Dancing in the dark

12 years before

"Why do we have shadows?" I questioned my father. He looked down at me slightly confused at the sudden question. His confused expression shifted to a sweet smile. "I'm not exactly sure sweetie...ask your mother. She usually has the answers to your questions." He told me.

I did as my father said and went upstairs to my mothers. I opened the door to my parents bedroom just a bit to see her laying in bed reading. I squeeze myself through the small crack I made in the door then closed it. When she heard the click of the door she looked  my way. I smiled a short sweet smile and went to sit on the bed with her.

  "Hey sweetie, what are you up too?" she asked me

  I held up my picture book. "I've been reading" I told her. she smiled and took the book from me to get a better look. "peter pan? when did you get this book?" she questioned.

I simply shrugged "Nick said i could borrow it, i have a question."

  "i might have an answer," she responded.

"Where do shadows come from? Why do we have shadows? Why does everyone have shadows but I don't? Why don't you have a shadow either? daddy has a shadow."

At the time she really didn't have a answer. She didn't want to answer but she knew she had to answer.

"well... people have shadow because....its like a reflection of themselves..but darker..the more light there is the more you can see  shadows...maybe we don't have shadows because...they ran away from us just like Peter Pans shadow. " she said with a nervous smile.

At the time I really believed her when she said our shadows ran away. That was the best answer I ever got for that question. Any five year old would believe that. I was young and naive. The world was a fairy tale to me.

"It's getting pretty late sweeite. Why don't you head on to bed. I'm sure your father will tuck you in." My mother told me. I nodded with a goofy smile and went to the door.

"oh silent," she called over to me. I looked back and waited for her to say something. She looked kind of sad. She just stared at me with a guilty smile. Why did she look so guilty?

"I love you, remember that...Remember that you will always be my little silent. Do not let anyone scare you or hurt you. Do not cry over anything. Be strong and brave...be silent," I did not fully understand the things she was saying. I did not know why she was even saying them. She said things like that often, but never so seriously. When I was born I did not cry like a normal baby. There were tears that fell upon my soft baby cheeks but they were completely silent. I was completely silent. That was how I got my name, Calypso. Calypso was the name of the goddess of silence. My nickname ended up being silent because I never really liked Calypso growing up.

"Promise me that you will remember that I love you." she said to me.

I nodded slowly "I promise... and I love you too mommy, I'll always be your silent." my smile was bright. When I left the room I thought I saw her crying. But just like me, her tears were silent. Just like me, she did not have a shadow.

* * *

  That was the last time I saw my mother. I did not understand why she left. I did not understand where she was going. All I know is that she was not there when I woke up. When I asked my father where she had gone he just told me she would be back one of these days. I knew she was not coming back anytime soon. Even a kid could tell a person was gone when all their stuff went with them. She left nothing behind...Except my father and I.