{"id":1088,"date":"2019-12-05T12:00:10","date_gmt":"2019-12-05T11:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/musemagazine\/?p=1088"},"modified":"2019-12-05T11:59:44","modified_gmt":"2019-12-05T10:59:44","slug":"shadow-friend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/musemagazine\/2019\/12\/shadow-friend\/","title":{"rendered":"Shadow Friend"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0099cc;font-size: small\">Image by\u00a0<a style=\"color: #0099cc\" href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/fr\/photos\/black-cat-orange-yeux-prowl-4000120\/\"><em>xurhx\u00a0<\/em>on pixabay<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right\"><strong>Author<\/strong>: Jonathan Coll\u00e9<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCome on Lucy! Come greet your new house!\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">She wasn\u2019t sulking yet, but was considering whether she should start.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Seated on the backseat of the family\u2019s car, Lucy stared at the big three-story house her mother was pointing at with a grin. It was a big, imposing complex, with a small garden which no one seemed to care for or love, a small patch of grass that was there for decoration and no more. The house itself was differently decorated at each level, but for the empty 2<sup>nd<\/sup> floor: their new home. Presently, a small head bobbed out of one of the balconies on the 3<sup>rd<\/sup> floor: an angry red little face with blonde hair, which Lucy felt she would soon come to meet, force-greet, and despise.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLucy! Come on!\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Lucy sighted and got out of her car. Holding her little pink backpack close, she watched the big house some more: it was intimidating. Pretty, perhaps, but this trait she could not yet see; the house was too big for her comfort, too bright, too\u2026 new!<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cI wanna go home\u201d, muttered Lucy, holding back tears just as she knew a strong adult would. Her dad always said that adults must keep their feelings inside, and she tried to be an adult then\u2026 She sniffed, wiped the tears that hadn\u2019t yet come and let the rest flow inside her. She could almost feel them at the back of her face, right beneath her skin. It was a sort of cold, a bristle, a sensation of dread which trickled down behind her cheeks to get stuck in her throat. She <em>did<\/em> want to go home.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cOh, but you <em>are<\/em> home,\u201d said her dad in a comforting tone. He was carrying a loaded cardboard box on which was inscribed \u201cLiving room\u201d, and already puffing his cheeks over the weight. He had a tall, lean figure, a mouse-like face whose mustache could somewhat pass for being highly sophisticated whiskers. He must have sensed the hidden tears behind Lucy\u2019s adult face, for he dropped the box and knelt to take his daughter\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is home now, dear Lucy. But don\u2019t you worry. Everything will be all right. No, everything will be <em>great<\/em>! Come, I\u2019ll show you around.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And leaving the box and Lucy\u2019s hopes behind, both dad and daughter walked to the front door. And entered.<\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">The stars were shining bright above. The air smelled of up-turned dust, and other things\u2026 new smells she had yet to get used to. Lucy was in her bed. Or rather, Lucy was on her mattress. She had found her pajamas in a cardboard box, her toothbrush in another, but her bed still lay in pieces in some corner of the room. She watched it intently now; shadows move when no one\u2019s looking. Everyone knows that. And she was convinced something was wrong. Something <em>must<\/em> be wrong. Why would the previous owners have moved from here if this house was <em>perfect<\/em>? But, thought Lucy, they had themselves moved from the country-side house, and she couldn\u2019t possibly find a flaw in her old little rickety .<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood-night, sweetheart.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMummy, how long do we have to stay here?\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Lucy\u2019s mum, a short-haired, freckled woman with big-rimmed glasses, placed a loud kiss on Lucy\u2019s forehead, and did as all ignorant adults do when faced with a thoroughly astute and inquisitive child: she smiled, nodded, told her not to worry and repeated herself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood night sweetheart.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Adults were infuriating. It was a simple question, too! And the worse was that Lucy knew she couldn\u2019t . She had tried.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLucy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMrs. Ayronn?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCould you please tell me what is eight times four?\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Lucy had smiled, nodded, and told Mrs Ayronn not to worry, before returning her attention to the drawing she was making. She had gotten grounded, and still couldn\u2019t for the life of her understand why. Hypocrites.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cI bet if mum doesn\u2019t tell me, it\u2019s because she doesn\u2019t <em>know<\/em>\u201d, said poor Lucy to the shadows. She was feeling miserable. But they didn\u2019t answer. They didn\u2019t stir.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Lucy put her blankets over her head, to be protected and warm. But she soon remembered the shadows, and immediately resumed her watch.