The Men Behind The Shadows

At 2:13 in the morning, Daniel Voss discovered that the man in the gray suit had been following him for six blocks.

He knew this because the man had passed the same newspaper box three times.

Daniel stopped beneath a streetlamp.

The man stopped, too.

Daniel looked behind himself.

Empty sidewalk.

Then he looked forward again.

The man was gone.

Daniel's heart began beating faster.

"See?" he whispered.

The streetlamp hummed overhead.

"See what?" asked a voice beside him.

Daniel jumped.

A woman stood in the doorway of a closed bakery, smoking a cigarette.

"Nothing," Daniel said.

She watched him.

"You're talking to yourself."

"No, I'm not."

She smiled.

"That's what they want you to think."

Daniel froze.

The woman dropped her cigarette and crushed it beneath her shoe.

Then she walked away.

Daniel stared after her.

He knew.

He knew because she had said exactly the thing the others always said.

They.

Them.

The people behind everything.

The Masons.

He had never actually seen a Mason perform a secret ritual. He had never found a hidden lodge beneath city hall. He had never discovered a coded message in the newspaper.

But he knew they were there.

He had known for three weeks.

His psychiatrist called it paranoia.

His sister called it an episode.

The pharmacist called it a medication interaction.

Daniel called it Tuesday.

He had stopped taking his medication nine days ago.

That was the first important fact.

Or perhaps it wasn't.

He had written it down on a yellow sticky note and placed it beside his bathroom mirror.

STOP TAKING THE PILLS.

Underneath, in smaller handwriting, someone had written:

THEY ARE WATCHING.

Daniel did not remember writing the second line.

That frightened him.

The first line did not.

His sister, Mara, had come to his apartment that morning.

She had knocked six times.

Daniel counted.

Six knocks.

Pause.

Six knocks.

Pause.

Six knocks.

"The number six," Daniel whispered.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Mara knocked again.

"Daniel, open the door."

He stayed silent.

"I know you're in there."

He looked through the peephole.

Mara stood alone in the hallway.

Or appeared to.

Behind her, the hallway stretched toward the elevator.

No one else was there.

Daniel unlocked the door.

Mara stepped inside carrying groceries.

"Have you eaten?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"Toast."

"When?"

"Yesterday."

She sighed.

"You need to eat."

"I need to get out."

"Out where?"

"Somewhere they can't hear us."

Mara put the groceries on the counter.

"Who?"

Daniel stared at her.

"You know."

"No, Daniel. I don't."

"The Masons."

Her expression changed.

Only for a second.

A tiny flicker.

But Daniel saw it.

Recognition.

Fear.

Then it disappeared.

"Okay," she said carefully.

Daniel pointed at her.

"There."

"There what?"

"You know."

"I know you're not sleeping."

"That's not what I mean."

"Daniel."

She opened the refrigerator.

"There's food here."

"You're avoiding the question."

"I'm putting milk in the refrigerator."

"Who told you to come here?"

"You did."

"I didn't."

Mara turned.

"You called me at three in the morning."

"I did?"

"Yes."

"What did I say?"

"You said, 'They're in the walls.'"

Daniel felt cold.

"I said that?"

"Yes."

"What did you say?"

"I said there aren't people in the walls."

Daniel stared at her.

She looked tired.

Older than she had yesterday.

Or younger.

He couldn't tell.

Then he noticed something on her left wrist.

A small black tattoo.

A compass.

And beneath it, a square.

Daniel's stomach dropped.

"Mara."

She covered her wrist.

"What?"

"Show me."

"Show you what?"

"Your wrist."

She laughed.

It sounded nervous.

Daniel backed away.

"You've joined them."

"Daniel—"

"You've joined them."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"The square and compass."

Mara stared at him.

Then she slowly pulled down her sleeve.

"There."

Nothing.

Her wrist was completely bare.

Daniel blinked.

The tattoo was gone.

"You saw that," he whispered.

"I didn't see anything."

"You had the symbol."

"I don't have a tattoo."

"You did."

"Daniel."

"You did."

She approached him.

He stepped backward.

She stopped.

For several seconds neither moved.

Then Mara said quietly, "You need to take your medication."

Daniel laughed.

"Of course."

"I'm serious."

"That's what they all say."

"Who is 'they'?"

He pointed toward the window.

"The people outside."

Mara looked.

A bus passed.

Its windows glowed yellow.

For one instant, Daniel saw six men sitting inside.

All wearing gray suits.

All staring directly at him.

Then the bus passed.

The seats were empty.

Daniel's hands trembled.

Mara saw.

"Please," she said.

"I can't."

"You can."

"No."

"You've done this before."

"Done what?"

"Stopped taking your medication."

Daniel stared at her.

She looked genuinely afraid.

That frightened him more than the men on the bus.

He picked up his jacket.

