Full Moon-Appalachian Shifters

Chapter Five The Shadow

Watching them was interesting. Should I make a move? Should I interrupt this delicate dance between them? There were so many options and all ended in chaos. Chaos was my favorite scenario.

I thrived on it. How could I make life more complicated? I watched the snow bunny and the fox; I watched the trickster and the white witch. Her sister was a vapid creature without a magical bone in her body.

Sighing I inhaled the cold night air wondering what my next move should be. The chess pieces were in play with the snow bunny. The fox would be blamed for her being gone. He wasn’t responsible.

In fact, he was fast asleep due to the knockout poison that was pumped into his car. The old woman was fascinating, she was mortal, but there was an aura of darkness that I have only seen with devils and sinners.

What was her secret? There was a story as to why she had such a depressing aura. Making my way around the car I could have sworn she saw me a few times but I am nothing but air and shadows.

“Why are you doing this?” Stopping my observations I listened to her with her rusty voice. Was she talking to me?

“You, yes you, why are you doing this?” Why was I doing this? Shrugging my nothingness I went back to setting the rest of the pieces into play.

I was the shadow, I had no name, no existence. The other car was coming now and I drifted back to the edge of the road. I needed to have the other sister stalled while the coyote followed her.

“You won’t get away with this you know that.” Waving the voice off I left the men to take the snow bunny. She was useless in my plans anyways.

The other, the white witch was flustered. I could taste her frustration and fear. I could practically smell the desperation on her.

I felt a prickle of unease. There was another watching her and it was not the trickster. The figure slunk around the woods. Padding on soft paws.

Drifting closer to the new interloper, I saw it raise green eyes to me, soft pink nose scenting the air and it let out a hiss as I came closer.

The air around it was murky, it was interested in the white witch too. It was not part of my plans and it was not one of my chess pieces.

I felt tingling along my back and it let out another angry yowl and ran off into the woods. I wanted to go after it. That creature was going to put a crimp in my plans.

“Leave them alone shadow. I warned you before about meddling in the affairs of humans.” The voice was neither male nor female but I still knew it.

“You have been absent long. Why do you now care about what happens with them?” We stared at one another. I have been chained to this earth for centuries.

“They are still my children even if they no longer worship me. They are still my children even if they no longer believe in me. You are pain and chaos; I will not let you interfere in this.” Anger boiled in me.

“You see me as some low-ranking manetu?” The creator shook their head and sighed as if I were the one to blame for all the suffering that was happening. They believed I was the one that polluted the earth so she cried and bled.

“You are walking a dangerous path; this is a fate that you cannot interfere with. The white witch is to be left alone.” Scoffing at their words I continued to look at the path the bobcat ran away down.

“LEAVE IT ALONE SHADOW!” I shivered but started to float toward the wayward cat. I needed to learn more. A hand grasped my ethereal shoulder and I looked at Them.

“If you proceed down this path shadow, I cannot save you. You will be seen as a manetuwak. I will then need to have you hunted.” Shrugging off their hand, I thought long and hard. Maybe I was already manetuwak.

“The witch needs the wise man, the trickster, and the protector. You do not play into this game shadow. Your time will come though. Choose wisely and I hope you will not be hunted.” I was left in the forest to think about my actions.

What did They mean about it not being my game? Everything was my game and that stupid cat was going to ruin my plans. Staring at the woods I decided to let it go for today and think about what They said.

Was I truly willing to turn into a manetuwak? I was wondering if it was all worth it.