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Shadows that Follow

Rust and Sweat

A Path to Follow

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Sebastián Iturralde
July 7, 2021
3 minute read
Dark Light
Experiences with the world limit the perspective to understand the lives of others. Some of us are unable to deal with our demons.

Feeling the power to control everything at his fingertips, surely this day would unfold differently. Damien embarked on a new journey in the outside world. Calm down, he repeated to himself, while walking near a noisy road. Everything is going to be alright.

His awareness kept him relatively calm, and he was sure that everything would turn out as he had planned. Every footstep took him farther away from his last home, away from the places he knew. Damien saw for the first time a large building decorated with plants that hung from its walls.

Damien’s curiosity helped him walk without fear of the unknown. Everything will be different this time. As soon as he reached the entrance he saw a strange man by the door, wearing a black uniform. Damien immediately turned, realizing he made a mistake, but there was no one behind him.

It’s all in your imagination, he told himself.

Damien tried to act normally and entered the mall. At least that’s what he thought, while cheerily walking with the tune of a melody in his head, and picking up the pace as soon as he passed the guard. This has to be a trap.

Frustration overtook Damien when he realized his plans began to fail. Why do they want me? Can’t they understand I’m trying to put them behind me?

He took the first right and felt safe away from the guard. Then, Damien stopped and turned to see if there was someone chasing after him. The mall was filled with strangers, it was impossible for him to know.

No one is chasing you, he thought. Just relax. Breathe

Damien continued walking casually. Admiring the large glass wall in front of a store. Waiting for a signal to confirm his suspicion. Paying attention to the people walking nearby. There were too many of them. Damien couldn’t distinguish the people chasing him from the rest, and his heart began to race. It was now clear to him that he had fallen in their trap.

Act normal, he thought, let’s find a way out of here.

He saw a person walking out of a small hallway and walked towards it to hide. What am I going to do? he thought, grabbing a gun out of his backpack. There are too many of them.

Damien’s hand began to tremble, as he hid the gun behind him.

Breathe and wait for them to take the first step. Most of these people are not part of the trap.

Damien walked down the hallway to find a way out until he reached a dead end. There has to be another way out, he thought and returned to the large corridor of the mall. He tried to walk inconspicuously, but his fear made it almost impossible. He carefully studied all the people walking nearby, and imagined taking out the gun to defend himself.

This was the worst trap he had fallen into, Damien was sure that someone was about to attack him, and he felt trapped. He wanted a regular life. Like the people walking around him, unaware of the dangers behind the secret society. Free from the constant fear of getting caught.

Damien couldn’t remember a time in his life when he wasn’t running from them. Not even as a young boy. They had always chased after him. He had something they needed.

Calm down, he thought as soon as he saw an exit sign. Everything is going to be alright.

He walked towards the sign….

“Sir, would you like to try one of these…” said a beautiful young woman offering samples on a tray.

“I know what you’re doing,” Damien said and pulled the gun.

The woman froze as soon as she saw the gun pointed at her, and let go of the tray. The strange man behind the gun looked aggressive and ready to shoot.

“You won’t catch me alive,” he said and I raised his gun to shoot at the ceiling.

The people closest to the gun shot threw themselves to the ground, while the rest of the people in the mall stopped and turned to look in the direction of the blast.

The crowd began to run in search of the nearest exit. Damien also ran with them, and felt comfortable being part of the crowd. They were like a team with the same objective. They also wanted to escape from the people looking for him.

Damien allowed himself to be carried away by the group and concealed the weapon.

They can’t catch us now, he thought, and ran out of the mall.

Author

Sebastián Iturralde

Writer of enigmatic tales, weaving captivating narratives that provoke thought and stir the imagination. Unveiling the depths of human experience through words.
86 comments

  1. When anyone say to you or usually we say to ourselves that I hate my life or some body say’s that your life is tough ,then smile and say ” I am more tougher than that ” .

  6. I like the way you switch the pronouns around; it makes Damien seem schizophrenic. The “I raised his gun”… that’s really a fascinating technique. Thanks!

