DON'T PLAY WITH SHADOWS - Sankofa story contest

He was always the playful type as a kid, He would find anything to play with, a piece of paper, a plywood, grains of sand, a broomstick, an empty can, an old tire, you name it. Whatever his small hands could manipulate was an easy toy but it wasn't all his fault, he grew up in a rural part of Nigeria, kid toys were a luxury that could not be afforded but that didn't stop his curiosity as his eyes would lit up at every opportunity to have fun.

On this fateful night something else caught his eye, It was a dark evening, It was particularly darker than usual as there was no supply of electricity, the only source of light was an old kerosene lantern hung up close to the tin roof, his mother was busy washing the leftover dishes in the backyard as she was preparing to close her little restaurant.

He was sitting idly and bored when he looked up at the lantern glowing with yellow rays, he rubbed his chin for a moment as he looked down and saw his shadows. A playful smile slowly dawned on his face, he seemed to have found a new play thing, he moves his finger slowly as his shadow followed his movements, he began making shapes and figures with his hands which became very magnified in the very entertaining shadow, he chuckled to himself as he made new animal shapes and figures, he soon ran out of animal shapes so he stood up and began dancing to his shadows, he laughed loudly as he galloped and tried to dribble his own shadow, his loud footsteps must have been making a ruckus in the dust as his mother slowly warned him severaly to stop the noise but he was entranced by his own shadow without a care in the world.

He was still laughing in his playfulness when his auntie walked in with some unwashed dish in her hands.

"Don't tell me that Michael is still playing at this time of night," His aunty asked facing his mother.

"I have told him severally to stop making noise but he refused, he seems to have found a new playmate in his shadows"

"And you didn't tell him about the shadow monster?"

"Oh! yes, the shadow monster!" his mother rebutted loudly to gain his attention "It totally slipped my mind, oh dear!"

She stops washing the dishes and turns toward Michael.

"What shadow monster?" Michael asked with a playful smile now fading on his face.

"Ah! you don't know? no wonder you have been busy toying with your shadows all along" his aunty replied while shaking her head in pity with a saddening look on her face. The atmosphere suddenly becomes serious as Michael turns towards his mother to confirm the severity of the situation but his mother's face was a reflection of his aunt's, hers was even grimmer.

"No, it's a lie," Michael replied with a forced chuckle. His playful mood had since been diluted.

"Michael, come here" his mother said with a serious tone, she took brief pause and a deep sigh "The shadow monster is a punishment for kids that play too much, playing with your shadow is what calls forth the shadow monster, sometimes it comes to your dreams, sometimes he grabs you when your unaware!"

His aunty suddenly grabs him from behind as his mother completed her last syllable, he suddenly bursts into tears, he was so scared he almost peed his pants.

"P-please I don't want the shadow monster," he stuttered as he wailed uncontrollably with tears now streaming down his face"

"Sorry it's too late now, maybe if you weren't too playful all these would have been avoided, I have told several times about your playfulness, now see what you have caused, The shadow monster!"

He started crying even more loudly this time as he promised to never be too playful anymore, his face was soaking wet as he could not even complete a syllable without gulping and tearing up.

His mother slowly drew him closer to comfort him and slowly wiping away his tears "It's okay dear, If you are a good boy, the shadow monster will not come okay, just listen to me whenever I tell you to stop playing too much."

She winks at his aunty as they share a silent laughter, She had found something to control him whenever he gets too playful.
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This is my entry into the Sankofa story contest, if you are interested, you can write an entertaining story about the lies your parent told you as a kid. click here for the rules. Thanks for reading :-)