Ophelia Shadow Theater. Scary stories and mystical stories Tiny shadow

"What do you see behind you on a clear, sunny day? Of course, a shadow. And what happens if you try to run away from it? It runs after you as fast as you, right? No matter how hard you try, you won't you can get rid of her. And why? Because she is yours.

So, the same thing happened with Ronald, only with a slight difference. He had two shadows!

The first was an ordinary shadow that follows on the heels of every girl and every boy, and the second - can you guess? - yes, the second was his little sister! Wherever he went, she followed him. Whatever he did, she did the same. Whatever he said, she repeated word for word. That's why Ronald nicknamed her his "little shadow."

Was she bothering him? Not at all. Ronald was glad that he had such a real, living shadow. Being a big and strong nine-year-old boy, he believed that there was no one in the world sweeter and more beautiful than his little sister; and she, at four years old, looked at him as the most wonderful older brother a little girl could dream of.

And they accompanied each other everywhere! You might have thought that they were connected by a thread, but that was not the case. They were connected by invisible bonds of love.
If Ronald climbed a tree in the garden, his little sister would climb as high as she could after him. If he picked an apple, and she picked an apple; and when he climbed down, she also went down after him.

Next to the gate there is a stump of a pepper tree that was cut down a long time ago. If Ronald sat on one of its roots, the younger sister always sat on the other.

If Ronald said, “I’m going to play in the sandbox,” the little sister echoed, “Me too,” and they walked away together with shovels and buckets.

Whether playing or working, they were always together. If Ronald went to sweep the front porch and steps, which was part of his daily duties, the little sister would also pick up her broom and scrub as diligently as she could. The only problem with this was that she didn't always point in the right direction, but Ronald didn't mind because it was such a pleasure for him to watch her go out of her way to help him.

If Ronald went to water the garden with his big watering can, his little sister followed him with her little watering can. There they had a wonderful time together until their clothes and shoes became much wetter than the plants, and their mother had to call them to dry themselves.

If Ronald sat down with a book, after a few moments the little sister joined him and settled down next to her book.

Of course, she couldn't read yet, but she liked to pretend that she was doing the same thing as her brother. The funny thing was that if Ronald began to read aloud, the little sister also diligently “read” aloud, although in fact she chirped about everything that came to her mind, giving free rein to her imagination...

But the funniest thing was the younger sister’s attempts to copy her brother at the table. She watched his every move and did exactly the same thing, good or bad, cultured or not. If Ronald forgot about good manners for a moment and put too much in his mouth, then a minute later the little sister was also sitting with her mouth full. If Ronald, alas, started eating with a knife, the younger sister immediately took the knife and began to eat the same way as him, until their mother reprimanded them about how ugly they were behaving.

Sometimes Ronald would say, "I don't want carrots and turnips for lunch!" Immediately, an echo echoed from the other end of the table: “I don’t want carrots and turnips for lunch.” Just as Ronald expressed dissatisfaction with food, the little sister echoed him here, and not because she only liked what Ronald liked, but simply to do the same as he did. If he turned his nose up at the rice pudding, she, imitating him, also showed dissatisfaction.

But one day Ronald realized how great his responsibility was. One day, returning from school, where after school he was playing in the playground with rather ill-mannered boys, he accidentally uttered one bad word. Immediately he heard his sister repeat him. Of course, she didn't have the slightest idea what it could mean, whether it was good or bad, but coming from her sweet lips, it sounded simply monstrous! Ronald was shocked. Just think that he, who loved his little sister so much, could teach her to pronounce such a bad word!

And then he remembered that she copied him literally in everything, that she really was his “little shadow”; and without leaving his place, Ronald firmly decided never again to say or do anything that could harm his sister. He must be a worthy example for her simply because she wants to follow him everywhere in everything...

And he really did his best to be like that."

Arthur Maxwell, Evening Stories for Children, vol. 3, trans. from English, Zaoksky: Source of Life, 1998, pp. 119-123.

(Reprinted from V.I. Oliynik’s newspaper “On the Threshold of Eternity”)

You know, I sit at the computer very often. I spend most of my life watching it. I live with my wife, I don’t work. You could say it's on my wife's neck. She pays for the apartment, for utilities, for the Internet. Pravda says that he will soon turn it off, because I sit on it very often. Now I will tell you one incident that happened to me.

