The night lifted, leaving behind it a grayish light the color of stagnant water. Soon there was only a tattered fragment of darkness, hanging in mid-air, the other side of the window. Fear caught my throat. The tattered fragment of darkness had a face. The face was my own.
In the aftermath of a night that has ended, a dull gray light remains, reminiscent of still water. This faint illumination contrasts sharply with a lingering shadow outside the window that stirs feelings of anxiety within the narrator. The darkness seems almost tangible, evoking a sense of foreboding.
As the narrator confronts this unsettling shadow, they realize that it takes the shape of their own face, reflecting inner turmoil and fear....