You may have heard of Shadow Fredericksburg? Well, as often happens when someone puts out warnings, others select to ignore them. One stupid soul ventured into this dark realm in the hopes of gaining inspiration for their painting. This is their story.
When Alberto couldn’t focus on his painting due to his neighbors Victoria and Joe, he decided that if they were disruptive and terrible in normal Fredericksburg, they must be picture perfect in Shadow Fredericksburg. Quickly throwing all his belongings into a duffle bag after seeing the news, Alberto tracked down an entranceway and tumbled into Shadow Fredericksburg.
He found his home, and when he knocked on his door, he wasn’t surprised to see his shadow self standing there. Alberto waved cheerfully. His shadow self shut the door in Alberto’s face.
Figuring the man just needed time to warm up to him, Alberto climbed up the side of the house and through an open window. He tumbled into what he could only assume was his shadow’s bedroom (his art room) and stood up, brushing the dust from his pants.
He glanced around and froze in horror when he saw what was sitting on the desk.
No! Perhaps Victoria and Joe were fine in this reality, but he wasn’t. Here he wasn’t a painter. He was a godforsaken writer.
Not wanting to be infected, Alberto escaped the house. He ran down the street, getting as far away from that evil device as he could.
Eventually, in all his running, Alberto stumbled upon a fortune-teller. The woman claimed she could predict one’s future by looking at the meaning of Alberto’s name. (After all, since it doesn’t work here, it must work in the shadow realm.) Now suddenly worried he may one day become an author, Alberto quickly agreed.
Alberto headed inside and sat down at a table. As the fortune-teller pulled out her baby name books to discern his name’s meaning, Alberto’s eyes strayed. He choked back a strangled gasp when he saw what was sitting in the shop’s window.
“Why is there a cat?” Alberto asked worriedly.
The fortune-teller reluctantly looked up from her work. She looked at where Alberto was pointing, and her lips twisted into a fond smile. “That was Maryanna. She was a good cat. The best cat. Of course, I had her stuffed.”
Alberto gulped and pushed himself out of his seat. “Would you look at the time,” he said, and tossing his duffle bag back over his shoulder, he sprinted out.
Having realized the Shadow World was worse than the real world, Alberto wanted to return home. However, he quickly realized he had no idea how to go home.
Bracing himself for the worst, Alberto started the walk over to Victoria’s house. She had to be the only normal person in this universe. She could probably get him back home.
When Alberto knocked on the door, he was greeted by a Victoria, but she wasn’t the Victoria he knew and hated. No, Victoria was dressed up in a rainbow clown outfit. Behind her, someone he vaguely recognized as Joe sipped his tea, staring at a pile of what seemed to be bodies.
“I’m from the real world,” Alberto started.
Victoria tilted her head in confusion. “The real world?”
“Not the shadow world.”
Joe seeming suddenly interested in their conversation, came over. He wrapped his arms around Victoria. “Victoria, dear, I think he means he’s from the Light World.”
Surprised by this sudden affection between the two of them and finding it fairly disgusting, Alberto looked elsewhere in the house. He was alarmed to find pictures of Victoria and Joe everywhere.
“Oh!” Victoria exclaimed. She started feeling around in her countless pockets. Finally, she pulled a key from one and handed it to Alberto. “That should get you home.”
Quickly Alberto snatched the key away from her. He shoved it into the nearest lock. The next thing he knew, there was a glowing light and Alberto was standing by the entrance to the Shadow World.
Alberto rushed home, ignoring the screams coming from Joe’s house, and headed inside. He spent the next three days painting, blocking out the horrible experience before he contacted us.
Now that you have heard a story from a survivor, we hope you avoid the Shadow World.
Assignment-
For Five Frame Story, I had to tell a story using 5 photos. I decided to combine some of my previous stories in order to tell a bigger one.
It was worth 3.5 stars.
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