Eli was six years old when he met his first friend. Other children at his school had imaginary friends — creatures or characters they’d chat with during recess or when they were feeling lonely. But Eli’s friend, Finn, was different. Finn didn’t appear like a typical imaginary friend. For one, he was always shadowed, like he was standing in a dark corner that only Eli could see.

Finn appeared to Eli on a particularly lonely night when he was struggling to fall asleep. As Eli stared into the dark of his bedroom, a soft voice spoke from near the window. “Hello, Eli,” it said, deep yet warm. And there he was — an outline of a tall, slender figure, cloaked in shadow but with a soft, welcoming presence.

From that moment on, Finn became a constant in Eli’s life. When he felt scared, Finn would whisper calming words; when he struggled in school, Finn would encourage him. Finn knew everything about Eli’s fears, his dreams, and even the things he dared not say out loud.

The Strange Warnings

One night, Eli’s parents had gone out, leaving him with his usual babysitter, Beth. As they settled down to watch cartoons, Finn’s shadow appeared near the living room door, flickering like candlelight.

“Don’t open the door if someone knocks tonight,” Finn whispered urgently.

Eli nodded, feeling the weight of Finn’s warning settle over him like a blanket. As they watched TV, the usual sounds of their quiet neighborhood became unsettlingly loud. Just as Finn had warned, there was a sharp knock at the door. Beth got up, but Eli grabbed her hand.

“Don’t open it, please,” he whispered.

Beth, bewildered by Eli’s sudden anxiety, stayed back, and eventually, the knocking stopped. Eli looked over to where Finn had been, but his friend was gone. That night, as he fell asleep, he heard Finn’s voice softly say, “Good choice, Eli. You’re safe.”

Unraveling the Mystery

As Eli grew older, he began to notice odd things about Finn. His shadow didn’t have the fuzzy edges of ordinary shadows; it was sharp and dark, like ink against the air. And Finn’s advice became less about games and more like warnings — “Watch out for cars,” he’d whisper before Eli crossed a busy street, or “Stay away from that boy,” when a new student with a cruel smile joined his class.

One summer evening, Eli’s grandmother, who’d always been perceptive, saw Eli looking off into the corner of his room. “Who are you talking to, sweetheart?” she asked.

Eli hesitated. “My friend, Finn. He’s… different.”

His grandmother’s eyes clouded for a moment. She knelt down, putting a gentle hand on Eli’s shoulder. “Eli, sometimes special children are born with a protector. Someone from… somewhere else. They come when there’s a purpose.”

Eli looked back to where Finn was standing, feeling a deeper connection to his shadowy friend.

The Final Protection

One night, just as Eli was about to drift off to sleep, Finn’s voice came through more urgently than ever before.

“Eli, listen closely. There is a test coming, something you cannot face alone. But I will protect you.”

The next day, while Eli was playing near the forest that bordered his neighborhood, he noticed someone watching him from the trees. The figure stepped forward — it was a man, unkempt and muttering to himself, his gaze locked onto Eli. Fear washed over Eli as he realized he was alone, his friends having left minutes earlier.

The man took a step forward, but before he could get any closer, a dark, misty shape rose in front of Eli. It was Finn, fully visible now, his shadow enveloping the space between them like a wall.

“Leave,” Finn commanded, his voice echoing like a roll of thunder. The man stumbled back, his eyes wide with terror, and disappeared into the woods.

As Eli turned to thank Finn, he noticed his friend’s form starting to fade. Finn looked at him, smiling gently. “My work is done here, Eli. You’re safe now. Remember, I was always here for you.”

With those last words, Finn dissolved into the night, leaving Eli standing alone, feeling braver and stronger than he ever had before.

The End

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