh, she was going to be mad. He didn’t like it when she was mad. That never went well for Harry. He looked around and saw that nothing was really open. It was all tenement houses and no shops. At least none open. How was he going to explain his lateness. Oh, she was going to be so mad.

He crossed another street, his head never checking the sides to see if there was a car coming. He slowed as he reached the sidewalk. His hands came out of his pockets as he turned and looked down each of the streets.

Harry, he thought, you have got to get ahold of yourself. You didn’t even look both ways before crossing the street. But she will be mad if you are later than you are, he argued with himself.

The little bit of sun remaining dropped below the horizon casting darker shadows along the street. Harry’s eyes darted down each street, then stared straight ahead. He started walking again, resigned.

He reached a building with an entrance on the main street, some lights on, some broken and dark. He headed in the main door. As he walked down the hallway, he could hear the buzz of lights, and saw the shadows flex and sway as he passed the dim bulbs.

He stopped and knocked on the second to last door on the right. The hallway was dim, with the closest bulb dark and quiet. No sound came from the door. He knocked again and stood back; his hands shoved back down into his pockets.

He wondered if he should quit coming. No, that was a bad idea. He shook his head to get rid of it. No, he was told to come every Monday, and he would do as he was told. He didn’t want to get in trouble again.

Suddenly the door swung in and the light from inside briefly blinded him. Then a large body filled the doorway, blocking the light.

Their shadow fell over Harry, quickly moving up his body and covering his face. He looked up at the shadow, the light behind their head blinding him slightly.

“About time you got here.” The shadow mocked him. “Why are you always late? Can’t you do anything right?” The shadows hands moved to its hips.

Harry turned and looked back down the hallway, trying to see the door. It was all in shadows, too dark to see out. He turned back to the door, eyes reflecting what little light there was.

He shuffled from one foot to the other. “No” he tried to explain “I was avoiding he shadows, that’s why it took longer.” He looked around the shadow, trying to see past the door.

The shadow didn’t move. Finally, it turned around and said “Come in. And go get washed up.”

“Yes mother.” Harry meekly replied as he followed her from the hall, still hidden in her shadow