In Hunting Shadows, Caleb and his squad are dispatched into the dense forests beyond the settlement, chasing whispers of shapeshifters that have filled the colony with fear. What begins as a tracking mission becomes a deadly game of reflection and deceit. Where even your own face might turn against you. In this world, shadows aren’t always cast by light.
As the squad follows a trail through the fractured woods, the unseen grows ever nearer. Every step deepens the uncertainty, forcing them to wonder if they are the hunters or the hunted. The forest conceals truths that shift as easily as flesh, and survival means facing the most dangerous reflection of all.
Still Got Something was a fun and challenging song to finish. This blues composition hums beneath the narration like a restrained heartbeat. While nearly silent during the reading, it lingers in the background, its rhythm echoing Caleb’s tension and the fragile calm before the shapeshifters strike.
Fresh off the heels of the previous story, I needed a vehicle to capitalize on the unraveling of the alliance. I also wanted to showcase the depth of the human spirit. Even when we are terrified, when something needs to be done, there are those who will abandon everything to achieve that goal. Here, Caleb’s encounter is one of those moments where identity, trust, and survival blur into something far darker.
📌 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for weekly original stories, original blues music, and magical storytelling.
🛡️ New episodes every week, don’t miss what’s coming next.
If you enjoyed the story and are looking for something else consider my book, Dead Man’s Hand
Click here or use Rumble, if you prefer, to experience this mingling of story and music that is good for the soul.
Reaching out, Caleb brushed the damaged branch with his fingers. He kneeled and scrutinized the ground, finding more disturbed undergrowth. He pulled out his radio and switched channels. “Engrim, where are you?”
“About a click or two east of you. Have you found any signs of shapeshifters?”
Caleb moved a branch out of the way and studied the markings. “I may have, and I’d like a second opinion.”
“Isn’t Keldon leading a unit out here?” Engrim asked.
Caleb clicked his tongue, rising to examine the damaged branch. He turned to his squad, raising a finger to his lips. “He headed south the moment we departed the settlement. If we wait to get his thoughts, whatever left these marks will be long gone and out of reach.”
“Fine, we’re on our way.”
Caleb tore his gaze from the tracks and scanned the foliage. “Something passed through here, and it’s proving difficult to determine whether the trail was accidental or deliberate. Everyone, fall in on me. Keep your heads on a swivel and be alert. I don’t want to frighten off whatever is watching us.”
Mika tapped Caleb’s shoulder as she cleared her throat. “Are we spreading out?”
.
.
.
Or if you would simply prefer to read the story, click here.
Have a wonderful day my friends!