Published: 2025-10-07

Motorcycles flashing red and blue flooded the streets. Jane Smith ran as fast as she could through backyards and street alleys. The incessant bleeding of her soles left a trail wherever she went; she was barefoot. She knew her only hope was to leave town; to the mountains, to the river, to hell if possible, anywhere on Earth or outside of it, anywhere but there. She found herself in a backyard guarded by a pitbull. They stood at opposite ends of the fenced space; the animal looked at her, she didn’t move. One bark later, the animal charged towards her. It was make or break time; she ran towards the fence, jumping it as if she was an Olympic athlete, but couldn’t stick the landing on the other side. As she lay on the floor, the shadow of three men fell over her. The chase was over. “You are under arrest for the charges of resisting arrest, breaking and entering, trespassing, destruction to property, and public indecency.” Said one of the men. They handcuffed her and called for a police car. As the car arrived at the scene, one of the men said, “I’m very sorry, Pastor. I wish it hadn’t ended like this.” The car approached, and the men got Jane in. On the side of the car, one could read “Faith Police.”

The day before:

It was 8:00 PM, and the church was packed. Everyone attended mass in New Town; it was their Super Bowl. Pastor Jane Smith led mass as she has been doing every day for the last 10 years.

“Lord bless our body…” Jane said.
“Lord bless our shadow.” Said everyone.

Every mass started with the same prayer.

“In the beginning God created all that is good, then he created man and woman, but he realized he had made us into coins with only one side, and thus he gave us a shadow. Everything God created casts a shadow, from the stone in the river to the tree in the forest. To have no shadow is to have renounced God’s gift…”

People listened attentively, nodding their heads in understanding, saying amen every other sentence, shushing the kids who dared to speak during the reading of God’s word. It was the first mass of the year, a new beginning, and thus the Pastor read the book of Genesis.

Pastor Jane Smith talked with eloquence and grace. Her words touched the congregants and drove away non-believers; she was a saint.

The reading of God’s word ended shortly after the Mass. Congregants lined up to congratulate the pastor for a job well done, and to thank her for leading the town into a new, blessed year. Soon, Jane Smith found herself alone.

There was no saint under the habit, but a woman who devoted her life to bringing God’s word to her small town. Jane found herself in her room; she was tired. As she undressed, the incandescent light bulb cast a myriad of shadows on her lacerated back. Following the path of the lord had meant enduring flagellation.

Jane joined her hands in prayer and thanked God for allowing her to lead the town in faith another year. “Lord bless my body, lord bless my shadow.” Jane said before closing her eyes.

Darkness disappeared in the eastward horizon, and sunlight bathed the land; it was the dawn of a new day. Jane opened her eyes and thanked God for the gift of another day. It was an uneventful morning: she woke up, brushed her teeth, and took a shower. Everything seemed to be exactly as the day before, except it wasn’t.

Jane looked in the mirror as she put the habit on. “A pastor wears her habit with pride.” She told herself as she inspected every last detail of her attire. The light of the incandescent light bulb revealed a hard-to-believe truth behind her. She turned around, her head panned from left to right as she looked to the floor. “No. This cannot be happening. Not to me.” Jane said as she looked for her shadow, which was nowhere to be found.

Her pupils dilated, and her breath became agitated; she was in shock. Not casting a shadow was the ultimate sign of heresy, of renouncing God’s gift. She would be dishonorably banished from the town where she grew up, she, a woman of God, a saint on Earth. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing her town, her people, her life, the only one she knew. Thus, she ran.

As she left the small house where she lived next to the church, the townsfolk who walked by smiled at her and offered words of greeting. One man approached her, “Good morning, Pastor. I want to thank you for the beautiful mass yesterday—” Jane pushed him out of the way and ran away. As the man hit the ground and saw her running away, he noticed the cruel truth. “She cast no shadow. Pastor Jane cast no shadow. She has abandoned God.” The man pointed in her direction while screaming. Soon, a crowd had formed in front of the church, and then the police motorcycles arrived.

The present, Faith Police Station:

Jane sat in front of a square, metal table. Her hands were handcuffed to it. A man sat across from her; it was Felipe Ortega from the Church Department of Internal Affairs.

“Tell me again what happened, Ms. Jane.” Felipe said.
“I already told you. I went to sleep, I woke up, I cast no shadow anymore.”
“Ms. Jane, you are making this harder than it needs to be. Now, we know that you appeared publicly at church to lead the mass, up to that moment everything was OK, but at some point between the end of mass and this morning, you renounced your shadow and God. Little bastard.”
“I already told you everything I had to tell.”

Felipe fixed his gaze on her for a moment. “OK, Ms. Jane, have it your way,” He said as he stood up and walked towards the door. “wait here, someone from the Anti-Heresy Department will visit you. He’s a nice man, we call the inquisitor.” Felipe let out a loud chuckle and left the room.

Jane rested her head on the table and broke into tears. “God, why have you forsaken me?” She said in between sobs.

Felipe entered the room holding a piece of clothing in his hands. “I have to blindfold you. Orders from the Anti-Heresy Department.”

Felipe blindfolded her and took her to some kind of vehicle outside. Jane started fearing for her life, but she didn’t dismay; instead, she prayed. The vehicle’s engine started, and soon they were moving. Jane didn’t despair; she prayed.

After around 45 minutes the vehicle stopped and a man told Jane to get out. “This is it.” She thought.

“This is what we are going to do: I want you to count to 100, very slowly, and after that, you can take the blindfold off. You’ll hear the van starting up and driving away. Don’t stop counting. You count to 100 and then remove the blindfold. Understood?” The man said.
“What? I don’t understand?”
“You’re free, Jane, now do as I say.”

Jane started counting, as the man instructed. She heard the doors of the vehicle closing and the engine starting up. She didn’t stop counting. The van drove away, and Jane counted to 100. She took the blindfold. She knew where she was. The town could be seen in the distance, as small as a mirage.

THE END.