Amina sits across from Dr. Bello again. She looks pale, tired, her journal clutched tightly in her hands. Her mom, mrs. lawal, waits in the lobby outside.
Dr. Bello smiles gently, pen poised.
Dr.Bello(calm and steady)
Welcome back, amina,jow have you been managing with the new exercises?
Amina opens her journal with shaking hands.
Amina(voice trembling)
I tried, I really tried,but… it didn't work.
Dr.Bello (encouraging)
Tell me what happened.
Amina (rushed and emotional)
The breathing I counted just like you said,hands on my stomach, slow, steady. But… it was breathing with me, The shadow,It matched every count, even when i changed the rhythm, it adjusted.
She stares at her hands, twisting the edge of the journal.
Amina (whispering)
It wasn't me losing track. It was copying me.
Dr. Bello's eyes soften she leans forward slightly, voice low and professional.
Dr.Bello
That must have been frightening and it tells me how powerful your fear response is right now, Sometimes, when we're hyper-aware, our brains "mirror" sensations onto things around us even shadows.
Amina opens her journal, flipping to the last page.
Amina (urgent, almost pleading)
No. It's not just in my head. Look.
She shows the page,The first lines are hers neat, shaky handwriting: "The shadow is standing against the wall. Its hand is raised."
But below, the ink looks the same, though she swears she didn't write it: "The shadow is standing beside the bed. It is smiling."
Dr. Bello studies the page carefully. For the first time, she doesn't speak right away.
Amina (hoarse and whispering)
I didn't write that part. I swear.
Dr. Bello closes the journal gently, setting it on the table between them.
Dr.Bello (measured and calm)
Amina… I hear you. What you're describing feels very real, and the fear is real. That's what matters right now. We don't have to decide how it happened this moment.
Amina looks at her desperately.
Amina (almost in tears)
So you believe me?
Dr. Bello's expression stays neutral.
Dr.Bello (gently evasive)
I believe you're experiencing this and that it's affecting your safety, your peace, and your rest,That's what we're here to work on together.
Dr.Bello (calmly instructing)
For this week, I want you to try something new:
Voice grounding: Instead of silent counting, speak the steps aloud. Sometimes, hearing your own voice reinforces control.
Safe space visualization: Before sleep, imagine a room any room where nothing can touch you,write every detail down, then "enter" it in your mind at night.
Check-in calls:Stay connected,when the fear builds, call your mom or your friend friends or anyone you're close to,don't sit with it alone.
She closes her notebook with a reassuring smile.
Dr Bello
We'll meet again next week.and amina remember, fear thrives in silence. Keep talking. Don't let it lock you in.
Amina nods slowly, clutching the journal to her chest, torn between relief and despair.
Amina sits cross-legged on her bed, lamp glowing faintly. The apartment is quiet her mom is asleep in the next room, amina takes a deep breath, hand trembling as she holds her journal.
Amina (softly and aloud)
Five things I can see,the lamp,the curtain,the chair,the window,my journal.
Her voice steadies.
Amina
Four things I can touch,blanket, pillow,bedframe,book.
She exhales shakily, then continues.
Amina
Three things I can hear,my breathing,the fridge,the....
A faint whisper threads through the silence.
Shadow(soft, mimicking her voice)fridge.
Amina freezes.
Amina (quieter, trembling)
No… no, no, no.
She forces herself to continue, her voice firmer.
Amina
Two things I can smell,my lotion,my perfume.
Shadow(whispering back)
... perfume.
Amina claps her hands over her ears. Her shadow on the wall does the same.
Desperate, amina opens her journal, flipping to the page where she wrote her "safe room":
"White walls, big windows,sunlight,a chair by the window,quiet."
She closes her eyes, breathing slow.
Amina(whispering, calming herself)
I'm in the room,I can see the sunlight. I can sit in the chair, It's safe here.
For a moment, she almost believes it. Her breath steadies,her hands stop shaking.
Then....a sharp creak.
Her eyes snap open, On the wall, her shadow is sitting in a chair a chair that doesn't exist in her bedroom,the shadow tilts its head toward her, rocking slowly as though in her "safe room."
Amina(horrified whisper)
It followed me in…
Her heart pounds,she tries one last time, voice shaking.
Amina(pleading)
This is my space. You can't be here.
For a long moment, silence,then, from the wall the faintest whisper:
Shadow(distorted and low)
…always here.
The lamp flickers violently,amina screams, clutching her journal, knocking the lamp over,darkness fills the room.
Only her ragged breathing remains and the sound of something else breathing with her.
The apartment is dark except for the dim light of Amina's phone screen. She sits on the floor by her bed, hugging her knees, breath uneven. Her fingers fumble as she dials Zara's number.
Zara(sleepy,answering)
Hello? …Amina? It's late. What's wrong?
Amina's voice breaks.
Amina (choked, frantic whisper)
Zara, it spoke to me, It...it was in the wall, doing the exercise with me,It said things back,It followed me into my safe space.
Her sobs echo faintly in the receiver.
Zara's voice now sharper now and worried
Wait...slow down,breathe,what do you mean it spoke? Who spoke?
Amina's voice almost hysterical
The shadow! My shadow! It whispered.It's not just me seeing things, zara. It knows what I'm doing.
Zara sits up in bed, rubbing her forehead.
Zara sounding gently, but strained
Amina… you've been telling me about this for months now. The shadow, the noises, the walls,and every time I tell myself maybe this time it's different. But…
She hesitates, voice softer.
Zara
Babe, what if it's just your mind playing tricks because you're so focused on it? You haven't had proper rest in ages,stress can do scary things.
Amina voice pleading and desperate
No. No, this isn't stress,stress doesn't talk back,it doesn't smile at you from the wall.
Zara sighs, torn, her voice quiet.
Zara (half-believing and conflicted)
I want to believe you, I do,and I believe that you feel this is happening. But, amina, it's been the same for two, three months now,If it was real wouldn't someone else have seen it by now? Your mom? Me?
Amina presses the phone tighter to her ear, tears running down her face.
Amina(broken)
So you don't believe me either.
Zara (firm, but soft)
I believe you're suffering, I believe you're scared,and that's real enough for me. But the shadow? I… I don't know, mina.
Amina goes silent, shaking.
Zara voice now softer and pleading
Please keep seeing Dr. Bello,keep writing things down,Let's fight the stress first, okay? If it's still there after all that then we'll figure it out together.
Amina doesn't answer,she just stares at the wall across from her,her shadow doesn't move until, slowly, it raises its hand to its lips… hushing her.