<\/p>\n<p>The window.<\/p>\n<p>A crack on the wooden floor.<\/p>\n<p>Some dim metal-cling.<\/p>\n<p>This new-house was definitely too scary!<\/p>\n<p>The window again.<\/p>\n<p><em>Tum-Dum<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Two eyes, two big, full, yellow moons shot out from the dark to stare at her. Two bright yellow planets which shone outside, just behind the window.<\/p>\n<p>They didn\u2019t move. They stared.<\/p>\n<p>And then they blinked.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Lucy almost screamed. But the blink was slow, almost deliberate, and out came a yawn: a big mouth with pearl white teeth stretched out, a pink tongue was cast out; yawn, and the whole vision disappeared as soon as it had come, engulfed with the night. The eyes again. Only the eyes remained, and they stared at Lucy with bold directness.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s rude to stare\u201d, said Lucy.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">The two yellow planets seemed startled. They became a little wider, came a little closer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy, my, my\u201d growled a low, deep voice. \u201cHow charming.\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cWho is it? said Lucy. She was scared, but only of really scary things, she told herself. She was scared of this new house, of her new life, of being away from her friends and being alone\u2026 but not of ghost-monsters who prowled at bedtime. Only little kids were afraid of <em>those<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>In truth, she was desperate for a friend.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m Lucy. Do you want to come in, shadow-friend?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The shadows laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not your friend. And I\u2019ll come in if I please. This is my territory, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Lucy\u2019s mind started racing: was <em>this<\/em> the mystery of the previous owners? Had they disappeared, had they become shadow-friends? What were they still doing here? She was eager to find out.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs this house yours then?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cMine?\u201d said the voice. Lucy was sure she heard it mutter \u201cHumans!\u201d with contempt. \u201cNo, it\u2019s not mine, loud-walker. How can it be <em>mine<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou did say it was your territory.\u201d said Lucy.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cHunting grounds, no more.\u201d said the deep, hungry voice. And with this it was off. The two big yellow moons blinked once more, sharp white teeth flashed, licked by a pink tongue, only to disappear altogether.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWait!\u201d said Lucy, scrambling out of bed \u201cDon\u2019t go shadow-friend!\u201d But the beast had vanished without a noise.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Lucy looked out of her window, screening the roofs. The shadow was gone. She gazed at the buildings around her, stopping at the new-found lights. Laughter buzzed from a balcony above, and a faint smell of spices was carried by the wind unto her: Lucy took a deep breath, breathing in the strangeness around her. Another land. Another place. How would she ever call it home?<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">She went back to her bed, forgetting to watch the shadows. Her thoughts were on this shadow-friend, and this of course made her think of her friends, her <em>real<\/em> friends, those she had left at home, her <em>real<\/em> home. Crying inside-tears, Lucy fell asleep.<\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">The next morning was full of surprises. Lucy woke up with the shining sun, and this made her mood bright in an instant. Birds were chirping outside her window. She greeted them with a wave before jumping out of her bed. Or so she thought; her bed still lay in heaps in a corner of the room, and when Lucy sprang out of the mattress she stumbled on the floor and fell. So much for a good morning. Still, she kept her spirits high and decided that she would do her very best to be nice, polite, and positive. After all, this wasn\u2019t her parent\u2019s fault, she thought. They looked as lost and tired as she was; it was her job, she decided, to care for her mum and dad\u2019s mood.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMorning mummy! Good morning dad!\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cGood morning Lucy. Well, you look especially cheerful today.\u201d answered her dad with hope in his voice. He was struggling with his portable coffee machine, which he usually brought along when camping outside. He always insisted it made the <em>best<\/em> coffee, but coming home he immediately switched back to his regular electric brewer, with its comforting hum-buzz. It felt weird to Lucy not to hear this sound today.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cLucy! What happened to your head?\u201d said Lucy\u2019s mum, coming in the kitchen. Lucy almost directed the question back to her mum, who had apparently abandoned make-up for harsh reality. Still, she bit her tongue and said nothing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you hurt yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA little. But I\u2019m OK now\u201d, said brave Lucy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou look like a unicorn!\u201d laughed her dad, and Lucy laughed too, to make him happy.