The Girl, the Shadow and the Man

As the rag-clothed, starved child walked quickly across the seemingly endless parking lot of the Midwest mall, she continually glanced over her shoulder, first the right, then the left, with wide horror and a glint of awe. She knew, even for her meager six years of age, that if she ran, it would kill her, slowly, savoring its bloodlust with its anger in having to chase down its prey.

The shadowy form, now less than a jump-rope's length away, stopped suddenly. The uppermost half of the form twisted to the left, hunched down to half its normal height and issued a low, guttural growl...similar to one of an insane, three-quarters starved Bengal tiger.

The child could bear no more fear as she broke into a run for life. Half a block away she slowed to glance back without risking a fall. Tearfully her deep brown eyes peered over a sweat soaked shoulder. It wasn't following, wasn't chasing, and wasn't going to kill her. She sighed.

She could still see the form, now more clearly through brave eyes. It was almost appearing to be cowering from something on the second floor of the nearby apartment building. Her quick eyes slowly followed the line of sight from the shadow creature to the balcony above it.

She was unready, perhaps never would be, to discover the only shape on the patio was that of a average, regular man who was pointing down directly at the shadow.

A light blue aura suddenly encapsulated him, followed by an intense steely glow that came from his outstretched hand. There was a loud crack, as that of naked bone hitting reinforced concrete, as a flow of almost water-like, aqua colored matter rapidly poured from his beacon-like palm.

This flow appeared to her as one of the most beautiful of all things. Not only because it was saving her short life, by distracting the beast, but that the flow itself seemed depthless yet extending to immense widths, its colors were twisted and still twisting into shades and hues she had never seen. She was enthralled by it.

As she continued to watch, the wave struck the shadowed creature full force. It instantly winked out of existence, leaving only a faint wisp of grey smoke and the smell of watered-down ozone.

She blinked twice, trying to comprehend the drama that just occurred. The man's face turned to link eyes with the child. She screamed a high pitched wail, turned and sprinted away as her voice out ran her.