Here is a little something I was inspired to write while lost in my thoughts one day at work.

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The Shadow

A man, lost in his thoughts, wanders through a deserted town, neglected and in disrepair; buildings crumbling and ready to fall at a moment's notice, streets cracked and uneven, and any and all plantlife non-existant in what was once a beautiful town. The lone wanderer looks up into the sky, unable to take in any more of the scenery, when he notices there isn't a single cloud in the sky to shield him from the hot sun. The traveler sighs as he looks to the ground, trying not to think of how warm it is, when he notices his shadow, following him just underneath. He starts to ponder the shadow's situation in life. A shadow will never know the joy of love's kiss, the bliss of a good day, or the beauty that is pure freedom. The lone man realizes, however, that the shadow will never be hurt by betrayal, to be upset by a lost love, or to be frustrated by life bearing down on it all the time. The wanderer scratches his head, confused at how a shadow can tolerate it all, and looks to his shadow one more time. The man simply asks, "Shadow, how can you stand not existing in this world?" The shadow blankly looked the man in the eye and said, "I do exist. It is you who is the shadow in this world. Everything you think I don't feel, I do. Everything you think I don't experience, I do. It is you who does not feel or experience the joys and sorrows of life. You are the one who does not exist."

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Dedicated to those who, like myself at times, often feel like just a shadow in this world, never truly existing.