  8. Is he suffering with paranoid delusions or is someone really after him. We are all be observed and we accept it as part of our lives… But there are rebels. Is Damien a rebel, does he know things that we don’t? I’ll await part 2 with baited breath…..

  10. In my superstitious society we would say this character is possessed by evil spirits. But I would personally say he is obsessed with illusions. And I was about to ask: could this be the reason behind the recent genocides in malls? Psychological problems?

  16. Well that’s comforting… That there are others…. That refuse to conform even when it’s easier to quit…..I like Damien , so few have true courage left

  17. I enjoy your writing style. Easy to read and to engage. Having worked mental health, I can see some of my patients in this paradigm.

  18. This is a very interesting story and plot. Reminds me of faces in the crowd–a German influence silent movie. Good mix of show and tell.

  22. A well-written account of a schizophrenic dealing with his altered reality. We need more of such recordings, considering most of us are living in ignorance about their plight.

    1. Wooooow , what a comment in a year I got to see like this , short but ” full of attitude and it’s very few words but you said Many words in this ” three worlds ” .

  26. Thanks for your like of my post, “The Seal Judgments – Revelation 6:1-17;” your kindness is greatly appreciated.

  27. I worked in a Mall, as an Optician. Since I was involved in the store there, I had access to the corridors that most never saw. The story was evocative to me, in that sense, and to others I’m sure that have been in Malls to the Restrooms or other services, some offices that pertain to the running of the mall are not in the otherwise premium store spaces, they are hidden.

    I’m interested in this, it is ripe with potential: “They can’t catch us now, he thought and ran out of the mall.” Namely the use of us.

    The other sentence: ““You won’t catch me alive,” he said and I raised his gun to shoot at the ceiling.”

    Is the “I” and “us” used in these two sentences the result of the plot, or the result of Translation? Only time will tell, perhaps.

    Great Work.

  29. We all have shadows lurking about, demons waiting to suck our life energy from us. Disappearing in the crowd may seem safe, but what if the crowd has already been relieved of their life energy? When coming out of the pit, beware of the snare!

  30. You know what would add to this story? Voices inside the man that bring up relevant information and generalizations about each person. I had this going on one time. It will eventually drive him insane, especially if he’s locked in and dragged with a desire he has to fight. The people who do such things need to work on that not messing things up. I stick my tongue out at them. Maybe I’ll write a small story later. I like your writing. You must be especially into thrillers.

  32. Great story. Thanks for the like on my post. im having a tough time right now, and that gesture helped quite a bit, its appreciated.

  36. Does Damine fight with mental disorders? Sounds like he could be schizophrenic. Hits close to home for me as I have family members who have felt with mental disorders. Good read, though.

  41. Yeah!! It’s real
    People are going through many things in the same situation. They could not able think about them, some will find a new path to living but some couldn’t. Support those who need you.

  47. Walking – in a new or strange place, always a new or strange feeling /or both/. One evening long ago I was walking along the Nanjing Road in Shanghai, in the evening, realizing that I would not be able to understand anyone here, or be understood by them – an uneasy feeling that was a kind of freedom.

  55. Wow! This is really interesting! Very wonderful story you’ve written here with wonderful prose. I wouldn’t mind reading a part 2 😉

  59. What a captivating read from top to bottom, simply fantastic. Can’t wait for the sequel!

  62. Reading your short stories make an impact on my spirit (Dowie). I have a feeling that I know you from someplace else in the time-space continuum. You have charismatic attributes that remind me of the.’ spellbinding Oral History in a storytelling format, my people, passed down for generations. And you are correct. Creativity is born from the natural world around us and of the creation ancestors themselves. You’re going to make it. You’re in

  64. Thanks for all that you do with you site; it is needed. Also, thanks for following my site, and for your likes of my posts, which are encouraging for me. Please have a wonderful day.

  73. At first I thought it was a dystopian story, but then it seemed the danger was his own delusions. He was so far gone that the gun and the shooting could have been in his imagination as well, especially since he slipped into the crowd so easily.

  79. Pingback: Shadows that Follow by Sebastian Iturralde – Gobblers / Masticadores // Editores: Manuela Timofte / j re crivello

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