Chapter Seven: Don't Let My Shadow Sneak Away With Me

I didn't know what Mom would think if she knew something happened to my shadow. Or even if she would notice anything missing about me. I couldn't let Fabulous, the mischievous stuffed clown marionette doll, make me look like a fool.

I wanted to run and get out of my room, fast! To get away from the creepy stuffed clown doll with a bad attitude. As I ran and struggled to open my bedroom door, it wouldn't budge. I tried to turn the lock on the door. But nothing would happen.

Fabulous, the clown marionette doll started laughing and jumped up and down on the floor. He shook the glowing, crystal ball of my shadow in it, making snow swirl around inside of it. Making my shadow disappear within the crystal ball.

"You can't go anywhere, without your shadow, Wesley!" Fabulous explained, showing me his magic crystal ball in his stuffed hands. Before the little clown marionette doll could get away from us with my captured shadow, Mom kicked the doll in its stomach!

Screaming, the clown doll, dropped the magic glowing crystal on the floor, next to us. And Fabulous went crashing through my bedroom window! He shattered the glass window, screaming all the way! Until finally, all was silent

There were bloody bits of broken glass by my bedroom window. The glowing white, crystal ball rolled by my feet. Mom bent down and picked it up, to study it. "What do you think we should do about this?" Mom asked. She added me the small, sparkly crystal ball.

"I have a bad feeling the clown doll will be back for this," I whispered, shaking the crystal ball up in my hands. I could see my little shadow inside of it, throwing a tantrum. He grabbed hold of his head and was flying and bouncing off the sides of the magic glowing crystal ball.

"Stop! Avalanche!" I gasped and heard my talking shadow scream at me. Suddenly, sparkly glowing snow started covering up in the snow globe. I quickly stopped and watched the snow disappear. We watched our shadow angrily pound on the sides of the glass snow globe he was trapped in.

Mom snatched the snow globe out of my hand, quickly. She couldn't stop staring at my shadow, in it. Who was clearly unhappy to be trapped inside of it. His eyes started to glow red at my Mom. As he continued pounding his fists angrily at the side of the magic snow globe.

Suddenly, Mom's face lit up with excitement and interest. "I know! There's a magic shop downtown. We can take this magic charm to our local shopkeeper. And ask him what to do about getting your shadow out of this cursed enchantment!" Mom explained, shaking the snow globe. Making my evil shadow more irritable and pounding his fists angrily on the sides of the snow globe. As he was being shaken up.

I totally forgot we had the only available magic shop in town, for magicians in Supernaturalville. It would be worth a try to see what the older, friendlier shopkeeper would have to say about all of this. 

I kept looking behind me. Expecting to see my ghostly shadow follow my whereabouts. I couldn't tell Mom how weird it felt without having a shadow. I could see from the dimly lit lamp in my bedroom. As I pointed and put a mouth over my hand. As I watched and saw Mom's shadow on the side of the wall. Suddenly, it started to change. 

"Mom! There's something different about your shadow!" I screamed. I jumped at my Mom. Just in time, as her monster shadow puppet tried to reach out and eat me! We both collided on top of my unmade bed mattress.

Mom clumsily dropped the magic glowing snow globe. It went under my bed. I could hear my little shadow puppet trapped inside of it, laughing as if it got away from us. I grabbed hold of Mom. And we quickly got out of the way. As Mom's monster shadow puppet came for us. He reached out his arms under my bed. 

It grabbed the sparkly snow globe. The creature stared at the magic charm in its clawed hands. And watched my imprisoned shadow with fascination. As the Mom's shadow monster puppet, opened her mouth. And devoured the glowing snow globe. In one big bite!

We watched with curiosity. As the glowing crystal ball was slowly going down Mom's shadow monster puppet's throat. And making its way to her digestive system. Then, Mom's shadow monster puppet's eyes glowed red. She opened her mouth and let out a ghostly howl. And started slowly around us in my bedroom. Then, it circled around my desk and bed. Finally, it went crashing out my broken window. And disappeared with my glowing snow globe. It had gobbled up for a late supper…

Mom and I quickly turned and looked out my bedroom window… There was no sign of what happened to us. As Mom and I took a brief moment to understand reality from make-believe, Mom turned and looked at me apologetically.

"I'm sorry our shadows got away with us," Mom said. "But we must consult with the shopkeeper at the magic shop tomorrow afternoon," she continued. "I know he can do something to help us both out, my love," Mom said. She quickly gave me a big, bear hug. Almost squeezing the life out of me, I groaned loudly. And Mom let go of me. She smiled her motherly warm smile at me. "I promise everything will be back the way it was," Mom said.

I wanted to believe her. I didn't know how to deal with things that are meant to happen. I felt so strange without my shadow following me everywhere I went! I kept looking around to see it behind me or behind my Mom. But there was no trace of it to be seen…

"Mom, everybody is going to start noticing something is different or wrong about us," I sobbed, giving Mom a hug. I didn't want to let go of my Mom. We were both hugging each other tight. "I'm scared of what it might do to us without having our shadow," I continued, holding onto Mom.

It took me a moment. Mom was praying silently to herself. With her head resting on my shoulder, I tried to let go of Mom for a moment. But she kept clinging onto me. While praying, whispering out loud to me.

I let Mom continue praying to herself for me. A few minutes later, I found myself floating! I looked at my dressing room mirror hanging beside my closet. Mom and I were floating in the air! 

I screamed and pointed at our reflection in the bathroom mirror. "Mom! Look!" I said, still pointing. But Mom did not look away from me. She turned and kept her eyes locked on mine. "What are you doing to me, Mom?" I asked, wanting to know if this was normal behavior.

"We need to get to the magic shop tonight, my son," She finally said. "There are some unanswered questions I need to ask the shopkeeper. He knows a thing or two about the mysterious Shadow Who Glows in the Dark. Who took our shadows from us. I know without having a shadow can be strange and different. But we need to see Mr. Tricks at the all night magic shop. Do you understand it's important we see him tonight?" Mom asked, sincerely.

I nodded and gave Mom a wry smile and I agreed we'd go visit the smart shopkeeper. I wasn't sure how much Mr. Tricks, the shopkeeper would help us, without giving him a price for it. But I knew we couldn't just let everybody in town get suspicious about how different we may seem. Without having a shadow anymore.

"Come on, before it gets too late," Mom said. I nodded and again. Mom guided me first.. She started floating toward the shattered window. Looking out the window, Mom didn't see anybody watching us. She waved her right hand to motion for me to follow her. So I did.

Mom floated slowly over the floor. Then, Mom took flight out of my bedroom window. And into the night. I held my breath. I slowly closed my eyes and concentrated on floating easily off the ground, like my Mom did.

I didn't think flying would be easy. It felt unreal. Like I didn't know how safe it would be. Maybe I don't need my shadow, after all? 

Floating outside of my bedroom, Mom held out her hand for me to take. Opening my eyes fully awake, I sighed and breathed heavily. Flying felt so weird. But Mom was counting on me to do my best and follow her to the magic store. Before we find out what our monster shadow puppets are really up to…