I was sitting at the computer as usual. My wife went to work. I climbed websites of interesting facts (in order to somehow develop myself). Listened to music. It was already 1:45, I thought I was going to bed. Now I’m lying in bed and hear a rustling sound. I understand that in all scary stories there are rustling noises, strange sounds and all that. Well, I thought I heard it. There was no more rustling and I fell asleep.

I wake up from fussing on the bed. Immediately crazy thoughts pop into my head and I scream and fall off the bed onto the floor.
- Have you completely lost your brain behind your computer?

It was my wife, so I immediately calmed down. I lay down on the bed again, my head hitting the floor too hard. My wife was sitting next to me. She was rummaging through her bag, looking for something. She works as my secretary in the same office. Sometimes she was late at work, then I could calmly joke around at the computer and no one would whine in my ear that they say I don’t work, I don’t do anything. In short, nothing mystical happened. But that's for now...

There my wife and I talked. I told him that I heard a rustling noise at night, my wife just laughed.
In the evening, my wife left again (she worked the night shift).

As usual, I sat up until two in the morning and went to bed. Suddenly there was a rustling again, but closer. I lie there, pretending not to notice him. But in the end I got tired of it, I gathered my will into a fist and said:
- Maybe stop rustling already, huh?!
The rustling stopped and I fell asleep peacefully. In the morning I told my wife everything. She laughed at me again. If only I had listened to it myself, I would have seen how she would tear her hair out of fear.

The next night I wanted to find out the source of the rustling noise. Oh, I wish I hadn't done this...

Anyway, I'm lying on the bed. Then the rustling began again. And not like before, he was distant and began to approach. I lay there and started to get a little afraid. Suddenly I feel something crawling up my leg. I jumped up and began to shake this thing off my leg, but it kept creeping and crawling. I turned on the light and saw that it was some kind of strange shadow. Everything creeps and crawls up the leg. I started screaming, trying to shake off this shadow, but nothing worked.

It was already crawling up my hand and I remembered about the holy water standing on our closet. I reached for it, and when I got it out, I sprayed it on her hand. The shadow squealed terribly, but slid down and disappeared somewhere under the sofa. Then I didn't sleep all night. It was terribly scary. I was even afraid of my own shadow. So I sat until the morning with a bottle of holy water in my hands.

When my wife came, she thought that I had been on the Internet all night, screamed and said that today we would go for a walk. Like, I’ve already been sitting too long at home.

In the evening, when we walked along the street, I shied away from every shadow. You would have thought that I was crazy, I saw a small shadow, and now I shy away from everyone. But no... I saw her crawling behind us, waiting for us to sit down or stop.

When I returned home, I forgot about this shadow. My wife and I sat down to dinner and then went to bed. My wife is already asleep, but I can’t sleep. Then the wife wakes up, and let’s scream that we have a spider on the bed. I understood what kind of “spider” we were talking about, but did not attach any importance to it.

When I woke up in the morning, I saw this shadow gnawing at my wife’s leg. I screamed and started to pull my wife away, but it was clear that she was already dead. I ran out of the apartment and called an ambulance and the police.

From the archives I learned that small children had been killed in this apartment before. I don’t know how this is connected with the shadow, but I’m sure that’s what it’s all about. I decided to find out everything better. My wife was buried, I mourned her for a long time, but when the mourning was finally over for me, I began my investigation.

I was lying at night and felt that a shadow was already creeping over me. Then I asked:
- What do you want?
“You are food,” the shadow answered me.
I was taken aback and splashed holy water on the shadow. She immediately fell to the floor.
- Food? Will you eat me?
- Yes. You are food.
I sprinkled holy water on the shadow again. Then she screamed and from the darkest crevices of the room another 3-4 dozen shadows just like her crawled out.
“We will eat,” said the shadow.
Of course, I didn’t have enough holy water, and the little shadows killed me.

Now I am the same little shadow as they are. I realized that they are all the souls of people. Now I, along with the others, are eating everyone who settles in this apartment and they, too, become little shadows...

Comments

Comment by Rifkin11

Comment by Swaney

Comment by Feliciamarie

I found them all around the Tideskorn Harbor.

Comment by SFFCorgi

Comment by Aponina

Comment by Strigina

Comment by Luther1973

Comment by Icelus

Just a heads up, the kelp scuttlers can"t be killed, you have to actually battle them to clear them from the area.

