Some people hate the shadows. They're the promise of something sinister. Something hiding. Something waiting for you.
I don't. Or, I didn't. Until now.
The shadows were my friends. They'd show me things. Bad things, but, once I'd become accustomed to it, things that needed to be seen. I was their witness.
They showed me death. The ending of life. I would see people, strangers mostly, in the moments before they died. I could never stop it, and believe me I tried, but at least they never left this world with no-one to see their passing.
In some way, I felt it to be a comfort to them, though they'd never know.
But today, just now, they've shown me something else. Something I wished they'd kept secret. The death of my son.
They gathered around me, eager to tell their story. I welcomed it, as ever. They appeared darker, this time. Frantic. Waves of thicker black running through them like a tangible thrill.
Now I know why. My son it going to die. Today.
I know all the details. The speed of the car. The look of horror on the driver's face. Her quick but too slow reflexes. The sound of his breaking bones. The spatter of blood. The look in his dead eyes, blaming me for seeing but doing nothing.
But I can't. Any actions I take would be ineffective. Fate likes to play, but by her rules. If I pulled my son back, he'd have a heart attack. Or advanced cancer would suddenly riddle his body. Or the car would swerve, hit another and that would kill him. And spare me. I always survive.
So I stand. And I watch. And I wait.
And the shadows lay at my feet like loyal dogs of death.
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This is my entry for the mystery March prompt, to write a 300 word (give or take)flash fiction story. The prompt? You can see deaths before they happen, but now it's someone you love. What happens? You decide, of course. Have a go! If you do, why not drop your entry in the comments below so I can have a read?
Check the mystery profile for the details, or go to this link.
