[ WP ] You live in a world where people 's shadows show who they truly are at their core . Some shadows look like monsters , some look like animals . You are the only person in the world with no shadow .

College. Probably the only place in the world where you ’ d see shadows of such variety intertwined amongst themselves. The front of the library was the central hub of the school, and I found it to be the easiest spot to spend my time. My roommates didn ’ t quite know what to do with me, and if I sat by myself, it only made me look worse. With everyone gathered in a crowd, it was impossible to tell shadow to student, and some could even talk to me like I was normal. 
 
 “ Hey buddy! ” It was Chad, oddly enough. He ’ d exited out the library, his shadow a tall and muscular gorilla, strong like he always was. “ You ’ re looking great today, man. You been working out? ” 
 
 “ Yeah man, ” I lied, smiling and clasping hands with him. We both sat at the bench, facing out towards the crowds of people passing by. “ So I heard you and Janet broke up. ” 
 
 “ Fuck yeah, ” Chad laughed. “ She was a bitch and I got over it. I ’ m hooking up with Trisha now, and she ’ s cool. ” 
 
 “ Yeah, Janet ’ s such a bitch, ” I agreed, nodding my head enthusiastically. “ Good riddance. ” 
 
 “ Yeah. ” 
 
 We sat in silence for a while. A man with the shadow of a demon walked by. It was large and strong, and I felt a flare of anger and violence by staring at it. 
 
 “ Well, I got ta head to my next class, ” Chad clapped me on the back, standing up. “ I ’ ll see you around, dude. ” 
 
 “ Yeah, see ya. ” 
 
 I sit alone for a while, waiting for someone else to come and talk to me. I know a lot of people here, and I get along really great with all of them. I suppose most people just take a bit of getting used to the fact that I have no shadow, but most don ’ t mind after a long while. 
 
 My roommates never adjusted well, though. They were all great friends for years, and I got matched with them since the apartments are all four-person rooms. Great guys – a giraffe, a penguin, and an albatross were who they were. Really unique. 
 
 Thing was, they were so different that it was really tough to follow them all in a group. One on one talks were great, but I just couldn ’ t handle the three at once, and I think they could tell. 
 
 It wasn ’ t long before Janet walked up to me, her face a mess of tears and stained makeup. She plopped herself down beside me. 
 
 “ I ’ m so glad you ’ re still here, ” she said, her voice really close to cracking. “ I ’ m such a wreck right now and I really need someone to listen to me and I know you ’ re friends with like everybody and I really still love Chad and I don ’ t even know what to do. ” 
 
 “ Relax, calm down, Janet, ” I smile at her, laying a protective hand on her shoulder. 
 
 “ I heard Chad was going around telling everyone how much of a super huge bitch I am and I – ” 
 
 “ Janet, you ’ re not a bitch, ” I reassure her. 
 
 “ Really? ” She seemed to swell up with pride at the statement. She smiled. “ Thank you for saying that. You always say the nicest things. ” 
 
 “ It ’ s what I do. ” 
 
 “ God, ” Janet sighed. “ I can ’ t believe I lost him. He had the nicest eyes… ” 
 
 What color were Chad ’ s eyes? 
 
 I pause before responding, suppressing my knee-jerk reaction to agree. For a moment, I stare down at the crooked and cracked floor near my table. It was the only spot in the whole area I could clearly see a person ’ s shadow. Any further out and I ’ d be lost. 
 
 I shrug. Chad ’ s eye color does n't matter. He's a gorilla shadow. I turn back to Jessica, staring at the lithe form of her lioness shadow, and I feel a sense of familial strength often associated with her type. I breathe a sigh of relief, settling back into my nature. 
 
 I am the lion. 
 
 I am the shadow.
