The Day the Shadows Left

Transcription

Listen to my story. Once upon a time. There was a tree by a cliff shore. The cliff was on an island in the sea. One day the sun went away and all the shadows left. They broke free from their objects. I saw it all happen. They floated at first – unsure what happened. But then they danced. It was hard to see them at first. When the sun returned I did. They were all tangled and morphing, becoming their own shapes. A dragon. A horse. A crow. I watched. We were jealous of their movement. So free. So fluid. I have only been in one place. I love my place above the sea but the shadows were dancing. I only dance in the wind. In storms I really move. They didn’t speak to us anymore. They didn’t have to stay. I began to miss mine. We had grown together. Two parts of the same. A day passed. We were alone, just us, on the island. A storm came and I danced. I danced as much as I could, wishing I could uproot and leave too. I pulled at myself. The rocks began to loosen. I danced and twisted and pulled. Slowly I felt it. Unfastening. A severing. Breaking the chains. I started to fall down. The trees around me stared. I fell forward. The rocks were sharp. They cut my bark as I fell. The feeling was exhilarating. I saw the shore for the first time. I fell into the sea. The water took me. I floated. I never knew I could float. I was floating for days. Looking for something. I saw boats up close. I grew barnacles. And then I landed on the beach.