Hey friend! Welcome to The Diary of a Wizard. What was that, whacky and wondrous wizardry? This week there’s a bit of haunting going on at Auntie Shelly’s house. She seems more jiggly than a jumping jackrabbit and shakily scared like a cowardy custard, I think I can help her.
The Shadow Person: Day One
I got a messenger pigeon from Auntie Shelly early this morning. At night strange things keep happening in her old house on the hill. Auntie Shelly is not my auntie or yours either for that matter, she’s everyone’s aunty. She’s a crazy lady but she’s friendly and makes great cakes. She lives out there alone and is a bit of a nervous Nelly or maybe even a shnervous Shelly, so I better get out to the hill to see if I can be of assistance.
I summoned my trusty magical steed Billy, the oversized talking cockney mountain goat, and we spent the afternoon catching up. Things have been a little awkward since that meeting with Horace back at the Magical Steed Convention in week 40. He hasn’t quite seemed himself, and he keeps asking if I’ve spoken to Horace, all with an angrily sarcastic undertone. He lingers on the word “Horace” for a bit too long, and through gritted teeth. That goat’s got issues I tell ya.
After having to hand Billy endless verbal reassurances eventually, we had a nice afternoon and as the evening drew in, we made ready for our quest to the hill. We will leave bright and breezy in the morrow.
The Shadow Person: Day Two
We awoke to a windy morning and headed off somewhere near dawn’s crack. It’ll take until this evening to reach the house on the hill. It’s situated in The Spooky Part of the Woods, so I’ll need to put on my brave hat for this one, and yes I will be taking my sword. I hate The Spooky Part of the woods. I’m not scared or anything though, I swear, it’s just kinda cold and dark and cobwebby is all.
After travelling for hours amongst the twisted trees that creaked and moaned in the wind, and the mist that swirled around the forest floor. After tangling with vampire bats and red-eyed crows, we had made it to The Spooky Part of the Woods and all the way to the hill where Auntie Shelly lives. Now the thing about this hill is there is always a storm happening. Like it’s always at the right moment that the thunder booms or the lightning cracks the sky to make it spooky as it can be.
We could see the silhouette of the tall and crooked house with strange towers that twisted skyward. Fighting against the elements Billy and I, struggled all the way to the top.
Finally, we reached the big heavy front door with a brass knocker that looked like a bull with a ring through its nose. I knocked and it echoed around the rickety old house, and then the door opened. I smiled broadly expecting to see Aunt Shelly standing there but to my surprise the door appeared to have opened on its own.
Slowly we walked inside, I drew my sword, the air was thick with anticipation. The floorboards creaked, and all of a sudden, I felt as jumpy as a jiggling jack rabbit as the air around us grew cold. Then I heard a strange whisper that lingered on the air.
“Wizard.” It went. “Wiiizzzaaaarrrrd.”
I looked around and yet there was no one to be seen. Then the whisper came again, seemingly from the shadows. The front door slammed shut with a bang causing Billy and I to jump nearly a quarter of a mile high. That was when there was a tap on my shoulder. This time I jumped nearly a full mile high and screamed. I turned round blade in hand to see Auntie Shelly standing there with a cup of tea in her hand.
“Erm, cup of tea dear?” she asked, looking rather shocked.
“That would be lovely. Thanks.”
Auntie Shelly insisted on making us dinner and we caught up and chatted long into the night. Then with a stretch and a yawn, we hit the hay. My paranormal investigation will begin in the morrow.
The Shadow Person: Day Three
I awoke early, well, to be honest, I hardly slept at all. There were many spooky happenings happening. I could hear the clanking of chains, then I heard a spooky harpsichord, and I swear that freaky doll on the shelf has moved all by itself. Billy stayed in my bed, and frankly I was pleased of the company even though his horns are hazardous to say the least.
I was so happy when the sun finally came up, which didn’t stop the spookiness but being scared when you can see is always way better than being scared when you can’t. Anyway, the daylight definitely didn’t stop a battalion of ghostly Roman soldiers marching down the hallway. We let them pass, they seemed in an awful hurry, and then we went down for breakfast.
Auntie Shelly had the tea made and some toast and marmalade laid on.
“So, there’s a few ghosts here then?” I said after slurping my tea.
“Oh, yes, there’s loads of them here.”
“I won’t be able to get rid of all of them. I’d need a bonfire of sage and they’re all attached to the house see.”
