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Growing up is one of the hardest and most challenging parts of life. It is the time in which a child may place their hand onto a hot burner, stick objects into an uncovered outlet, or fall down from a seemingly high place.
Childhood is chock full of hard-learned lessons and growing pains, but with these aches and burns comes eventual relief.
Sunny’s form of relief came with the appearance of a slightly older girl: his sister Mari.
It was in the dead of night. The room was nearly pitch black, save for the small nightlight near the door that was shaped in the form of a cartoon cat. The only issue with this placement, however, was that a coat rack hung on the wall just so that, from where Sunny lay, it appeared as though there was a figure standing there, maybe waiting for something.
Needless to say, it was probably the last thing the young boy needed to see after waking from one of the many nightmares that seemed to plague him. Normally, the images of spindly, crooked shadowed hands that reached out to grab him, and large, glowing eyes that watched him intently would immediately be scrubbed from his mind as soon as he woke up, replaced by a pit of dread. Oftentimes, he was able to calm himself, never truly a fussy child.
This time was different, though.
When Sunny awoke, the images remained, and the shadow on the wall grew taller and taller by the moment.
His first thought was to cover his head with his space-themed comforter that matched his older sister’s, but if he could not see it, how could he know it was coming? How could he know when it was coming? Plus, it seemed he just could not tear his eyes away from that corner of the room, that treacherous corner of the room.
Before he knew it, Sunny was trembling in his bed, his once-sleepy eyes wide open in terror for what was to come. They burned, threatening to spill tears that would leak down his full cheeks and onto the plush pillow, effectively making it soggy and uncomfortable in the spots the droplets would fall.
Then, there was a creak, the groan of wood loud in Sunny’s ear, startling a sob out of him.
The sound was loud and echoed through the room. Immediately, his fear grew, now knowing the shape that held its place on the wall and a portion of the ceiling knew he was awake.
This was when he quickly pulled the sheet over his eyes, refusing to watch and see what came next.
Another creak, longer and louder this time.
He tried to keep quiet.
Dull footsteps padded along the floor, getting closer.
He tried to hold his breath.
When a hand pulled down the portion of his blanket that was covering his bright red face, so much so that it was even visible in the dark of the night, he choked a “no” as he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to push whoever it was away instinctively.
“Shhh, shh, shh, Sunny,” a soft, tired voice cooed from above him, delicate so as to not scare him further.
Mari. She was here. She would protect him.
Once he opened his eyes to confirm it was his sister, Sunny instantly latched onto her, hugging her tight as he finally released his cries, hiccupping and shaking from the sheer force of his sobs.
Warm arms reached around him, gently returning the embrace. A hand moved up and down his back, the touch light as a feather.
“It’s okay, Sunny. You’re okay,” she whispered before pulling away, removing her arms from him.
He closed his eyes when he felt soft hands caress his cheek, wiping them clear of tears. They were warm, but they felt cooler compared to his face that was still rather hot from crying.
“Was it another nightmare?” Mari asked, trying to uncover the source of such tremendous stress in her younger brother.
“The shadow man,” his voice broke, trying to regain his breath.
“The shadow man?” she repeated, to verify that was in fact what he said.
A nod.
“Who’s the shadow man?” the older girl followed up.
“The shadow man that… he’s in the corner,” he lifted an arm to point. “He’s over there.”
Mari’s gaze followed the invisible path that Sunny’s small index finger created, only stopping when her eyes met the shadow on the wall. It took her a moment to find the source, but she was able to infer that it was just her winter coat hung up on the wall.
“That?” She pointed, receiving another nod.
Sunny had always been big on nonverbal communication, but their parents knew it was not due to a lack of intelligence.
“That’s just a shadow, Sunny. Here, I’ll just…” Mari moved away, leaving her sentence unfinished as she made her way towards the shadow.
“No, Mari, he’s gonna get you,” Sunny scrambled to reach out. His attempt was made in vain, as she had already moved too far away and he was scared to come closer, lest he risk meeting the same fate that his older sister would.
Or would not.
As Mari moved the coat off of the wall, the shadow rose and then disappeared with the movement of her short arm. Initially, it startled a squeak out of the young boy, but as soon as it was gone, a wave of relief fell over him.
“See? What did I tell ya? It’s just a shadow; it can’t hurt you,” she said as she approached, discarding the thick, pink coat onto the nearest surface. When she was stood at Sunny’s bedside once more, he could make out a smile on her face. “Now, scootch over. You’re taking up all of the room.”
Sunny moved, not even questioning why Mari was not returning to her own bed that was closer to the corner of the room opposite of where the shadow man once appeared.
When there was enough space, he felt the bed dip very slightly, accommodating the new bit of weight added onto the mattress.
Sunny watched as Mari laid down and opened her arms wide, welcoming him in again. He took the cue and moved closer, snuggling up to his sister comfortably. After a very brief moment, he felt the arm underneath his head begin to wiggle, adjusting.
“You have a fat head,” Mari commented, giggling quietly. There was no trace of malice in her voice, only mirth.
“No, you have a fat head,” he fired back, not realizing how unoriginal the supposed insult was.
“Mhm. That’s why I’m so smart, little bro,” she stated triumphantly. “And that’s why you’re smart too.”
Sunny felt a tiny smile tug at the corners of his lips, and he decided to let it happen.
After that moment, peace fell upon the sibling. It was almost silent, aside from Mari quietly humming lullabies to her little brother, her hand combing through his hair.
It was just like that that the pair fell back asleep.
In the morning, they woke up to a smell of pancakes wafting up from the kitchen, and their mom in the doorway taking in the scene.