Halloween Story Time
The Shadow Collector
On the outskirts of town, there was a legend about the Shadow Collector. Every Halloween night, he roamed the streets in search of peopleโs shadows, which he kept to build his collection.
They say if youโre out alone after midnight, you might hear a faint whisper just behind you. Thatโs the first sign that the Shadow Collector is close. The second sign? Your shadow begins to stretchโฆ even if thereโs no light.
Lily and her friend Sam had always dismissed it as just a story. But this Halloween, they decided to test the legend, daring each other to stay out until midnight.
As the town clock struck twelve, they were alone in the park, laughing nervously about the challenge. But then the wind died, and the laughter faded. It was quiet. Too quiet.
Lily froze. โDo you feel that?โ she whispered, gripping Samโs arm.
A man, cloaked in darkness, was standing at the edge of the trees, his hand outstretched, as if pulling her shadow toward him. He had no face, just an empty void beneath his hood.
Panicked, they turned to run, but Samโs shadow had begun stretching, too, reaching toward the Collector.
The whispers grew louder, filling the air around them.
โRun!โ Lily screamed, but the shadows twisted and stretched, refusing to let them go.
Suddenly, the Collectorโs hand shot out, grabbing hold of Lilyโs shadow and yanking it toward him. The last thing she saw before darkness swallowed her was that blank face, inches from hers, and a cold voice whispering:
โIโve collected yours.โ
A chill ran through them as a faint whisper drifted through the air, too low to make out. They spun around, scanning the darkness, but there was no one there. Just the eerie emptiness of the park.
Then Sam gasped, his voice barely audible. โLilyโฆ look at your shadow.โ
Lily looked down. Her shadow was stretching, unnaturally long and twisting across the ground. She stepped back, but the shadow remained, anchored in place, stretching toward a figure in the distance.