Comment by meeplemeeple

I had a non-battle Tiny Apparition turn into a battle pet right before my eyes as I was about to kill it to clear out the spawn. The tiny apparition kind of phased out and in really quickly like mobs and other players do when CRZ is acting up.

First I tried clearing out non-battle Tiny Apparitions only and had no luck. Then I killed the battle pet Kelp Scuttlers by fighting them as they cannot be killed by direct targeting or through AOE. I still wasn"t getting any spawns so I started killing the non-battle Tiny Apparitions and fighting the Kelp Scuttlers and Rapana Whelks to clear them out. I was using a combination of the two strategies when the Tiny Apparition turned from non-battle to battle.

Comment by survik1

However what does share spawn points are level 1 critters. You have to kill them as well in order to free space for battle pets.

During respawn you can wait on 56.2 35.1. There is hook you can grab. Place is beyond reach of mobs so you are safe there even if you were in combat before landing.

In one small old town there lived a little old Fraulein named Ophelia.

When she was born - it was, of course, a very long time ago - her parents said:

– Our girl will become a great actress someday!

So they dreamed and therefore gave her the name of the famous heroine of one great play.

Little Ophelia inherited from her parents only one thing: love and admiration for the Great Words of the Poets, and nothing more.

She could not become a famous actress. Her voice was too quiet. But still, she wanted to at least somehow serve art, even in the quietest way.

There was an old wonderful theater in this small town.

And there, at the edge of the stage, there was a booth, closed from the audience by a large, seemingly sea shell. Ophelia sat in this shell-like booth every evening and suggested words in a whisper so that the artists would not stumble. And Ophelia’s quiet voice was very useful here, because the audience should not have heard her.

Ophelia served in the theater all her life and was happy. Gradually she learned by heart all the great comedies and tragedies of the world, and she no longer needed to look at the book.

And so Fraulein Ophelia grew old. And times have changed now. Fewer and fewer spectators came to the city theater, because cinema appeared, and then other entertainment.

Many now had cars, and if anyone really wanted to go to the theater, they could quickly get to the nearest big city and look at much more famous artists - and, in the end, show themselves.

And then the time came when the theater in the small town was closed. The actors separated, and the old Fräulein Ophelia was fired.

When the last performance ended and the curtain fell for the last time, Ophelia remained in the theater for a short time, completely alone.

She sat in her shell booth and recalled her past life.

Suddenly she saw a shadow.

The shadow wandered around the scenes, now increasing and then decreasing.

But there was no one around who could cast that shadow.

- Hey! – Ophelia called quietly, “Who’s there?”

The shadow got scared and cowered.

“Sorry,” said the shadow, “I didn’t know there was someone here.” I didn't mean to scare you. I'm hiding here because I don't know where to go. I beg you, don't send me away.

-Are you a shadow? – Ophelia asked.

Shadow nodded.

“But shadows always belong to someone.”

“Not everything,” said the shadow. “There are also extra shadows in the world.” They belong to no one, no one needs them. I'm just like that. My name is Shadow the Prankster.

- That's it... Yes, it's very sad - not to belong to anyone.

“Very,” the shadow agreed and sighed. - But what can you do?

“And you come to me,” Ophelia said. - I don’t have anyone either.

- With pleasure. But then I need to be with you all the time! And you have your own shadow.

“Yes, you will get along with each other,” said the old Fräulein, and then her own shadow suddenly nodded.

So Fräulein Ophelia got two shadows. Not everyone noticed this, but those who did were quite surprised. Ophelia, of course, did not want too much to be said about her. So she asked one of her shadows to shrink and hide in her purse for a day. There was enough space there for shade.

One day old Ophelia was sitting in church and quietly talking to God. She hoped that God would hear her quiet voice. But that’s for sure - she didn’t know.

Suddenly on the white wall she saw a new shadow, very emaciated. The shadow didn’t look like anything, but for some reason it held out its hands pitifully.

- Are you also a draw? – Ophelia asked.

“It’s a draw,” the shadow sighed. “But there are rumors that someone is taking us in.” Isn't it you?

– I already have two shadows.

- Accept me too. It's so sad to be lonely.

- What is your name?

- Vague fear.

- Well. Come to me too,” Ophelia said. - In my purse.

Now she has three shadows.

From then on, almost every day more and more new shadows came to her. It turned out that there are not so few of them in this world.

