LIVING SHADOWS

The night was as dark as ever. The sky was a brimful dark, and the trees were shrouded in darkness. As the only source of light was a tavern. Inside, there were groups of people at each table acting decently enough. However, in one of the chairs, there is one single man, eyes almost shut in a tiresome way. Three bottles of beer were spread around the table, with the man holding a single glass.

As in the blink of an eye, a woman in a hood would approach the man and sit next to him. Her soft hands, her blue-ish eyes, and black hair with blue streaks could be seen behind her hood, her blue lipstick being noticeable behind it.

“Is something troubling you?” said the woman.

“It’s the alcohol, it’s amazing!” said the man replying.

The woman would nod softly, her hands trailing the table, holding one of the bottles with curiosity, wondering what the man was drinking.

“Whiskey of the Valley?” said the woman.
“Best drink out there,” the man replied.

The woman would sit closer as she would put the bottle aside, and then she would cross her fingers looking at the man’s dull, like eyes nodding for certain.

“Why do you drink?” the woman asked.

“To have fun?” the man replied. “Why else would I?”

The woman would then center herself with him staring at him directly in the eyes as she would then look to her side, looking at a window where the trees were mostly covered in darkness.

“It’s dark outside,” the woman would say “Are you afraid of the dark?”
“No?” the man replied.
“Are you certain?” the woman asked again.
“Again, no,” the man replied.

The woman would nod softly as she would uncross her fingers once more,

looking at the bottles and again looking at the window, only this time to look at the man with a half-skeptical face her blue-ish eyes shining.

“You’re afraid,” said the woman unbothered.

The man would look at the lady almost in an angry manner, as then her would get closer to the lady, now eyes half open from his tired face.

“And what makes you say that?” the man asked.

“Because you are, I just feel it,” the woman replied softly.

The man would look at the window, the lady was looking at staring into the abysmal forest, she was staring at the forest with clear fear within her face, then would look at the man’s now silver revealed eyes for a change. But then he would look deep down, take a deep breath, and look at the lady with a soft look.

“I am afraid of the dark because I don’t know what could be hiding in it,” the man said while holding one of the bottles

“Wow.. I am sorry,” the woman replied.

The woman would then flinch from her seat and then look at the window, eyes hiding from the dark, panting softly, she would hold one of the bottles, playing with it, her body trembling softly as the man would then look at the lady's body tremble, then would grin.

“You sound afraid,” the man said.
“Because I am scared of the dark,” the woman replied.

The man would stand up stretching softly putting some money on the counter as then he would start to walk to the exit as then he would turn around, the lady slowly vanishing into thin air her body turning into ash almost as if she was never there as then he would put on his hood ready to exit the bar.

“Aren’t we all afraid of the dark?” the man would say before he would start to walk into the dark forest to wander into the dark.