27. Shadow on the scent

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The shadow ran tirelessly, casting back and forth. It had been seeking for clues along the four other major roads without stopping, but still hadn't found the scent of its prey. It was now heading for the fifth. It was patient. It knew eventually it would find the trail.

"Bring her unharmed," the Hunter had said, "she is important."

The shadow did not question its Hunter – but because of their connection, for a while it caught a glimpse of a memory in his mind. Buildings fell down, the sky filled with flame, shadows flew through the air, and there was a baby the Master wanted badly. Finally, the body of a young woman, twisted in an unnatural position on top of debris. Then the pictures disappeared, leaving only huge disappointment that something that should have been theirs had disappeared. It was a scene the shadow knew well, because it had been there too.

Probably the most terrifying thing about the shadows was that they lacked awareness of their own true nature. Their consciousness extended so far and no further, as if they were creatures that had been deliberately stopped at a particular stage of development. Their belief in their own existence meant they would do anything, just like any other living thing, if they needed to fight for survival. They existed and ceased to exist in an illusion of individuality.

The shadow would please the Masters. It would find the one it was sent to fetch. That way it would live. Life was the goal - its own life.

xxxx

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Link to Amazon: http://amzn.to/1T5GgnE - you can also click on the "external link" below.

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