This short story was written in response to a story prompt that I wrote down one afternoon. I'd been walking in the sunlight in the countryside, on a gravel path, and I was enjoying the silence. I saw my shadow extending in front of me, and for a moment, I imagined how I'd react if I saw it move independently of me.
That got me thinking about shadows as separate from us, and shadows as a reflection of us. But they're not reflections. If they were reflections, what would they reflect? What aspect of our personality, character or soul would be represented by our permanent companion, and what would it mean if they left us, abandoned us?
This story is the result.