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">The breakfast was uneventful; in fact, it didn\u2019t happen. Save for the blessed <em>best<\/em> coffee which her dad had managed to brew after some mild swearing, there was simply nothing on the table. Lucy didn\u2019t want to complain; luckily, her stomach spoke with a loud rumble.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s nothing in the fridge dear, but I\u2019ll go and get some groceries with your dad,\u201d explained her mum. \u201cYou just stay put and guard the house, OK?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOK,\u201d said Lucy, thinking that if anyone came to take <em>this<\/em> house she would gladly let them.<\/p>\n<p>Lucy then went to the balcony to watch her parents go.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cGoodbye!\u201d she said cheerfully, waving away at her parents; but as soon as they turned the corner she felt the act was not needed. She fully accepted her sorrow, and said to no one in particular:<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cI HATE it here. This stupid place is weird, and my head hurts and I miss my bed, and I\u2019m hungry but what are we supposed to eat? There\u2019s nothing but <em>boxes<\/em> and I don\u2019t know where my toys are and I want to go home but home is\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lucy started sobbing, outside-tears which now flowed freely down her cheeks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs it going to be rain, then?\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">It was that low, deep, growl again. Lucy\u2019s surprise caused the tears to vanish, and she looked around to see where the voice was hiding.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">A sleek, splendid black cat with lustrous fur was napping on a nearby ledge, taking the sun in without a care in the world. Lucy approached him cautiously.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re blocking the sun.\u201d said the cat with scorn in his voice. He hadn\u2019t opened his eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, sorry. Wait! You talk!\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">The cat remained still as a rock under Lucy\u2019s shade. Eventually, Lucy moved, and the cat opened a lazy eye: it was a beautiful yellow moon, and Lucy\u2019s heart raced.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShadow-friend!\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cI\u2019m not your friend, non-hunter. But I don\u2019t like hearing humans cry. Not on such a morning. Why are you crying? Are you famished? The sun is shining.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2026 you talk!\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cI hope you\u2019ll be able to get over this soon. Of course, I talk. I\u2019m a cat. I do everything better than humans do, so why wouldn\u2019t I talk?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve never hear a cat talk before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe you\u2019re not very interesting to talk to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re a grumpy cat, Shadow-friend.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not your friend, furless.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lucy stayed quiet. She was very excited to find a talking cat, and was more determined than ever to become its friend.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cAt least there\u2019s <em>one<\/em> new thing which is pretty cool.\u201d muttered Lucy as she let herself fall on the balcony\u2019s concrete. She still felt a slight pang of sorrow, but as she concentrated on Shadow-friend she slowly started to dismiss the feeling. Watching the sun-drenched cat, she realized again that the sun was shining, and she tilted her head and closed her eyes to welcome its rays. Her eyes closed\u2026 She started to notice how the concrete had been heated by the sun, and how it made a little warm spot for her to bask in. Some time later, Shadow-friend\u2019s voice was heard:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIsn\u2019t it great?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lucy thought she heard him purr.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes,\u201d she slowly answered, \u201cYes, you\u2019re right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She stretched, happy, fully empty of anything but a fuzzy warm happiness which was brought by the sun.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSorrow melts with the sun. Unless you are hungry. Are you hungry, newcomer? You can\u2019t possibly hunt with those paws.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, Shadow-friend. I\u2019m not truly hungry, just a little sad that\u2019s all: everything here is so\u2026<em>new<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNew is what you make of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s easy for you to say, you live here! Nothing\u2019s new to you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are.\u201d said the cat, and he shut his eyes once more.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Lucy thought about this for a while, letting the sun warm her face. Finally, she heard the apartment\u2019s door open, and her parents come in. She got up to help store the groceries, not forgetting to say goodbye to the black cat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGoodbye Shadow-friend. Thank you for the talk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not your friend, dull-teeth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">The rest of the morning was beautiful. Lucy and her parents ate a makeshift brunch while seated on cardboard boxes, with a cardboard table and paper napkins as plates. It was new, different. But it was fun, also, because she had decided it was going to be. She kept to small things, proceeded one step at a time, box after box, looking out for the sun from time to time. She found happiness in rediscovering little objects she had forgotten, laughed at the quaint aspects of this brand-new world. Once she had settled, so had the night, and she tiredly went to bed.