Shadow

30 3 12
                                    

Light. Sunlight filtered through the dark leaves and creeping vines, shining through each and every crack, waking the forest up from its slumber. Birds began tweeting, singing their hearts out, calling for another day. Leopards, hidden in small crevices for the night, began to emerge. The forest was coming alive. My feet crunched through the twigs scattered around as my eyes swivelled around at this marvel. So many human eyes have never seen this. It seemed such a pity, such a waste, and as the sun climbed its way up the blue, the forest glowed gold. Golden beauty. Branches elegantly shifted as I walked, dancers weaving their way around me. I didn't regret waking up this early for a second. Grinning, I continue, passing parrots and goats and even an angelic deer. Out of the corner of my eye, a flash crossed. I looked around to catch sight of the beautiful animal that should appear. Nothing. I stared even closer, tiptoeing about when I saw it. Her. She seemed to be made of ashes, or smoke; she certainly wasn't solid. Wafting around, not touching the floor. Silent. Eerie.
A shadow.
I blinked, not believing my eyes, to find nature staring back at me. However, there had been a shift in the atmosphere. A galactic shift. The eyes of the stars seemed to be burning my back. Shuddering, I turned back the way I came.
"Follow me." A whisper. Soft, musical, enchanting. I found myself being lured by her harmonious voice.
"Follow me." My feet seemed to be in control of themselves. They turned around, stumbling through the underbrush, longing to reach that beautiful sound. Mindlessly, all my thoughts wiped, I obeyed until she came into view.
The shadow.
Floating away, I ran after her, almost crying, like a baby longing for its mother.
"Come back!" I cried. No reply. What was happening to me? I shook myself awake, determined not to be taken under her spell.
"Follow me." I couldn't help it. I turned back round to her. She continued wafting away. This time, I payed no attention to the nature, no attention to anything but her. The shadow.
She led me through twists and turns, scratching myself with thorns and branches, but I didn't take it in. A squirrel ran away from my thumping feet. I almost stood on it. I didn't realize when we were outside of the forest. We were standing on a cliff, swaying slightly in the morning breeze. Jagged, the cliff face below us threatened to murder anyone who had the misfortune of sliding across. I was, by now, completely and utterly hopeless. The shadow's spell had taken full hold of my entire body and mind.
"Jump." The last word that I heard, and as I plunged, the sound of her cackling laughter, so unlike her soft voice, faded into nothing. Gone, like a shadow.

Authors Note:
Yay! My first story! Sorry it's so short, I entered this for the SWC writing contest.Don't forget to vote, comment and follow!

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