"I'm leaving."

"Where?"

"To find the lodge."

"What lodge?"

"The one under city hall."

"There isn't one."

"That's what they want everyone to believe."

Mara grabbed his sleeve.

"Daniel, listen to me."

He looked down at her hand.

Then at her face.

For the first time, he wondered whether she was telling the truth.

"How do I know you're my sister?"

"You don't."

Daniel went still.

"What?"

Mara's eyes filled with tears.

"You don't know."

She walked toward the door.

Then she turned.

"I hope you figure it out."

The door closed.

Daniel stood alone.

He waited.

One minute.

Two.

Three.

Then someone knocked.

Six times.

Daniel opened the door.

Nobody stood outside.

On the floor was an envelope.

His name was written across it.

DANIEL VOSS.

The handwriting was his own.

He picked it up.

Inside was a photograph.

It showed Daniel standing outside city hall.

Behind him stood twelve men.

Gray suits.

White gloves.

All staring toward the camera.

On the back of the photograph was a date.

Tomorrow.

Daniel dropped it.

His phone rang.

The screen displayed MARA.

He answered.

"Hello?"

Her voice came through.

"Daniel, where are you?"

"I'm home."

"No, you're not."

He looked around.

His apartment suddenly seemed unfamiliar.

The furniture was wrong.

The walls were wrong.

The clock was wrong.

"What do you mean?"

"You're at city hall."

Daniel's mouth went dry.

He looked through the window.

City hall stood three blocks away.

Impossible.

He had been home.

Hadn't he?

Mara spoke again.

"Daniel, listen carefully."

"I'm listening."

"Don't trust anyone wearing a gray suit."

"Why?"

There was silence.

Then Mara whispered:

"Because I saw what they did to you."

The line went dead.

Daniel looked down.

His shoes were covered in mud.

He had no memory of walking anywhere.

He looked at the clock.

2:13.

Exactly.

He checked his phone.

No signal.

Then the lights went out.

Darkness swallowed the apartment.

Daniel heard footsteps.

One.

Two.

Three.

Someone was walking down the hallway outside.

Daniel held his breath.

The footsteps stopped outside his door.

A key entered the lock.

Daniel backed toward the kitchen.

The door opened.

A man stepped inside.

Gray suit.

White gloves.

Daniel grabbed a kitchen knife.

The man raised both hands.

"Daniel."

The voice was familiar.

Daniel stared.

It was Dr. Feldman.

His psychiatrist.

"You shouldn't be here."

"I know."

"How did you get in?"

"You gave me a key."

"I don't have a key."

Dr. Feldman smiled sadly.

"That's one of the things we need to talk about."

Daniel tightened his grip on the knife.

"You're a Mason."

"No."

"You're lying."

"No."

"You're wearing gray."

"It's a suit."

"Why are you wearing gloves?"

Dr. Feldman looked at his hands.

"I have Raynaud's."

Daniel hesitated.

"What?"

"Raynaud's disease."

"Oh."

A long silence.

Then Daniel lowered the knife.

Dr. Feldman sighed.

"Thank you."

Daniel sat down.

"Tell me the truth."

"I will."

"Are the Masons real?"

Dr. Feldman looked at him for a long time.

"Yes."

Daniel's blood turned cold.

"You admit it."

"I said Masons are real."

"Then I'm right."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because the existence of an organization doesn't prove they're following you."

Daniel stared at him.

"Are they?"

"I don't know."

"Are they watching me?"

"I don't know."

"Are they controlling the police?"

"I don't know."

"Are they in the government?"

"Masons have existed in government, business, churches, labor organizations, universities, and ordinary communities. That doesn't mean they secretly control those institutions."

Daniel shook his head.

"That's exactly what someone would say."

"You're right."

Daniel blinked.

"What?"

"If I were part of a conspiracy, I could say exactly what I just said."

"Then how am I supposed to know?"

"You aren't."

The answer disturbed Daniel.

Dr. Feldman sat across from him.

"That's the problem."

Daniel looked at the window.

A shadow moved outside.

He jumped.

Dr. Feldman didn't.

"Tree," he said.

"How do you know?"

"I looked."

Daniel looked.

There was a tree.

Its branches moved in the wind.

"Maybe," Daniel said.

Dr. Feldman nodded.

"Maybe."

That word stayed with Daniel.

Maybe.

He looked down at his hands.

"What happened to my medication?"

"You stopped taking it."

"I know."

"Why?"

"Because I thought it was changing what I could see."

"What could you see?"

"Things."

"What things?"

"People."

"What people?"

"Masons."

Dr. Feldman nodded.

"Do you think the medication made them disappear?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"It made me stop noticing."

"Those are different things."

Daniel looked at him.

"Maybe."

Dr. Feldman smiled faintly.

"Exactly."

