Kaden's Shadow
Kaden sat on the bridge overlooking a crystal river; his legs swinging as he threw a rippling shadow onto the waves. He had his school uniform on, but he hadn’t attended school that day. He untwisted his tie, letting it flap freely across his chest. The breeze was nice today, and there were just enough trees to cast a light shadow over Kaden so the light from the sun wasn’t as harsh. He looked up through the branches of the trees and pushed his sunglasses higher when the sun met his eyes.
“Mister, where were you at school today?” cried a stern voice from the left.
Kaden turned his head to see a shadow-of-a man stomp towards him; dried leaves crackled beneath his soles.
“Hey, Mr. Daniels,” Kaden greeted, and pushed his sleeves up as if he was ready for a sudden brawl.
“Don’t, ‘Hey, Mr. Daniels’ me!” the teacher retorted, slamming clenched fists onto his sides. He was a lean man, with thin wrists and small shoulders, but all his bite was in his voice. Given the right circumstances, he could even get the last word in an argument with Hitler.
However, Kaden was unfazed, and said, “Oh, I mean, ‘Hey, Mr. Daniels’, sir.”
Daniels sighed and leaned on the part of the cement bridge where Kaden sat, and brushed brown hair out of his eyes.
Kaden stared down at the mouth – or butt, Kaden didn’t know – of the river where it touched the horizon.
“How did you know I skipped, anyway?” Kaden asked.
Daniels shifted to lean on the cement with his arms folded in front of his chest. He looked at the clear water below. He saw a small fish swim away, leaving small white bubbles in its wake.
“I know you aren’t in my class anymore, but, you know what they say: ‘a great magician never reveals his secrets’!” Daniels answered, meeting Kaden’s hidden eyes and grinning up at him.
“Oh, get over yourself, Daniels,” Kaden stated and turned away sharply from his gaze. “I was merely trying to start a conversation. Besides, we both know that the school only has a population of 333 and ½.”
“One half?” Daniels asked quizzically.
“You never thought Jackson was kinda short?” Kaden asked, holding one hand above the ground to show an exaggerated shortness.
Daniels smiled, and then laughed. He had a sweet laugh; one that always made Kaden feel good on the worst of days. His laugh was also contagious, and Kaden soon began to grin.
“You know, you have great potential,” Daniels said, getting more serious, but a smile still flickered on his lips. Kaden rolled his eyes. He knew where this was going.
“You’re amazing at math. We could really use a tutor like you,” Daniels continued, “I could even get you out of that delinquents program.”
“I’m sick of hearing about my ‘potential’. I’m not made for school. Do you know what I’m made for? Me, and only me,” Kaden said bitterly and shrugged. “Besides, you know how I am. I’d just end up hurting people anyway.”
“You can change, Kaden. It’ll take time, but –”
“That’s impossible. It’s like taking a square block and trying to shove it through a circular hole. You’re trying to force me to do something I wasn’t made for,” Kaden stated emotionlessly. “Even if you can change me, I’ll still be the same deep down inside. No matter how pure an object is, it’ll always cast a black shadow.”
Daniels stared at the side of Kaden’s face for a while, and then turned away silently. A breeze blew leaves across the ground that made scratching noises with their dried tendrils. The noise seemed amplified in the silence that drifted along like a lingering shadow.
“Why don’t you just give up?” Kaden said finally, looking down at Daniels. “But if you’re getting paid to hound me, I’ll understand.”
“The truth is –”
“‘You were just like me when you were a little kid,’ yeah?” Kaden hazarded a guess.
“Well, that is the most cliché thing to say I could say at the moment, but that isn’t the reason. Quite the opposite actually,” Daniels said seriously. “I’m nothing like you – not now, nor when I was a kid.”
“Then why?” Kaden asked, suppressing a tone of curiosity.
“The one thing I’m good at is helping people, so I tend to use the talent where I can.”
“You saying I need help?” Kaden asked defensively.
“Kaden, everyone needs help, whether you know it or not,” Daniels said sternly. Kaden never retorted, but frowned in response. “Let’s just say I know how to cast a white shadow.”
Daniels smiled. Taking the silent reaction from Kaden as an opportunity to leave, he pushed off from the cement surface. The teacher started to walk down the path towards the school.
“See you at school, Ahvari,” Daniels said with teacher authority.
