Chapter Text
He is running for his life basically. The other boys are close to him and Jeremiah. Marko doesn’t dare to look behind his back.
It’s getting darker, meaning the shadows get longer and more intimidating. Through his fear, Marko didn’t see where he was going and now he is in an unfamiliar neighbourhood. Out of many options, he takes the alleyway on his left. Horrified he realizes he has run into a dead end.
He can hear the laughter of the boys close in. He can even see some of their shadows creep up the walls. Behind Marko, Jeremiah also cowers, the shadow poorly trembling underneath similar trembling streetlight that need serious repair.
“There you are, weirdo!”
“Look at him, shaking like a weak leaf.”
“Pathetic!”
“Leave m-me alone,” Marko stammers back but his hands are already protecting his face. “Please. I-, I won’t bother you ever again.”
His knees almost give away and it takes all in the young boy’s body to keep himself up in the face of the bullies. The other shadows are closing in on Jeremiah who starts shrinking, hoping to disappear much like his physical form Marko.
“Please, please, please. Stop it!” The small, blond boy snaps. He slowly gets back upon his feet.
Jeremiah, who usually keeps him off of the wrong path is nowhere to be seen. Yet Marko’s shadow remains on the back wall. It has grown larger than normal.
It looks more intimidating. And it also looks pissed off. Really, angered. If the shadow had a voice, it would’ve roared. Easily the other shadows are scared of. Marko charges in at the bullies almost as if controlled by his shadow, not the other way around.
Once Marko opens his eye again, he is back on familiar ground: on the doorstep of his home. His mother greets him with a smile and the boy plays it off like nothing happened.
When he gets back to his room, he makes sure there’s sufficient light to see his shadow. He barely remembers what happened. Except that at one moment he feared his life, the next moment he is safely home.
The next time it happens, it’s at school. The bullies, after ignoring Marko for a few days, try to catch him again at the lockers.
“This time non more stupid tricks, Saaresto,” one of them sneers.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Marko exclaims, truly confused.
“Don’t pretend that,” another boy steps forward and pushes Marko against the locker.
That’s when Marko feels his shadow slowly detaching from its passive state. It grows and grows and when Marko looks up at the ceiling, it’s covered by his very own shadow. He barely recognizes this shadow as a part of himself. Yet, he knows deep down, something must be familiar.
“Jeremiah?” he stammers.
But Jeremiah it certainly is not. This is someone else. It’s a side of Marko he has not discovered yet. And that side is later to be known as Hamartia.