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Shadows are reflections of our other self. It reflects a dark version of ourselves that

were hidden deep inside the abyss of our heart. Always lurking in the darkness of our

hearts waiting for the right moment to swallow our entire being.

As the rays of lights blinded me, I noticed a sparrow flying in the never ending blue

sky with its wings stretched out wide. Its whole body were bathed in the morning

light. Flight was something humans have desired from the past. The ability to gain

the freedom of the sky and yet we would never be able to understand the kind of

freedom a bird feels during its every flight. With no one to dictate you to go, with no

one to stop you from reaching new heights and destinations. Ah, how wonderful

would it be to be a bird soaring in the sky with nothing to stop you. I then gazed

again at the sky and noticed that the sparrow was nowhere in sight. I sighed once

and continued my journey to a facility named school. I could already feel the

sickening twist in my stomach as I inch closer to school. Nothing but bad memories

flooded me there and yet I had hope that maybe it won't be the same as the other

day but that hope was crushed every single day so with my head bowed down, I

entered the room silently wishing that my existence would not attract any attention.

However that wish soon came crushing down when I could feel the stare of a group

of students obstructing the way to my desk.

"Hey shortie, you're as dull as you have ever been. Why not get a bucket of yellow

paint and pour it over yourself? Maybe then you would lighten up!" said one of the

girls with long curly hair with a taunting gaze on her face. I

immediately bowed my head and continued staring at the floor as if it was the most

interesting thing.

"Yeah, your negativity and dullness sure ruins the class mood, right everyone?" one

of the guys said while shouting to everyone in the class then I could hear people

talking in agreement of the earlier statement. Laughter then ensued the whole room

and I know I need to stay quiet and not retaliate what they say. That's what I havelearned way back that as long as I just keep quiet and let them make fun of me

without retorting to them then it would just stop as they would soon get bored and

go to the next target. The bell suddenly rung and I was thankful that I would finally

be able to go sit at my own desk and just go on with the rest of the day. The teacher

then went inside the classroom and took attendance. After that he continued to

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where we left off yesterday and that was the routine of each subject that the day

consisted of. Lunch came then some more bullying ensued like spilling food in my

bag and throwing papers at me. Well I already got used to it and it became a routine

to my life. When I finished my lunch I would stay in the corner of the school where

there were trees around. I always lay under the shades of the trees. It always seem

to relax me as the shade gives me the comfort I need to not just break down crying.

The shadow of the tree protected me from the prying eyes of society. Here I don't

have to hide my weakness and not let myself be drowed in insults and bullying.

There was no use thinking that it would someday change. At that moment, I could

hear a voice inside my being that says if my life was already a routine itself then why

have feelings? Something that would only obstruct the flow of the routine I have

now. I could hear the chains inside the abyss of my being break. It was then that I

decided to bury down my hopes and wishes that someday everything would change.

I tried to create a mask that would hide my feelings to be locked away in the deepest

part of my being. It was then that I let the shadow of my being overtake all of me.

Letting the little girl inside me be chained inside and not ever resurface again. Not

showing any weakness nor emotions was the new way that I would do things. No

longer a slave of my own emotions I could overcome anything. And so that was the

day the little girl inside me became chained and prisoned in the abyss of my heart.

I trained myself everyday in order to perfect my mask. It was like a whole different

person was controlling every movement I make. Not anymore the crying little girlrather a grown up girl with nothing to fear and nothing to lose. The bullying also

stopped at one point seeing that I would no longer flinch nor just bow my head down

low. I could already look them straight into the eyes and gaze at them long and hard

with eyes devoid of emotions. Two years went by and everytime I would look and

gaze at a person they would immediately flinch and look away as if they were

punched straight in the stomach. I took entertainment in looking at the fear in their

face as my presence overwhelm them. So this is how it feels to have power. The

power that would topple over the weak and stomp them hard in their guts. Yet evenachieving such a feat, I could feel nothing but emptiness. I guess the mask and this

kind of power comes with a price. A price that I was willing to pay in order to not let

my weakness show. I was tired of always being the center of mockery. Hearing the

mocking laughters and seeing those taunting gazes hunted me even in my dreams

before. There was not a time when I could just have a peaceful dream. That's why, at

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this point in my life it was this or the little girl who's stomped everyday not anymore

being able to walk straight up. I already accepted my dreaded destiny not until that

day. The day when light of my empty world banished the shadow and showered

colors in my life. It was a typical spring noon. The birds were chirping their melodies

and the wind was rustling the leaves of the trees. I lay under the shades of the trees

as always after I eat and I could already feel myself being lulled to sleep by the

comforting shades of the trees but as I was about to enter dreamland a sudden

scream engulfed my senses. Oh well, there goes my naptime. I whispered to no one

in particular but as I begun to get up, a girl was running towards me and she instantly

searched the perimeter and immediately hid between the back of the trees. Just a

few seconds after the girl hid, two guys emerged from my line of vision and I know

that they were both after the girl who just hid. As they approached the place I was

currently sitting at, I could feel they didn't feel intimidated by my presence. I guess

they were first years and I suddenly remembered that it was the entrance ceremony

for the first years.

