Shadow { EDITING }

-||Chapter two||-

Stepping into the small restaurant, the smell of bacon, eggs, toast and syrup greet my nose.

Shadow makes a squeal of delight followed by a click.

"I know. I'm hungry too." I say, pulling the hood off my head.

I sit in a booth with a dark corner.

"Come on. There's one above us." I urge.

Shadow reaches out and jumps into the corner above my head, settling with a gurgle.

After a few minutes, a waitress finally walks over, her shadow making tired sighs. It's underneath her apron. As she walks to a stop, she looks above my head, at my shadow.

"Well hello there." she laughs, while my shadow makes a hissing giggle back at her.

"What can I get for you today?" she asks, looking at me again.

"May I have the breakfast combo please?"

"Of course. How would you like your eggs?"

"Well done."

"And what kind of toast?"

"Wheat please."

"Sure thing." she says, but her attention gazes back at my shadow again.

She smiles and walks over to the dark corner, reaching a hand out and touching the gray space. My shadow reaches back, wrapping a spiny hand around her wrist, gurgling.

"Yours is so different. I don't know what it is." she says and continues playing with my shadow.

Her shadow clicks and gurgles, curious.

"Anyway, your order will be right out." she says, walking sadly away.

"That was weird." I say.

It makes a serious gurgle back at me.

"I didn't say she wasn't sweet. I just meant... no one has done that before. Don't you think that's strange?"

Instead of an answer, it flickers on the wall and curls behind my neck, sending goosebumps down my arms. I let my head go limp on the shadow, and before I know it, it leaps into my chest, sending me into a deep sleep.

When I wake up my shadow is behind my neck, clicking and moaning. The waitress is next to the table, unloading my dish off her tray.

"Sneaky little fellow, eh? Making you fall asleep in public." she laughs.

"I guess so." I smile and thank her for the food, but yet, she still stands there.

She smiles kindly, tilting her head at the shadow.

"It's so sweet it's almost... surprising. I guess it's because I get boring ole' truckers in here all the time." she laughs.

I laugh awkwardly back, picking at my food and ignoring the rumbles my stomach makes.

"I'm sorry it's just..." she starts, but still makes no effort to move.

"It's alright. I enjoy it's company too."

She finally walks away, almost peeling herself away from the situation. She waves, but says not a word.

"Weirdo." I mutter.

My shadow makes a harsh hiss at me then growls, making me jump and drop my fork on the plate with a loud clatter.

"I was talking about you! Not her! Jesus!" I shout in a whisper.

Suddenly, out of no where, Let it Be by the Beatles starts playing on a jukebox on the other side of the room. Any tension I had melts away with the melody and voices.