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A Night of Friendship



Photo by: YouPic on Pinterest



It was the most colorful night of all. The sky was full of fireworks, and people were cheering for a new year ahead.

Little Frankie was walking among the streetlights, when suddenly he heard a voice behind him.



"Hello there."



"Hel...lo. Who-who are you?" Stuttered Frankie.



"I'm your shadow." The shadow answered in whispers.



"Wha-wha-what are you doing down there?" Asked Frankie anxiously.



"I'm following you. Wherever you go, I'll go." The shadow started to realize Frankie's anxious face. "Don't be afraid child, I'm not going to hurt you."



"You wouldn't?" Asked Frankie while crouching down his body closer to the ground.



"No, I wouldn't. I promise you, child. I'm just a shadow. I'm always around you, but I'll never be able to touch you."



"So you're my friend, then Mr. Shadow? You'll always stay by my side? When I'm playing with my Star Wars toys or jumping over couches of lavaworlds like Indiana Jones?"



"Yes, you can say that child."



"Even when I'm lonely because I woke up too early in the morning and nobody is awake in my house?" Asked Frankie excitingly with a high pitch voice.



The shadow sighed, and said,

"I guess so... Yes."



"Cool! Finally I have a friend who will never leave me. My other friends... They left me." Said Frankie sadly.



"Are you sure they are your friends, child?" Asked the shadow.



"Yeah. I was sure for many times. Last year we had many laughs together, we shared our favorite snacks, we did many cool things together. But suddenly this year, they... They..." Frankie shed his little tears, then broke into silence.



"They suddenly left you. With no further explanations or whatsoever. Is that what happened, child?" Asked the shadow.



Frankie nodded and stuttered,



"I didn't only lose my best friends... I also lost a few other people too. My closest ones. Why does this year brings so much loss to me?"



 He kept on crying while squatting his little body on the cold streets.



"Well child, I have seen millions of lives. I have followed millions of people, and see many friendships among them. It appears that your friendship was gone because nobody wanted to stay in it." Said the shadow.



"Nobody? What do you mean by nobody? You don't know what it's like to lose a person you love!" Shouted Frankie out loud while wiping his tears.



"Well.. I never lost anyone, but I leave my loved ones everyday. In fact, I will leave you too."



"Wha-what do you mean?" Asked Frankie.



"Everytime the day turns dark, everytime the night comes, I'll disappear. Everytime a light goes out, I'll disappear. And everytime I disappear, I leave my friends. Joining the appendage of darkness, along with the other shadows..." Answered the shadow.



Frankie stared down at the shadow, wondering and confused.



"...But child, listen… Even though I leave my friends everyday, it doesn't mean I lost them. For friendship is an eternal bond. The members of the friendship may leave, all of them may leave as far as they want to.  They can be your family, or even the love of your life. But the friendship that was once made will always be there. Waiting." Said the shadow in a soothing voice.



"So, child, even though now your friends are leaving you, you can always bring them back to your friendship. Reach their deepest heart, overcome your pride, break their misunderstandings, and mend your broken bonds."



Frankie wiped his tears again in silence for a few moments. He grasped on to the Shadow's words very carefully, and smiled.



With teary eyes and a smirk on his face, he said,

 "Thank you Mr. Shadow. I think you'll make a great friend for me. I wish I can hug you."



The shadow had little laugh and said, "Now that we're friends, I'll die everyday and leave you in your solitary sleep just to see you again in the morning. Because I know, child, and I believe, that our friendship will be there, no matter how many times I'll be leaving you."



Frankie smiled widely and said, "It's cold out here, and we better watch the fireworks with some warm chocolate. Let's go home, Mr. Shadow!"



Frankie then ran under the moon, along with the shadow following his every steps among the streetlights.

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