“Oh, yes, I’m very well aware of that. I quite like them anyway. Yes, I like the spooky harpsicord bloke, the clanky chains fella is fun, the haunted doll, well, she’s just plain mad, the centurions only pass through twice daily, they never stop for long, then there’s the voice in the wardrobe, creepy but kinda funny, the painting that watches you has become my friend over the years, the haunted mirror talks back at you, and though unnerving at first, it becomes like a game we play, there’s a spooky giggling child around somewhere too.”
“Wait, I thought you wanted to purge the spirits?”
“Oh, just the shadow person, she’s pretty scary and freaks me out!”
A shadow person! This will be the first time I’ve dealt with one of them. If you don’t know about shadow people check them out here.
Auntie Shelly said that it always appears in her bedroom but not at regular times of day. That means Shelly is moving into my room, the one with the terrifying doll she loves so much, and I’ll be moving into hers, away from the terrifying doll she loves so much, gladly.
It looks like I’ll have to spend almost all my time in her room to catch the culprit. I stayed in there all day and stayed awake as late as I could, but the shadow person was a no show.
The Shadow Person: Day Four
It was right before dawn’s crack when the shadow person arrived and I can confirm, it felt pretty evil and scary. I need to communicate with it, or we’ll never get to the bottom of it. That was when I turned to a little magic. I said words so secret that if I was to write them here, I would be turned into a hedgehog forever by The Grand High Wizard himself, and just like that, a spiritual gateway was opened between us. Now I could speak to it.
“What’s your name?”
“Carmen.” It rasped.
“Why are you here and why are you so angry?” I probed (he he I said probed!).
In a lingering whisper it answered, “I have lost my buddy.”
“What?”
“We shadow people as you label us, are not shadow people, but the shadows of people. We have a strict buddy system and when a shadow becomes detached it is no longer complete. We just wander endlessly, generally scaring people and being all negative and stuff.”
“I never knew that could happen, my shadow just kinda is always there, following me about. Where is your body buddy now?”
“She’s all detached too, see, and now she’s hanging around scaring shadows in the opposite dimension. It’s a tricky situation that’s why we’re always so grumpy.”
“Okay, Carmen, I’ll tell you what I’ll do, I’ll open a interdimensional porthole and you two can find each other and get back to normal.”
“Oh, you’d do that for little old me?” her voice quivered with emotion.
“Yeah, sure thing, but to conjure up a interdimensional porthole takes 7.3 hours exactly, so I will start bright and breezy in the morrow.”
We chatted long into the night. Carmen has certainly had an interesting life. But I better catch some winks now, I need to be strong come the morrow, an interdimensional porthole is one of the most energy sapping things a wizard can do, in fact, most wizards can’t even do it, only the most wondrous ones like me! Boom!
The Shadow Person: Day Five
I had no time to mess about, so I started conjuring as soon as I woke. Then I heard Auntie Shelly yelling up the stairs:
“What are you doing up there, sounds like you’re making an interdimensional porthole or something?”
She is quite astute. I explained that that was exactly what I was doing and so she brought me an endless supply of tea and scones. I’ll need to do some sit ups after this one’s done cos I’m carrying a little extra timber it seems.
I worked all day and finally after 7.3 hours the interdimensional porthole was complete. That only left waving goodbye to Carmen as she disappeared through. I felt a little sorry that Shelly was scared of her, she really was a nice shadow person when you got to know her. And now she’s hopefully reattached to her buddy and maybe even in the shadow dimension where she makes the running, and her solid person body has to follow her around all the time. That would make a nice change for her!
The interdimensional porthole closed with a whoosh.
I had dinner with Auntie Shelly and helped her move back into her bedroom. I got tucked snugly back in the spare bed and caught a handful of winks, being endlessly watched by the creepy doll.
The Shadow Person: Day Six
We waved goodbye to Auntie Shelly bright and breezy this morning and slowly made our way out of The Spooky Part of the Woods and back home.
I sent Billy on his way and before long I was snuggly tucked up in my own bed again.
The Shadow Person: Day Seven
So, another wizarding week comes to an end, and I’m satisfied with my work this week. Carmen is back living her best life and Shelly is no longer scared. I’m happy for her cos I always worried about her living up in that spooky old house alone, but now it seems, she is surrounded by company. There’s the spooky harpsicord bloke, the clanky chains fella, the haunted doll, then there’s the voice in the wardrobe, the painting that watches you, the haunted mirror talks back at you, a spooky giggling child and a whole battalion of Roman soldiers. It’s as busy as an airport there!
I’m gonna write some cool stories for you now. I hope the week is filled with all things joyous and giggly and not shadow persony!
Barry S. Brunswick is an Author and Best Selling Poet.
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