The lights came back on.

For a moment everything looked normal.

Then Daniel saw something on Dr. Feldman's desk.

A small metal pin.

Square and compass.

Daniel's stomach dropped.

He pointed.

"That."

Dr. Feldman followed his finger.

"Oh."

"You said you weren't a Mason."

"I'm not."

"Then why do you have that?"

Dr. Feldman picked it up.

"This?"

"Yes."

"I found it in the hallway."

"When?"

"Yesterday."

"Where?"

"Outside your apartment."

Daniel stared.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think it was relevant."

Daniel laughed.

"You don't think a Masonic symbol outside my apartment is relevant?"

Dr. Feldman placed it on the table.

"Daniel."

"What?"

"What if you're right?"

Daniel stopped laughing.

"What?"

"What if someone is watching you?"

The room became silent.

Dr. Feldman continued.

"Would that mean every shadow is a conspiracy?"

"No."

"Would it mean every gray suit is an enemy?"

"No."

"Would it mean your sister is involved?"

Daniel hesitated.

"I don't know."

"Would it mean the things you've seen are entirely imaginary?"

Daniel looked at him.

"I don't know."

Dr. Feldman leaned back.

"Neither do I."

A car horn sounded outside.

Daniel went to the window.

Across the street stood Mara.

She was talking to a man in a gray suit.

Daniel's pulse accelerated.

He pointed.

"There."

Dr. Feldman stood.

"That's your sister."

"I know."

"Who's the man?"

"I don't know."

"Let's find out."

They went downstairs.

Outside, the street was empty.

Mara was gone.

So was the man.

But there was a piece of paper taped to the lamppost.

Daniel tore it down.

It contained a single sentence.

STOP LOOKING FOR THE LODGE.

Underneath was another.

THE LODGE IS LOOKING FOR YOU.

Daniel looked at Dr. Feldman.

"I didn't write that."

"No."

"How do you know?"

"Because I recognize the handwriting."

Daniel's skin prickled.

"Whose?"

Dr. Feldman didn't answer.

"Whose handwriting?"

"Yours."

Daniel stared at the paper.

"No."

"Yes."

"I've never written that."

"You may not remember."

"You're lying."

"Maybe."

Daniel backed away.

Dr. Feldman looked genuinely frightened now.

"Daniel."

"What?"

"Your sister wasn't at city hall tonight."

"How do you know?"

"Because she called me."

"When?"

"Ten minutes ago."

Daniel's phone rang.

Mara.

He answered.

"Where are you?"

Her voice was trembling.

"Home."

"Where?"

"At my apartment."

"Are you alone?"

"Yes."

Daniel looked at Dr. Feldman.

"Who were you talking to outside?"

"I wasn't outside."

"I saw you."

"No."

"You were with a man."

"I've been home all night."

Daniel closed his eyes.

For several seconds he heard nothing.

Then Mara whispered:

"Daniel."

"What?"

"Is Dr. Feldman with you?"

Daniel opened his eyes.

Dr. Feldman stood across the room.

But he was no longer wearing a gray suit.

He wore a black coat.

His hands were bare.

And he looked much older.

Daniel blinked.

Gray suit.

White gloves.

Black coat.

Bare hands.

Gray suit.

White gloves.

Black coat.

He couldn't make the images stay still.

"Daniel?"

"Yes."

"Who are you talking to?"

He looked at the man.

"Dr. Feldman."

There was silence.

Then Mara said:

"Daniel, Dr. Feldman died six months ago."

The phone slipped from his hand.

The man across the room smiled.

Not cruelly.

Almost kindly.

"You see?"

Daniel couldn't breathe.

"You see what?"

"Now you understand."

The man walked toward him.

Daniel backed away.

"You're not real."

The man stopped.

"Neither is the shadow."

"What shadow?"

"Behind you."

Daniel turned.

A shadow stood against the wall.

His shadow.

Except it wasn't shaped like him.

It wore a hat.

Daniel slowly looked back.

The man was gone.

The apartment was empty.

The phone lay on the floor.

Mara's voice came through the speaker.

"Daniel?"

He picked it up.

"I'm here."

"Are you safe?"

He looked around.

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"No."

Mara was quiet.

Then she said, "Come to my apartment."

"Why?"

"Because I found something."

"What?"

"The photograph."

Daniel froze.

"What photograph?"

"The one you found."

"How do you know about that?"

"I took it."

Daniel's heart stopped.

"You took it?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I needed you to believe me."

"Believe what?"

There was a long pause.

"That someone really is following you."

Daniel sat down.

"Who?"

"I don't know."

"Are they Masons?"

"I don't know."

"Then what do you know?"

Mara's voice became very quiet.

"I know they were outside your apartment."

"When?"

"Tonight."

"How many?"

"Three."

"Gray suits?"

