Morning. Sunlight spills through the blinds. Mrs. Lawal hums softly while making breakfast amina sits at the table, eyes red from lack of sleep, journal clutched in her hands.
Mrs Lawal (gently, noticing)
You didn't sleep well again, did you?
Amina swallows, then pushes the journal forward.
Amina(hesitant, voice low)
Mom… I tried what Dr. Bello told me. The grounding exercise.
Mrs Lawal (nodding)
Good. That's progress.
Amina shakes her head.
Amina (urgent, whispering)
It didn't work. My shadow… it was doing it too. Not like me it was ahead of me,counting back at me. Like it knew.
Her mother stills with the spoon in her hand, then sighs.
Mrs Lawal (firm, but soft)
Amina… clear your mind off these things,you're exhausted. When the mind is tired, it plays tricks. Shadows, sounds, little things they all get magnified.
Amina (pleading)
No, Mom. I wasn't imagining it. It raised its hand. It counted. I swear to you, I wasn't....
Mrs Lawal (cutting her off, but kindly)
Enough. You're only feeding it by thinking that way. Don't give fear more power.
Amina bites her lip, frustrated.
The two sit in silence for a moment. Mrs. Lawal stirs the pot, forcing normalcy.
Mrs Lawal
You have another appointment with Dr. Bello in two days. Tell her everything. She'll help you sort through what's real and what's stress.
Amina (quiet, to herself)
But it is real…
Her mother looks at her with concern, brushing a hand over her shoulder like she's a child again.
Mrs Lawal (gentle reassuring)
Eat something. Clear your head. Don't let shadows scare you more than they should.
Amina stares at her untouched food, jaw tight. She doesn't argue anymore. She just clutches her journal, waiting for the next appointment the only place she feels she might be believed.
Amina sits across from Dr. Bello in the softly lit office. A small clock ticks steadily. Amina looks tired, hair pulled back, journal in her lap.
Dr.Bello (warmly, calm)
Welcome back, amina. How have you been since our last session?
Amina grips her journal tighter.
Amina (low, hesitant)
I… I tried the exercise you gave me. The grounding,five things I can see, four I can touch... all of it.
Dr.Bellp (encouraging)
Good. How did it go?
Amina's eyes flicker down.
Amina (quieter, shaky)
It didn't work. My shadow… it copied me wrong. It wasn't following. It was ahead of me. Like it was mocking me. It evenit counted back at me.
She opens the journal, hands trembling, showing scribbled notes: lamp, curtain, blanket, shadow, five fingers.
Dr. Bello studies her, nodding slowly.
Dr.Bellp (gently)
I believe that felt very real to you. When the brain is under stress, especially from fear or exhaustion, it can create distortions. Your shadow may seem to behave differently because your mind is hyper-focused on it.
Amina (urgent, leaning forward)
No.....it wasn't just stress. It was counting back at me.
Dr. Bello lets the silence sit for a moment, then folds her hands.
Dr.Bello (measured, professional)
Okay. Let's work with what you experienced. Whether it was your mind or not, the fear you felt was real. What matters is learning how to ground yourself even when that fear takes over.
Amina swallows, nodding slightly, desperate to be heard.
Dr.Bello(calm, instructive)
Here's what I want you to try this week:
Controlled breathing. When the panic rises, place your hand on your stomach and count each breath. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Slow. Steady. Even if the shadow moves keep breathing.
Reframing. Write down exactly what you see, without judgment. Don't label it "evil" or "wrong." Just describe it like you're reporting for a newspaper.
Anchor object. Keep one safe object with you something that belongs only to you, like your journal or a necklace. When fear builds, touch it, focus on its texture, its weight.
Dr. Bello leans in slightly, voice steady.
Dr.Bello
The goal isn't to stop the shadow. It's to stop the panic that makes you feel powerless.
Amina nods, clutching her journal to her chest like a lifeline.
DR. BELLO (reassuring)
We'll meet again in a week. I want you to record in your journal each time you feel fear,what you saw, what you felt, what you did. Then bring it here.
She smiles gently.
Dr.Bello
You are not alone in this, Amina. Whatever it is, we'll face it together.
Amina nods, eyes glassy with a mixture of hope and dread.
Amina (softly)
Okay. I'll try.
When Breathing Isn't Yours
Late at night,the apartment is dim except for the bedside lamp mrs lawal has gone to bed early, leaving amina alone in her room.
She sits cross-legged on the mattress, journal beside her, hand resting on her stomach.
Amina (softly, to herself)
In… one… two… three. Out… one… two… three.
Her stomach rises and falls. She keeps her eyes closed. The sound of her breath steadies.
But then… another rhythm creeps in. She hears breathing that isn't hers. Deeper,Slower. From the wall.
Her eyes snap open. On the plaster, her shadow's chest is rising and falling perfectly in sync with her.
She freezes, then deliberately changes her rhythm.
Amina (frantic whisper)
No. In...one, two Out...one, two, three, four.
The shadow adjusts instantly, matching her exact count.
Amina's breath falters. Her eyes well with tears.
Amina (hoarse, whispering)
It's… copying me she grabs her journal, clutching it hard, running her fingers along the rough edge of the spine.
Amina (to herself, shaky)
This is real,This is mine. Focus on the feel. Focus on it
Her eyes drift back to the wall. The shadow has extended one hand. Its fingers drag slowly down the wall, imitating the motion of her fingers stroking the journal's edge.
A faint scratching sound follows each movement.
Amina clutches the journal tighter until her knuckles go white.
Desperate, she flips the journal open and begins writing quickly: Describe, don't judge. Just describe.
Her pen scratches:
"The shadow is standing against the wall. Its hand is raised. It's breathing."
She pauses. When she looks down again, the words on the page are wrong.
"The shadow is standing beside the bed. It is smiling."
Her pen drops from her hand. She gasps, clutching the journal to her chest like a shield.
On the wall, her shadow is no longer still. It leans closer, mouth stretched into a grin that her own lips never make.
The lamp flickers.
Amina(desperate whisper)
Dr. Bello… it doesn't want me calm.