Kaden regarded not answering, but said, “Yes, sir.”
Daniels smiled to himself, and turned his head slightly so that Kaden could hear what he had to say next:
“Your shadow just got a shade lighter.”
“Mister, where were you at school today?” cried a stern voice from the left.
Kaden turned his head to see a shadow-of-a man stomp towards him; dried leaves crackled beneath his soles.
“Hey, Mr. Daniels,” Kaden greeted, and pushed his sleeves up as if he was ready for a sudden brawl.
“Don’t, ‘Hey, Mr. Daniels’ me!” the teacher retorted, slamming clenched fists onto his sides. He was a lean man, with thin wrists and small shoulders, but all his bite was in his voice. Given the right circumstances, he could even get the last word in an argument with Hitler.
However, Kaden was unfazed, and said, “Oh, I mean, ‘Hey, Mr. Daniels’, sir.”
Daniels sighed and leaned on the part of the cement bridge where Kaden sat, and brushed brown hair out of his eyes.
Kaden stared down at the mouth – or butt, Kaden didn’t know – of the river where it touched the horizon.
“How did you know I skipped, anyway?” Kaden asked.
Daniels shifted to lean on the cement with his arms folded in front of his chest. He looked at the clear water below. He saw a small fish swim away, leaving small white bubbles in its wake.
“I know you aren’t in my class anymore, but, you know what they say: ‘a great magician never reveals his secrets’!” Daniels answered, meeting Kaden’s hidden eyes and grinning up at him.
“Oh, get over yourself, Daniels,” Kaden stated and turned away sharply from his gaze. “I was merely trying to start a conversation. Besides, we both know that the school only has a population of 333 and ½.”
“One half?” Daniels asked quizzically.
“You never thought Jackson was kinda short?” Kaden asked, holding one hand above the ground to show an exaggerated shortness.
Daniels smiled, and then laughed. He had a sweet laugh; one that always made Kaden feel good on the worst of days. His laugh was also contagious, and Kaden soon began to grin.
“You know, you have great potential,” Daniels said, getting more serious, but a smile still flickered on his lips. Kaden rolled his eyes. He knew where this was going.
“You’re amazing at math. We could really use a tutor like you,” Daniels continued, “I could even get you out of that delinquents program.”
“I’m sick of hearing about my ‘potential’. I’m not made for school. Do you know what I’m made for? Me, and only me,” Kaden said bitterly and shrugged. “Besides, you know how I am. I’d just end up hurting people anyway.”
“You can change, Kaden. It’ll take time, but –”
“That’s impossible. It’s like taking a square block and trying to shove it through a circular hole. You’re trying to force me to do something I wasn’t made for,” Kaden stated emotionlessly. “Even if you can change me, I’ll still be the same deep down inside. No matter how pure an object is, it’ll always cast a black shadow.”
Daniels stared at the side of Kaden’s face for a while, and then turned away silently. A breeze blew leaves across the ground that made scratching noises with their dried tendrils. The noise seemed amplified in the silence that drifted along like a lingering shadow.
“Why don’t you just give up?” Kaden said finally, looking down at Daniels. “But if you’re getting paid to hound me, I’ll understand.”
“The truth is –”
“‘You were just like me when you were a little kid,’ yeah?” Kaden hazarded a guess.
“Well, that is the most cliché thing to say I could say at the moment, but that isn’t the reason. Quite the opposite actually,” Daniels said seriously. “I’m nothing like you – not now, nor when I was a kid.”
“Then why?” Kaden asked, suppressing a tone of curiosity.
“The one thing I’m good at is helping people, so I tend to use the talent where I can.”
“You saying I need help?” Kaden asked defensively.
“Kaden, everyone needs help, whether you know it or not,” Daniels said sternly. Kaden never retorted, but frowned in response. “Let’s just say I know how to cast a white shadow.”
Daniels smiled. Taking the silent reaction from Kaden as an opportunity to leave, he pushed off from the cement surface. The teacher started to walk down the path towards the school.
“See you at school, Ahvari,” Daniels said with teacher authority.
Kaden regarded not answering, but said, “Yes, sir.”
Daniels smiled to himself, and turned his head slightly so that Kaden could hear what he had to say next:
“Your shadow just got a shade lighter.”
