TUDAWR10

TUDAWR10

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Characters: Me. My Shadow, prime pigeons, the Universe

Setting: City Limits

“At least there are shadows”, countered my Shadow, annoyance beginning to show in his ashen voice. “There would be no shadow-lightning hunting without us.”

“Well I still think the world doesn’t need you following us, and creeping up on us, and imitating us, and shadowing us, and disappearing on us,” I said to my Shadow in desperation, knowing I’d lost the argument. “You are undependable and unstable. I need a Shadow that is always there when I need him”.

“Oohh, I see what’s going on! Are you still upset about this morning? I told you it was an accident. I only flinched because that pigeon was flying straight at me,” replied my shadow curtly. “I’m not going anywhere, relax.”

There had been a lightning storm that morning. Like every third Tuesday after a Monday’s date's yearly aggregate adds up to a prime number, there had been a lightning storm that morning. I was of course chasing lightning out on the street, my Shadow walking along behind me as my scouting partner and lightning trap-extraordinaire. Shadow-lightning hunting is not an easy sport. You and your shadow must communicate at all times. Lightning is the enemy, lightning is the prize.

Note to fellow lightning-hunters: lightning knows the difference between you and your Shadow. They like shadows because they’ve never complained about their touch. When lightning reaches out to us, our Shadows reach back to them in return. If this is news to you, if you’ve never heard about this timeless love affair, perhaps you should talk to your own or other Shadows more often.

My Shadow ran away with Lightning once.

Couldn’t find him for 29 days. I spoke to 23 other Shadows before I could find him. I looked behind 19 curtains before I could find him. I walked through 17 storms before I could find him. I spent 13 days burrowing through the underground subway tunnels before I could find him. I ate 11 bags of spicy crickets before I could fin him.

Lightning is not for-e-ver, a body is. Shadows sometime forget this. Treat your shadow kindly.

“Ok, I’m sorry I lost my temper. It’s just that sometimes you make me angry. I’m sorry,” I said to my Shadow regretfully not wanting to lose him again. “But we’ve talked about this before, pigeons are just silly birds, you don’t have to be afraid of them. They won’t hurt you”.

“Listen to me,” said my Shadow pronouncing every word as clearly as he could. I could still hear the ash in his voice, no matter how hard he struggled to get rid of the raspy gurgling noises. “Those pigeons were looking at me, I’m telling you, I could feel their eyes all over my outline, they are after me.”

“Every number greater than 205 is the sum of distinct primes of the form 6n + 1.” I had heard my shadow say earlier that morning right before lightning stroke. You know your Shadow is scared when it starts babbling about prime numbers. I was too slow to react. I turned around just in time to see my shadow flinch and duck for cover. I thought this time I’d lose him for sure, I thought I’d never see my Shadow again, I thought I’d be shadowless for the rest of time. For a split second I panicked and a fear unspeakable ran like burning molten ash through my body. Then I saw a small flock of 2, 3, 5 or 7 pigeons had flown above us.

He wasn’t running away, he was just scared of the pigeons.

I rather have lost my chance to catch a fresh bolt, I rather have a coward shadow, I rather eat 235711 spicy crickets, than to walk this world without my Shadow.

“Hey man, I’m really sorry”, my Shadow told me after a long moment of silence. I could tell he was genuinely apologetic. “I’m sorry too”, I told him as lovingly as possible.

As I finished uttering these words I looked straight down to a puddle of water that had recently been borne from the falling rain. “You two are so gay” said my Reflection. “Oh shut up, you know I love you too”.

The Universe remains.