Ephemeria

Clara felt a tug on her gabardine overcoat. She looked down, and standing in her shadow was a sniffling, wide-eyed young girl.

"Oh my, were you left here when the museum closed?" she asked the girl, kneeling to her level.

"No," she whispered. "My mommy's gone."

"Your mommy's missing?"

"No, I know where she is, she's just gone."

"Wha--"

The little girl grabbed her hand and started pulling her to the Servision Wall. The last rays of sun shining through the windows of the museum café blinded her as she stumbled down the hall.

"Here."

The little girl stopped and pointed at the wall. Dancing across the surface were silhouetted shadows, a mural painted when the museum was rebuilt. It was an incredible piece, and she loved seeing visitors reactions when they realized the shadows weren't real.

"Those are just paintings, not real shadows," she said kindly. "Let me take you to security so we can find your mom."

"She's right here." The girl pointed at one of the female silhouettes, its hands up in a crouched position, almost seeming afraid. She admired the amount of emotion the artist could put into a flat figure.

"This is just a mural, your mother's probably looking for you right now."
"No," the little girl responded, "she's gone."
"You know what, stay right here while I find some help," Clara responded. "Don't move."

The girl nodded and sat on the floor, pressed up against the wall. Clara walked towards security, through the shop and past the bathrooms. She asked for a guard and walked with him back to the mural.

"Shit."

The little girl was gone. Clara ran down the lobby, looking for her.
"She was just here," she panted to the guard, wiping beads of sweat off her forehead. Her coat was warm, and she was out of shape.

"And you thought she would stay? We can check the security footage to see where she went," Matt responded, looking bored.

"Great."

Together they walked quickly down the hall towards the security offices.

"This painting gives me the spooks," the guard said, picking up his pace. "I feel like they move at night."

Clara gave a choked chuckle, then tripped on her untied shoelace. The guard laughed.

"Let's keep going," she said to the guard. When he didn't respond, she turned to face him. He too was gone.

She saw movement in the opposite end of the hall. A shadow flitted along the wall. She looked out into the cafeteria, not seeing the shadow's caster. She was scared now. She began to run towards the student exit. As she neared the doors, a quiet voice echoed from behind her.

"Miss." It was the little girl.

"Where did you go?!" she demanded, her voice shaking.

The girl held out her hand, staring into Clara's eyes. She walked towards her, her heart beating out of her chest. She clasped the girl's hand in hers, as her face melted into darkness and she pulled Clara into the wall.