It was just before lunch, and the hallway was quiet.
Too quiet.
I walked slowly, my bag on my shoulder, thinking about nothing in particular.
Then… I saw it.
A shadow.
Not my shadow. Not anyone's shadow I knew.
It moved quickly across the wall, like it was running.
I froze.
"Hello?" I called softly.
No answer.
I looked around.
No one there.
Just lockers. Empty corridor.
The shadow was gone.
I blinked.
Maybe it was my imagination.
Maybe it was… a ghost?
I shook my head.
Focus. Just focus.
Then I heard a laugh.
Small. Quiet. Funny.
It came from behind a corner.
I ran there.
Nothing.
I stopped and crouched.
"Okay… maybe it's real," I muttered.
Then I noticed footprints on the floor.
Small, hurried ones.
Leading down the hallway.
I followed them slowly, stepping carefully.
The other boy appeared around the corner, calm as always.
"Did you see that shadow?" I asked, a little nervous.
He nodded slightly.
"Maybe it's just a hallway trick," he said.
I groaned.
A "hallway trick"? Really?
But… he didn't seem scared.
And somehow… I felt less scared too.
I walked down the hallway again, checking lockers, corners, and the little gaps under doors.
Every shadow seemed bigger.
Every small sound made me jump a little.
Then… I remembered something.
The shadow always moved quickly, but never in a straight line.
Almost like… it was having fun.
Or maybe it was… teasing me?
I laughed quietly at the thought.
Funny. Strange. Weird.
I turned to see the other boy still standing calmly.
"Don't look at me," he said softly, smiling a little.
I nodded.
Maybe he knew more than he said.
Maybe he didn't.
It didn't matter.
By the time lunch started, the shadow was gone.
Or maybe… we just stopped noticing it.
Either way, I walked into the cafeteria thinking:
Only in this school could a hallway shadow make you nervous, confused… and a little amused at the same time.