Chapter 1
“Everyone please find your seat, our test is about to begin,” the teacher commanded. When the noise of the room calmed and the students stilled, the teacher continued with, “Today you will be taking your basic history test. This exam will—” The teacher stopped at the sight of a disruption caused by one of her students. The class turned their attention to the disrespectful student, some giggling, others afraid of the punishment he would receive. “Chris, who is now the first examinee, please join me in the front of the classroom as I finish explaining our test.” Chris shrugged and sauntered up to his teacher. “This exam will determine whether you should remain in this class for another year. Now let’s begin.” The teacher turned to Chris. “First question, How is a shadow born?”
“A shadow is born when a living or non-living being is created. Are they all going to be this easy?”
His teacher disregarded his arrogance and continued with the next question.
“What is a shadow’s job?”
“To do exactly as a shadow’s living or nonliving being does. This is easy!”
“What are the human names for the shadow’s dwelling place and the name of the shadow’s place of work?”
“The dark side of the moon is our dwelling place and the earth is our place of work—duh!”
“How does a shadow’s shade and size vary?”
“By the amount of light and the actions of the shadow.”
“How many languages can a shadow understand?”
“A shadow can understand over eight million languages, some human, some animal, and some of nature.”
“What are the two sole languages a shadow is allowed to speak?”
“The only permitted languages are Shades and Shifting.”
“How many districts of the shadows are there?”
“2.5 million, one for every human town. Is this a beginner's test?”
“Where is a shadow shackled and when is it shackled?”
“A shadow is shackled to the feet or base of its being and it is shackled when the Great Light King rises.”
“Now we will move right into the demonstration portion of the test. Display a horse galloping at sunrise.” Chris stretched and twisted his dark form into the powerful animal. Then stretched what appeared to be the horse’s legs across the classroom, he then stomped what appeared to be the hoofs, giving himself the likeness of a horse galloping under a nearly absent sun.
“Now display a flower blooming in the afternoon light.” Chris shrunk and twisted his weightless matter into a little flower blossom. He then spread what appeared to be the petals, slowly, creating a silhouette of a lovely young blossom.
“For your last demonstration, display the Taj Mahal, reflected on the water, at sunset.” Chris stretched his form into something much mightier than the little flower. He stretched himself so far, that his darkness almost consumed the entire classroom. He twisted and turned into every intricate part of the beautifully crafted architecture. He then waved the silhouette of the building back and forth, as though it were only a piece of parchment floating in a sleepy river.
“Well done, the demonstration portion of this test is complete.” Chris twisted back into his normal form, the form of the human boy Christopher Wren.
“Was that supposed to be hard?” Chris chuckled.
“I can see that this test seems to be too elementary for you, so you will be pleased to hear that this is your last question. What is the penalty for being caught not following the exact movements of a shadow’s assigned being?” Chris knew the answer, and it made his form grow cold.
“They will immediately become a part of the darkness.”
After Chris had finished, two other shadows took the test. One was the shadow of a cat and the other was the shadow of a classroom desk. After the desk completed his test the teacher dismissed the class for the rise of the Great Light King, to allow them time to reach Earth and to be shackled onto their beings. At their teacher’s dismissal, all shadows twisted out of their forms, floated out of the classroom, and began their descent to earth. Chris was about to do the same when his teacher stopped him.
“Chris, I need to speak with you.” Chris moaned. He curled back into the form of his human and trudged to the teacher. “I simply wanted to tell you that you passed and did exceedingly well on your test.” Chris was pleased to hear a compliment, for he did not receive them very often.
“It is unfortunate, though, that such intelligence should fall on such a disrespectful waste.” If a shadow had a heart, Chris’s would have sunk. He started to float out of the classroom, but his teacher stopped him once more. “And Chris, if you dare disrupt my class again by shifting into a dog peeing on a fire hydrant, you will not be allowed to return to my classroom.”
“Well it is your lucky day,” Chris said. “ I won’t be returning! I passed remember?” He strolled out of the classroom, chuckling to himself. Chris knew the monster his teacher had probably shifted into, but he didn’t care. He was free, well as free as a prisoner of light could be.
