Why You Should Be Afraid of Your Shadow

My character Allie is commenting on her biggest fear at Come in Character today. I thought I’d share her answer here.

digits shadow / hand by CTD 2005 on Flickr – Photo Sharing!

Like most phobia’s mine has a medical term — hypnagogia. Sleep paralysis. Long ago it was called Old Hag’s syndrome. But if you’ve experienced what I’m talking about, then you know it’s not a condition, not a syndrome. If you’ve stared into the glowing red eyes of a shadow being, you know the paralysis comes from without and not within.

If you’re like me, you probably know all there is to know about shadows.

 A shadow is the mirror image projection of an opaque object positioned between a light source and a reflective surface.

A shadow is an area that is totally unilluminated.

Moving shadows are a personification, a misperception. A moving object causing rapid change in projected length generates the impression of a shadow moving or following an object.

A shadow is an impenetrable absence. An acoustic shadow is a place sound can’t touch. There are rain shadows. And there are shadows, voids, only love can cast.

Shadows have three parts: antumbra, pentumbra, umbra(the darkest part). Not all shadows are shadows.

~Allison
Character from The Mesmerist’s Tale and The Shadow’s Tale (works in progress)