The Weight of a Shadow
written by: Monika Ajay Kaul
Elias had always been aware of his shadow, but it wasn’t until he turned eight that he noticed its peculiar weight. It dragged behind him like an anchor, thickening when he told a lie, growing denser with every secret he swallowed. He tried stepping into the sun, hoping to shake it off, but it clung to him, as heavy as guilt.
As the years passed, his shadow became unbearable. Every concealed regret and unspoken word compounded its mass until he could no longer walk upright. It grew so oppressive that Elias felt it press against his chest, making his breath shallow, his steps labored. He learned to navigate the world cautiously, careful not to add more weight to the burden he carried. He stopped speaking his mind, held back his emotions, and let moments pass that might have changed his life. With every missed chance, the shadow coagulated, a lone witness to his hesitations.
By his forties, Elias had stopped trying to resist. He avoided conflict, shied away from love, and let opportunities slip through his fingers, fearing the unbearable gravity of his own silence. People saw a man stooped by the weight of obscured tribulations, but no one understood the nature of his suffering. It was in the way he hesitated before answering, how his hands trembled when faced with choices, how his eyes carried stories no one had ever heard.
One evening, he found himself on a deserted bridge, the city’s glow reflecting off the water below. The air was thick with the scent of rain, the wind hissing through the steel girders like a voice urging him to let go. His shadow loomed beside him, a monstrous thing composed of every suppressed truth, every lost moment. It seemed almost alive, pulsing with all the weight he had given it over the years. For the first time in decades, Elias turned to face it. He opened his mouth and spoke. He confessed his fears, his regrets, his sins. He mumbled the names of those he had wronged and the love he had left unavowed. He screamed into the night, his voice raw, his words unraveling the knots that had bound him for so long. His shadow trembled.
As dawn broke, Elias stood lighter than he had in years. The shadow remained, but it no longer dragged behind him like a chain. Instead, it stood beside him. A companion rather than a curse. He took a step forward, and for the first time in his life, his shadow did not pull him back. Perhaps, he thought, shadows were never meant to be cast off, but understood, embraced, and carried differently. And with that, he walked home, no longer afraid of the weight that had once defined him.
NOTE:
Based on the Prompt – The Weight of a Shadow
- The Weight of a Shadow - March 25, 2025
- The Hidden Door - February 25, 2025
- The Ocean Never Asks - December 30, 2024
