I continued running down the darkened sidewalk, my sneakers crunching on the scattered carpet of rotting leaves. Taking yet another nervous glance behind me, I could see its ghastly shape in the midst of the deathly sky. There was nothing I could do to keep the fierce wind and rain from matting my sandy brown hair across my face and eyes. Close behind me in the unnatural grayness of the storm, I could see it. It was still there, gaining on me. In the reflection of a stray puddle, I could see that my blue eyes were like a troubled storm at sea, filled to the brim with tidal waves of fear.

Looking ahead again, I dashed down a deserted alleyway. Unfortunately, however my pursuer was like the autumn storm around me. It was trying to swallow me whole, while beating any strands of hope out of me with the pounding rain. Finger-lets of lightning lit up the sky, as though reaching out to snag my drenched clothes as they billow in the relentless wind. The following clap of thunder was the storm laughing at my hopeless predicament. Cold gnawed at my soul, voraciously devouring my will to survive. How many times had I been chased like this? Chased with no chance of escape or closure? It had been too long to count. Too many horrid years living in constant fear of that creature.

A stray tin can rolled under my foot, and I toppled headfirst into a large puddle of water surrounding a grated drain. Stumbling upwards, I could feel the harsh rain upon my scratched arms and through the torn knees of my jeans. The harsh bitter taste in my mouth told me to spit, spewing the dirty drain water onto the concrete. I continued to run. There was nothing else I could do, but I hadn't gone very far when my left ankle gave out, twisting under me at a horrible angle. Once more, I fell, my anklebone snapping loudly. I cried out in pain, but the taunting thunder's laughter was all that I could hear. Behind me, the dark silhouette grew closer and closer. Closer still it came; so close I could make out the grotesque features of its ominous form.

Then I woke up. Sitting up in bed with my heart nearly pounding itself out of my chest, I quickly turned on the nearby lamp with my clammy hands. Rays of light poked through the darkness of my room in the Hopkins Mental Health Facility. My fearful eyes searched the corners for my pursuer. Nothing. I saw no menacing intruder hiding in the cramped space. Perhaps I really am crazy. Perhaps I do belong in this wretched place. I sighed deeply. Just one more place to look. Slowly I turned to gaze at the wall beside me and screamed. There on the wall was the shadow. MY shadow. It had found me again, as it always did.