The fourth shadow's name was Lonely.

Fifth - Big Night.

Sixth - Never.

The seventh shadow's name was the Heaviness of Emptiness.

There were more and more shadows.

Little Fraulein Ophelia was poor, but shadows, fortunately, do not need either food or clothing to keep warm. Only Ophelia’s room sometimes became very dark and cramped, there were too many shadows huddled in it. But new ones kept coming.

The worst thing was when the shadows quarreled.

They argued for the best place, and sometimes they simply even fought. Sometimes it came to real battles.

On nights like these, little old Fraulein Ophelia could not sleep. She lay in bed with her eyes open and tried to calm her friends in a quiet voice. But it didn't really fade.

Ophelia did not like quarrels, except for those quarrels and battles that sounded from the stage in the Great Language of Poets. And then one day an interesting thought occurred to her.

“Listen,” she said to the shadows. - Listen! If you want to live with me, you will have to learn something.

The shadows stopped quarreling and hid. They looked at the old woman from all corners of the small room.

And then Ophelia began to speak. She pronounced the Great Words of the Poets, which she knew by heart.

She read slowly and strictly and demanded that the shadows repeat after her. The shadows tried their best and were quite understanding.

And gradually, from the words of Ophelia, the shadows learned all the great comedies and tragedies of the world.

Now they have a completely different life.

The shadows learned to take on any form: a dwarf and a giant, a person or a bird, a tree or a horse.

At night they often performed amazing performances in front of Ophelia. And she whispered to them the words so that they would not stumble.

During the day, all the shadows, except, of course, their own, hid in their purse. Yes, they could, if they wanted, incredibly shrink.

The neighbors couldn't see them, but they noticed that something unusual was happening. And people don't like it.

“This old fraulein is somehow strange,” they said behind Ophelia’s back. “We should give her to a home for the elderly.” They'll take care of her there.

“She looks like she’s crazy,” others said. – You never know what she can do!

One day the owner of the house in which she had a room came to the old woman and said:

“I’m very sorry, but now you’ll have to pay double for the room.”

Ophelia couldn't do this.

“Well, then,” said the owner, “you’d better move out.” However, I'm very sorry.

And so Ophelia put everything she had - very little - into a suitcase and left. She bought a ticket, boarded the train and traveled around the world, not knowing where.

And she went very far. I got off the train and went on foot - wherever my eyes looked. In one hand she carried a suitcase, in the other a purse, where shadows were hidden.

It was a long, long street.

Shadows came out of the bag, surrounded her and began to think about what to do next.

“As a matter of fact,” the shadows whispered, “it was because of us that Madame Ophelia found herself in this situation.” We need to figure out how to help her.

And they thought for a long time, and when the old woman woke up, they told her their idea.

- Oh, that's how it is! – Ophelia laughed. - You came up with a good idea.

And so Ophelia came to one village.

At the edge of the village she saw a crossbar on which rugs were being knocked out. She took a sheet out of her suitcase and hung it on this crossbar.

The shadows came out of the bag and began to act out performances that they had learned long ago on the sheet.

Ophelia sat behind and prompted the artists with the Great Words of the Poets so that they would not stumble.

The kids came running.

Then the adults came too. And everyone paid some small change for an unusual performance.

From then on, Fraulein Ophelia began to walk from village to village, from one region to another, and her shadows turned into kings and jesters, into noble ladies and fiery stallions, into wizards and flowers.

People came up, looked, laughed and cried.

Soon Ophelia became famous, and wherever she went, everyone was waiting for her - no one had ever seen such a theater!

The spectators clapped their hands, and everyone paid something. Some more, some less.

After some time, Ophelia even saved up money and bought a small old car.

The artist painted it and wrote on the sides in large letters:

OPHELIA'S SHADOW THEATER

And Ophelia's theater rolled around the world.

This could be the end of our story, but it is not over yet.

One day Fraulein Ophelia got into a snowstorm with her car and was unable to drive further.

Suddenly a Huge Shadow appeared in front of her. It was much darker than all the other shadows.

“Are you also one of those,” Ophelia asked, “also one of those... whom no one wants?”

“That’s probably right,” said the Shadow slowly.

– And you also ask to come to me?

-Would you take me? – the Huge Shadow grinned, coming closer.

“I have more than enough shadows,” said the old woman, “but I feel sorry for you too.”

“Maybe you’ll find out my name first?”