"Yes."

"White gloves?"

"Yes."

Daniel closed his eyes.

"Where are they now?"

"Daniel."

"What?"

"They're standing outside my window."

He heard glass breaking.

Mara screamed.

The line went dead.

Daniel stood.

He didn't think.

He ran.

Down the stairs.

Into the street.

Three blocks.

Two.

One.

Mara's building appeared ahead.

Police lights flashed.

People stood on the sidewalk.

An ambulance waited outside.

Daniel stopped.

A police officer approached.

"Are you Daniel Voss?"

"Yes."

"Your sister called us."

"Is she okay?"

The officer looked at him.

"She's fine."

Daniel almost collapsed.

"She's alive?"

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"She said someone broke her window."

"Who?"

"We don't know."

Daniel looked up.

Mara stood behind the glass.

She raised her hand.

On her wrist was the tattoo.

Square.

Compass.

Daniel stopped breathing.

She lowered her hand.

The police officer touched his shoulder.

"Mr. Voss?"

Daniel looked at him.

"Yes?"

"We need you to come with us."

"Why?"

"Your sister says you haven't taken your medication in nine days."

Daniel stared at him.

"That's true."

"She says you've been seeing people who aren't there."

Daniel looked back at the window.

Mara was gone.

"She says you've been writing notes to yourself."

Daniel's mouth went dry.

"What notes?"

The officer held up a plastic evidence bag.

Inside was a yellow sticky note.

STOP TAKING THE PILLS.

Daniel recognized it.

Underneath, in smaller handwriting:

THEY ARE WATCHING.

The officer asked, "Did you write this?"

Daniel couldn't answer.

Because he suddenly remembered.

He had.

But he also remembered someone standing behind him.

Someone wearing a gray suit.

Someone placing a hand on his shoulder.

Someone whispering:

Don't tell them.

Daniel looked at the officer.

"Yes."

The officer nodded.

"Okay."

Daniel glanced upward.

Across the street, beneath a streetlamp, stood a man.

Gray suit.

White gloves.

Square and compass pinned to his lapel.

Daniel pointed.

"That's him."

The officer turned.

There was nobody there.

Daniel laughed.

The officer frowned.

"What?"

"Nothing."

They began walking toward the patrol car.

Daniel looked back at the building.

For one brief second, he saw Mara in the window.

She raised her hand.

Six fingers.

Then the lights went out.

Daniel stopped.

"Wait."

The officer continued.

"Wait!"

Daniel pulled away.

"Look!"

The entire building was dark.

Every window.

Every floor.

Except one.

The top floor.

A single light.

And behind it, silhouettes.

Dozens of them.

Men in gray suits.

Standing shoulder to shoulder.

Watching.

Waiting.

Daniel stared.

Then the light went out.

The officer grabbed his arm.

"Let's go."

Daniel stopped resisting.

Maybe they were real.

Maybe they weren't.

Maybe the Masons had been following him.

Maybe his illness had turned shadows into people.

Maybe the people had turned his illness into a convenient explanation.

Maybe Mara was protecting him.

Maybe Mara was part of it.

Maybe Dr. Feldman had died six months ago.

Maybe Daniel had never had a psychiatrist named Feldman.

Maybe the photograph was real.

Maybe tomorrow had already happened.

As the patrol car door closed, Daniel saw something scratched into the glass.

A square.

A compass.

And beneath them, three words.

YOU WERE RIGHT.

Daniel stared at the message.

Then he laughed.

Because the handwriting was his.

And somewhere behind him, outside the car, someone whispered:

"No, Daniel."

He turned.

Nobody was there.

The officer started the engine.

"Did you say something?"

Daniel looked at him.

"No."

The car pulled away.

In the rearview mirror, the city stretched behind them, wet with rain and yellow streetlight.

For an instant Daniel saw twelve men standing on the sidewalk.

Then six.

Then three.

Then one.

Then none.

He closed his eyes.

When he opened them, the officer was watching him through the mirror.

"Daniel?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know where we're going?"

Daniel looked through the windshield.

The road ahead seemed familiar.

Too familiar.

He saw the bakery.

The newspaper box.

The streetlamp.

The exact corner where the man in the gray suit had disappeared.

Daniel swallowed.

"We're going to the hospital."

The officer nodded.

"Yes."

Daniel looked at the rearview mirror.

The officer was no longer there.

A different man sat behind the wheel.

Gray suit.

White gloves.

Daniel stared.

The driver smiled.

"Almost there."

Daniel looked down.

His hands were holding something.

A small metal pin.

Square.

Compass.

Cold.

He threw it onto the floor.

The driver didn't react.

"Where did you get that?"

Daniel whispered.

The driver looked at him in the mirror.

"I thought you knew."

"Knew what?"

The driver smiled.

"The lodge has been waiting for you."