The Girl in my Shadow

Krista

You might think that the Shadow Plane is all dark, gloomy, and scary. You might think that it's this weird place that's all purple and foggy with tons of eyes all over it that you can banish people to in a card game. You might think it's a place that might swallow someone whole. It isn't any of these things. All it is is very pale. It's just a white void. It has no dimension to it, so it's more or less like walking around on a whiteboard. It really suits us shadows, since we're two-dimensional. 

You might think that, as shadows, we walk around with our Bound Ones all of the time. That's only half-true. When we aren't able to be seen by our Bound Ones or anyone around them, we may do as we wish. We may talk to anyone we want to inside the Shadow Plane, even if the one they are bound to is halfway across the world from the one you are bound to. 

You might question the title of "Bound Ones". All it means is that there is one specific person to whom you are attached to from the moment of our birth; we are born at the same time, after all. Of course, one can be unbound from their shadow for a variety of reasons, but that's another matter entirely. 

You might think that shadows and their Bound Ones are identical people, in both the mind and the body. This one is obviously true. In my fifteen years of living, I have never, ever heard of a shadow and their Bound One having separate personalities, so it cannot be possible. It must not be possible. 

My Bound One, Krista, fancies herself a boy. I can't imagine why. I mean, I'm a part of her. I'm her shadow. I am her equal in mind, body, and spirit, and I am certain that I am a girl. Therefore, she can not possibly be a boy. I do not know where she acquired this inane notion, but I know that it's wrong. So, I have to remind her. 

Seemingly every moment that we're alone together, I need to remind her that she is a girl. She seems intent on the completely ungrounded fact that she's a boy, so I need to tell her all the things that make her a girl. "Boys don't sit like that." "Only girls like to do that." "Boys don't dress that way." "Face it. You'll always be a girl." 

Somehow, she still completely fails to grasp this concept! She tells me to shut up, or to go away, and that she wishes that I wouldn't talk to her. It hurts me, but I know that I can't give up. I know that I need to stop her before she does something drastic. If she somehow convinces other people that she's a boy, then people will think that I'm a boy. They'll call me a boy, and talk about me as though I'm a boy, and I'll have to reflect in whatever boyish form she takes on, and I don't want that to happen.

I'm a girl. Therefore, she's a girl. And I need her to know it.

Author's note: Sorry this update took so long. I'm not doing great and I've been busy. I doubt any of you were actually waiting for this, but whatever. Much love!