[ WP ] Your shadow has become a physical entity with its own thoughts , feelings and emotions . You begin to fall for it , but can not touch it .

It was unlike any unrequited love I'd ever known. There's always longing when there is someone seemingly out of reach, but what if you could n't touch them regardless? If a person you pined over, day in and day out, was n't just a country away, but literally in a different space? Like looking through a window into another world, you can see what's happening, perhaps even communicate, but when you reach out you just hit a solid surface. This was my love. My strange, unrequited love, for someone I ca n't even grasp with my hand. My love for my shadow, who in some strange way, found itself alive. 
 
 Upon her arrival she confessed to me that she had always been `` alive'' but never really active. As if she were in a coma. At first I thought I'd gone insane. I was actually talking to a wall in my home, the only difference was something talked back. I asked how this was even possible but she could n't answer that. Her existence was a mystery even to herself, but she carried on as if she were a flesh and blood woman. It took some time getting used to her, but I've long since questioned how she came to be or why she chose to stick close to me. 
 
 She dubbed herself `` Julia'' saying she felt like it was a good name for her. Julia, being a shadow, never needed to eat but she always joined me at my meals. It was fascinating listening to her talk about how she saw the world. I guess when you are stagnant for so long, even mundane things are exciting. Julia loved going grocery shopping for some reason, she was especially fond of magazines, though she did n't really know much about the people in them. I would often pick up one or two just for her when we got home. She became a fan of television rather quickly and I would often leave the TV on at night so she could stay up and watch it. As time passed Julia became part of my daily routine. She became a part of my life. 
 
 Eventually, I worked up some nerve to talk to Julia directly. I asked her if she'd ever felt `` attracted'' to someone. She told me she was n't quite sure. I asked how she felt about me, and she replied that I was important to her. She thought we had a bond that was more than just her being my shadow but she could n't quite place it. I wanted to push a little more, I wanted to take a chance and tell her how I felt. How I began to fell about her. But in my heart, I knew that I could n't. Even if she did feel the same, what were they to do? For Julia, she'd never known the intimacy between two people. She could n't hold hands, or kiss, or make love. I wanted to tell myself all of that was n't important, that relationships were more than just physical. But it's human nature to want contact, especially with someone you love. Even worse was the thought of her not feeling the same, followed by an unforeseen amount of time together. Julia was my shadow. She could only go so far from me. I felt that if I told her, and she did n't reciprocate my feelings, it would ruin our current relationship. 
 
 I still have n't told her my feelings. Julia's still by my side, like always. Nothing between us has changed for the time being. She still finds wonder in anything new and never fails to keep me company. Even still, I wonder how long I can keep this up. How long I can keep my trapped inside. I wonder if I find someone to date, what their response will be. It's cliche but she's so close, yet so far away. For now, I act the same as I always have. She still eats with me, I leave the TV on for her, some nights I even stay up and watch with her. I treasure every moment of it, especially since I'm not sure how much longer we'll be like this.