"Hey you! Have you seen a girl with shoulder length brunette hair come into this

direction?" one of the guys asked and I could already feel the boiling disgust inside

me. What are they planning to do to that girl? Memories of the time I was bullied

resurfaced and I could already feel the hatred inside me grow. I thought I was over

this already??!! I mentally slapped my face and put on my mask that would protect

me from my feelings. Just as I was going to look at them straight in the eyes, one ofthe guys with spiky reddish hair grabbed my collar and yelled, "Hey I asked you a

question! Are you deaf or something??!" Just as I was going to punch this guy's face

another guy came running in our direction and yelled, "Hey!! Found her yet!!????!!"

The guy with spiky hair let go of me and focused his attention to the newly arrived

guy. "No, we haven't found her yet brother. But I'm sure she's just hiding here

somewhere. She couldn't have gone that far away. After all she's the tyoe who would

get lost easily" said the guy and the other just nodded his head. The newly arrived

guy then noticed my presence and immediately froze up. It was then my cue to gazeup at him and stare at him. Not like my cold gaze rather the ones that is full of anger

and one could easily back up at the corner or run away. I congratulate this guy

because he didn't immediately run away from me nor backed up in the corner. I

could hear him shiver and say with a trembling voice, "What the.. Why is she here?"

The other two seem to not notice that the guy was already caught in my trap. The

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guy who frozed up immediately checked his surroundings and found out that he was

at the den of the wolf. He quickly grabbed the other two and motioned for the two

to immediately run away from the place seeing that they would be devour by the

wolf if they would stay longer. The girl behind the tree noticed the three quickly run

away and she immediately looked at me. "Hey what's gotten into them all of the

sudden?" The girl approached me and watched me with curious eyes. "I don't know"

I said simply not wanting to associate with this girl. Yet the girl seemed to not notice

my indifference as she continued to pursue the question. Finally giving in to the

constant questions, I answered, "One of the guys realized that they were at the

wolf's den that's why they immediately run away." She then absorbed what I told her

and she took a thinking stance and I sighed. This might take a bit while. After a few

seconds she then quickly said, "Oh so this is the infamous wolf's den!" I could feel

myself sweat drop at the air. headedness of this girl. "Ah but where's Okami Shizuka?

She's supposedly the alpha and she usually lurk around here so it's called the wolf's

den." (Okami means wolf in Japanese) said the girl while surveying her surroundings

looking for someone. I then replied in a cold voice, "What about me?" The girl then

quickly looked at me in disbelief. "No way! You're the Okami Shizuka???!!" said girl

shocked and bewildered at the fact that Okami Shizuka is the girl in front of her. I

could feel my right eye twitch. I then gazed at her straight in the eyes to prove my

point but I was shocked to find that she didn't even flinched instead she just took her

thinking stance again as if remembering something really hard. She then looked atme from top to bottom again and again as if inspecting me like such an interesting

specimen. "You're rather short though. You sure you're Okami Shizuka?" I could feel

something inside me snap at hearing the comment "short" and before I knew it I was

already pinching her cheek really hard. "Owwwwwww!!!!!! I wash only jowking!!

Pleash forgive me!!!!" she pleadingly said with a bit of tears in the corner of her eyes

from the pain she is experiencinh. I then let go of her cheek and turned my back then

walked away. Suddenly she yelled, "I'm Suzume Hikari! Nice to meet you! I hope

we'll see each other again!" (Suzume means sparrow in Japanese) Even withoutlooking I could feel that she was waving energetically. After that encounter, she

would always show up unexpectedly and she would chat with me even the most

trivial details like how her breakfast was a little bit burnt because she was running

late. Even though most of the time I was silent, I gradually let myself indulge in her

conversations and in no time we became fast friends. She was my constant

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companion and our hang out place was the wolf's den. At first she was nothing but

an eyesore to my eyes as she would constantly strike up any conversation at any

given time. Also she would blabber about anything that might caught her atttention.

But as the days went by, I noticed how I would act and that I no longer was devoid of

emotions. She broke my mask in no time at all. Only a few weeks had passed, the

mask I have built up for two years was broken as if it was nothing but a fragile glass.

Hikari was the light that banished the shadows of my past and the shadow

controlling me. I could feel the chains break once again in order to free up the little

girl prisoned inside of it for years now but rather than a little girl who was weak and

fragile, there appeared a girl who's strong and no longer afraid of her own emotions

because she was no longer kept in the darkness. She had her source of light which

would banish the darkness and reflect to her the the same light that would shower

her life with colors. No longer dull but rather full of life. Just like the sparrow in the

sky she was able to fly and see the world in a different view with her head held up

high. Not anymore obstructing her view of the world and no longer just staring at the

ground. She is now able to smile from the bottom of her heart. No longer a captive

of the shadows or the wolf hiding in thew shadows rather she is able to hold her

ground against the rays of light without wavering. As long as she had her friend

Hikari along, no matter the trials that may come along or any obstructions that may

come in the way, they would banish them all with the light reflections of their bonds.