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">There, one last surprise awaited her: a horror to most, but as it was new, Lucy tried to consider it carefully, mastering her initial feeling, forging it into choice. She guessed who it came from. She decided she liked the new surprise in the end. She therefore slowly walked to the window\u2019s ledge to pick up the nice little gift her friend had made: picking it up, she tried not to look disgusted at the dead gutted mouse whose blood slowly dripped unto her feet.<\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">A little bump, a smooth <em>thunk<\/em>, a mere whisper in the night, announced Shadow-friend\u2019s presence. Lucy looked at the open window to find the two yellow moons staring back at her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you for the gift\u201d said Lucy. \u201cThough I feel bad for the mouse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou feel bad for food?\u201d the cat\u2019s eyes seemed to shine with laughter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not food! Well, I guess it is to you\u2026 but they\u2019re living beings!\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cOf course they are. Typical non-hunter response.\u201d scorned the cat. \u201cI can only understand though \u2013 these paws! What can you catch with those? No wonder you can\u2019t respect them; you can\u2019t kill them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ve got it the other way \u2018round I think. I can\u2019t kill them because I respect them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s what you say,\u201d answered the cat, still on the windowsill. \u201cBut in truth you\u2019re just a joyless killer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot true!\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cYou\u2019re so clawless!\u201d laughed the cat. \u201cHave you ever caught a mouse trying to escape? Have you ever let it go just for the sheer pleasure of catching it again? Of course not.\u201d Shadow-friend looked at the moon, then back at Lucy. \u201cIf you do not embrace who you are, how can you embrace the world? How can you understand it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lucy didn\u2019t know what to answer. This grumpy cat was staring deep into her soul.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m just a kid!\u201d she said defensively.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cAnd I\u2019m just a cat.\u201d said Shadow-friend. \u201cAnd this is just a mouse. You like stating the obvious, don\u2019t you?\u201d He was evidently enjoying himself.<\/p>\n<p>Lucy smiled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you.\u201d she said again, picking the mouse with her hands. \u201cIt\u2019s very kind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWill you eat it then?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lucy stared back in horror. The cat bared his teeth in a broad grin.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m just joking, meat-warmer. But I didn\u2019t know what else to get you. I wanted you to feel welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re a nice cat, aren\u2019t you, grumpy cat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFur and claws\u201d answered Shadow-friend. \u201cIf\u2026 you\u2019re not having that.\u201d he added, pointing the dead mouse with an extended claw.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course!\u201d said Lucy, with great relief. She went to place the mouse on the windowsill, and then thought better of it:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWould you like to come to my\u2026 our, room?\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Noiselessly, the black shadow dropped down into Lucy\u2019s room, the mouse still stuck in his jaws. He then paced until he found a spot, apparently better than all the other identical spots Lucy could see, and started to feast.<\/p>\n<p>Lucy watched him eat with an ambiguous mixture of curiosity and disgust.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cI had a cousin who held your views,\u201d said the cat after he saw her changing expression. \u201cIt was easy for him. He was well cared for, his feeders never forgot to fill his bowl, hence he never lacked anything. It was easy for him to judge. He didn\u2019t need the hunt. In truth, it was the hunt which didn\u2019t need him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lucy sat down to listen to the ranting feline.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cCalled me a murderer! He didn\u2019t kill; I did. Simple as that. But the mouse I caught was free. He lived a mouse\u2019s life to the very end!\u201d at this the cat laughed, though Lucy was unsure why. \u201cCan you say the same? That\u2019s what I asked him. And he couldn\u2019t answer! He didn\u2019t know if his food had been free, or happy, if it was a good runner, if it could evade well: all he knew was that his food came from a box which the feeders filled from time to time using a bigger box. And he judged <em>me<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Shadow-friend\u2019s dinner was cracking in his mouth and Lucy fell somewhat sick, but she couldn\u2019t help empathizing with her friend now.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m sure it was difficult to fight with your cousin over this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFight! That bloated thing?