The Shadow That Follows

The narrator had always dismissed shadow people as just another creepy campfire story—fun to read during breaks from stocking shelves overnight, but nothing to take seriously. That changed during a trip to an abandoned asylum with four adrenaline-junkie friends, when a fifth shadow appeared on the wall that didn't belong to any of them.

The Asylum and the Group

The building sat deep in the mountains, a gothic hulk with sharp peaks and pointed arches that pierced the dimming sky. Vines covered the lower half like tentacles, slowly pulling the structure into the earth. The main doors stood open, as if inviting them inside. The group consisted of five thrill-seekers: the narrator, Johnny, Susan, Tin, and Steve—nicknamed "Speed Bump" after he totaled his car hitting a speed bump at high speed during a daredevil stunt. Susan drove them there, being the safest driver among them. Johnny and Susan had done the research online, learning the asylum had closed sometime in the 1920s, though plans to reopen never materialized.