- What is your name?

– People call... Death.

It became very quiet. And the snowy wind died down.

“Do you still want to take me?” – Shadow finally asked softly.

“Yes,” answered little old Fraulein Ophelia. “Come to me.”

And a huge cold Shadow covered Ophelia, and the light faded.

But then she got new eyes - young and clear. And they are no longer myopic. And Ophelia, even without glasses, could see where she was.

She stood in front of the Gate to Heaven. And wonderful figures in shining clothes crowded around. They smiled at her.

-Who are you? – Ophelia asked.

- Don’t you recognize it? We are former shadows. The same ones, no one's. Now we are saved and will no longer wander.

The gates to Heaven opened - and the former shadows entered them. They brought with them little old Fraulein Ophelia.

All together they approached a beautiful palace, and it was the most wonderful theater that you could imagine.

Above the entrance was written in large gold letters:

THEATER OF OPHELIA'S LIGHT

Since then, in this theater they have played out human destinies before the angels, and the Great Words of the Poets sound in it. These words are also clear to angels. And Poets talk about how sad and funny, wretched and majestic it is to be human and live on earth.

Fräulein Ophelia whispers the words to her actors. So that they don't stumble.

They say that sometimes the Lord God himself comes to listen to them. But no one knows this for sure.

Yes, she is the only one,” confirmed Mr. Knickerbocker, nodding his crown. - The only Royal Analostan with a pedigree! Now cat breeders are busy with the problem of finding a worthy match for her. The only Analostan cat known to us lives on the island of Borneo. Apparently, the owner will take her there on an airship.

Oh, how I would like to have this magnificent creature Analos... - said the elderly lady, examining the cat through binoculars.

A magnificent creature... As correctly said, Countess... Analos... Analos... This is no longer just a cat, this is a magnificent creature! But I have to disappoint you: “analos” is not for sale. Her owner, Mr. Mali, is a man of great means and is difficult to approach. He forcibly agreed to exhibit his treasure, and is now in Stockholm on matters of national importance.

Oh, Mr. Knickerbocker, persuade him to sell me an analog machine.

I can't promise, I can't promise, but I'll try, his butler is here. - And Mr. Knickerbocker nodded his crown at Jim.

Who is this lady? - asked the audience, shocked by the appearance of Lizzie.

This is a special cat housekeeper. She feeds the analostana, she knows the secret of its diet. She is very silent, you can’t even get a word out of her.

Then Mr. Knickerbocker came up to Lizzie and said:

Be so kind, miss. Tell the experts what you feed her at this time of day.

Lizzie narrowed her eyes, pursed her lips and said:

This is su-u-ukret!

But still, miss, be supportive of cat experts, you will help me personally in creating the monumental work “Introduction to Cat Science.”

“Whipped cream,” Lizzie finally said, “and a fried mouse for breakfast.”

Oh my God! - exclaimed the countess. - Who skins mice?

So he rips it off,” Lizzie answered, nodding towards the venerable butler.

In the evening of the same day, a celebration was held in the basement. Only Lizzie was unhappy.

Cudgel! - she cursed. - I received five hundred dollars and am already in seventh heaven! We had to bargain! You could have taken a thousand!

“But I wasn’t there,” the Japanese justified himself. - You and Jim set the price.

Jim is a black man, and I'm confused.

Okay,” said the Japanese. - This is our first happy deal, there will be more profitable ones. Next time we’ll sell the cat for a thousand.

“I don’t know, I don’t know,” Jim shook his head. - I highly doubt it, dear sir. Where else can you get such a Shamayka? Such cats are rarely born. Very rarely, sir.

Who bought it anyway?

Rich people, sir. From Fifth Avenue. The hostess is called the Countess.

Let’s go,” said the Japanese, getting up. - Let's go see where the Royal Analostanka lives now.

They walked through the city for a long time and ended up in a rich quarter. They stood, stood by the lattice fence and looked at the house with white turrets, at the illuminated windows. Cars and carriages rumbled behind them. And one man stopped, carefully looking at the black man and the Japanese. I don't know exactly who it was, but perhaps Mr. Ernest Seton-Thompson. And they kept waiting for the cat to appear in the window, but only someone else’s rich shadows flickered on the lace of the curtains.

Out! - Jim shouted. - There she is!

And they saw the curved shadow of a cat flash behind the muslin window. Their little shadow.