\u201d Shadow-friend choked on his food. \u201cNever!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A little piece of the mouse\u2019s tail was sprouting out of his mouth, and he slurped it with relish.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cBut his ways are his ways. We didn\u2019t argue, if that\u2019s what you mean. His house was his territory, I had mine. He left me in peace and so did I. We discussed. Philosophy, you call it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI guess,\u201d said Lucy. \u201cWhat\u2019s your name, Shadow-friend?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The black cat grinned. \u201cI knew you were charming.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy is that?\u201d asked Lucy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInstinct.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInstinct?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA feeling, but deeper.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know what instinct is. But I thought you said we shouldn\u2019t trust our feelings.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI never said that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou said <em>new<\/em> was what we wanted. But I felt sad. So I forgot it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou should never forget your instinct!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut dad says\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cYou should embrace it! A feeling is neither good or bad. It is data. You do what you will with this information. It doesn\u2019t mean reject it, or be scared, it means accepting it as your fact, and deciding your outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lucy sat back, leaning against the bare walls of her room. Shadow-friend started to lick his paws.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou still haven\u2019t told me your name.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s true. But, you wouldn\u2019t understand it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow so?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, we cats can understand humans, and talk your way, but I\u2019ve never heard of a girl who could speak cat!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh\u2026\u201d said Lucy, thinking a moment: \u201cBut until yesterday, I had never heard of a cat speaking human.\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cVery true!\u201d said Shadow-friend, cheering. \u201cThen, since you insist, here it is\u2026\u201d And he meowed with voluptuous glee. It was obviously meant to impress Lucy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d said she.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI told you,\u201d said Shadow-friend, sulking, \u201cyou wouldn\u2019t know the difference between meow and meow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSorry\u201d, said Lucy, meaning it. \u201cPlease, would you try again, just one more time?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Shadow-friend took a moment, but cajoled by the pleading eyes of Lucy, he gave in:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf then. Here goes: my name is\u2026\u201d And he meowed again in that fleeting, joyful manner. Lucy listened attentively, thought for a moment, and then carefully meowed back.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHey! Not bad for a two-legger.\u201d said the cat, grinning.<\/p>\n<p>Then he yawned, and this made Lucy yawn. \u201cOff to bed then.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOff to bed then.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The black shadow jumped in a swift swoosh unto the window\u2019s ledge, tail in balance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGoodnight Shadow-friend.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not your friend\u2026 Lucy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There was silence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes you are.\u201d Lucy replied stubbornly, her voice muffled underneath the bed\u2019s cover.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Image by\u00a0xurhx\u00a0on pixabay Author: Jonathan Coll\u00e9 \u201cCome on Lucy! Come greet your new house!\u201d She wasn\u2019t sulking yet, but was considering whether she should start. Seated on the backseat of the family\u2019s car, Lucy stared at the big three-story house her mother was pointing at with a grin. It was a big, imposing complex, with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1001678,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[37],"class_list":{"0":"post-1088","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-winter-2019","7":"tag-prose"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/musemagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1088","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/musemagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/musemagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/musemagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1001678"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/musemagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1088"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/musemagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1088\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/musemagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1088"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/musemagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1088"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/musemagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1088"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}