Creativity Explored: ‘his’ shadow

Creativity Explored
is a Series where we do just that: explore creativity!
As part of this series, we started out with
a FAST FICTION exercise of the
STORY BEHIND the PHOTO
you can read more about that here and participate at any time as this is an ongoing exercise.

Here are some of the submissions to date:

Creativity Explored: Emilie & Gil in Cannes 
by Debbie Mako

Creativity Explored: Magnus and Chu
by Michelle Mason

Creativity Explored: Vivianne 
by Celia Entwistle

Creativity Explored: his shadow
by Christian Krumb (this one)

Creativity Explored: A weak light casts no shadows
by Susan McGregor (not yet published)

and more to come…

Creativity Explored: ‘his’ shadow

by Christian Krumb – Written in Chistian’s native language French and translated by him to English

He had an appointment with a shadow, ‘his’ shadow, he liked to say.

Like every night, he was to find her on the beach.

The first time was a sleepless night, one of those nights of twisting and turning in tangled situations. Which? He had forgotten. But they were not to leave him alone!

Tired of the war, he had surrendered his weapons and stepped out onto the beach lit by a pale moon that hovered above the waves.

He had just felt their presence behind him, a cold breath in his neck, a shiver in his back. But turning around, she was gone. He believed that it was an effect of his fatigue.

But a few days later, another sleepless night, he felt that she was behind his back again, so close to him that he could feel their breath… He did not believe in ghosts, but naturally curious, he told himself that perhaps this mysterious presence could have a message for him.

Occupying his mind searching for it, he forgot all his worries. He started to come every night, with the aim to approach that shadow and befriend it.

Gradually, the chills and thrills ceased. He was no longer afraid. He felt stronger. He felt then that the shadow seemed to gain in confidence too.

One night, very slowly, he stopped at the water’s edge. The waves laid their slow litany at his feet. Slowly he turned, and soon he found himself with the shadow in front of him. Slowly, with infinite caution, he raised his eyes. The shadow, whose silhouette he could guess, shuddered at the sight of him. It was then that he felt that they were sliddering towards him. It is as if she came to embrace him, and to melt inside his skin, to merge in him. A great shiver ran through him.

Nothing, neither behind nor in front or around, but the music of the waves and the wind. He went back home, then he sat down like a sleepwalker in the large armchair facing the ocean. He felt deep inside that nothing a great feeling of plenitude, that everything was inside. And without noticing, he fell asleep like a baby.

Christian Krumb

Il avait rendez-vous avec l’ombre, « son » ombre se plaisait-il à dire.

Comme chaque nuit, il la retrouvait sur la plage.

La première fois, c’était une nuit d’insomnie, une de ces nuits à tourner et retourner dans les draps des situations inextricables. Laquelle ? Il avait oublié. Mais elle, elle ne le lâchait pas !

De guerre lasse, il avait rendu les armes, et il était sorti sur la plage éclairé par une lune blafarde qui planait au-dessus des vagues.

Il avait juste senti sa présence derrière lui, un souffle glacé dans le cou, un frisson lui avait traversé son dos. Mais en se retournant, elle avait disparu. Il a cru à un effet de la fatigue.

Mais quelques jours plus tard, à l’occasion d’une nouvelle nuit sans dormir, il avait senti qu’elle était dans son dos, presque collée à lui… Ne croyant pas aux fantômes, mais d’un naturel curieux, il se disait que peut-être cette présence mystérieuse avait peut-être un message pour lui.

Occupant son esprit à la chercher, il oubliait tous ses soucis. Il se mit à venir toutes les nuits, pour approcher cette ombre. Peu à peu, les frissons cessèrent. Il n’avait plus peur. Il se sentait plus fort. Il sentit alors qu’elle gagnait elle aussi en confiance.

Un jour tout doucement, il s’immobilisa auprès de l’eau. Les vagues déposaient à ses pieds leur lente litanie. Tout doucement, il se retourna, et bientôt, il se retrouva avec devant lui, l’ombre. Tout doucement, avec d’infinie précaution, il leva les yeux vers elle, dont il devinait la silhouette, frémissant de la découvrir. C’est alors qu’il senti qu’elle avançait vers lui. C’est comme si elle venait l’embrasser, et entrer en lui, se fondre en lui, Un grand frisson le parcourut.

Plus rien, ni derrière ni devant ni autour, que le chant des vagues et du vent. Il rentra et s’assit comme un somnambule dans le grand fauteuil qui fait face à l’océan et il sentit au fond de lui que rien ne lui manquait, que tout était là, enfin. Alors il s’endormit comme un bébé.

Creativity Explored
is a Series where we do just that: explore creativity!
As part of this series, we started out with
a FAST FICTION exercise of the
STORY BEHIND the PHOTO
you can read more about that here and participate at any time as this is an ongoing exercise.