Disclaimer: Unfortunately, Disney owns all rights to the Princess and the Frog characters.
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Chapter 1
The Comfort of the Bayou
by Sape
Clovis Facilier's name was no longer his. It belongs to those we dare not speak of. Thus all who wish to converse with him must address him as the Shadow Man.
Shadow Man ran straight to the bayou to escape the wrath that was growing within him. It's done. There's no turning back! His thoughts pounded against his chest as he tracked through the muddy path that led to his sanity.
The bayou usually served as the necessary remedy to cover up his pain. One look at the royal irises against the chocolate tree bark truly made him feel the way a young man should…content. Head hanging low, Shadow Man continued to walk around the swampy perimeter of crocodile's territory, each step becoming heavier and heavier until he reached the majestic tree, Maple.
To the untrained eye, Maple was a plain old tree since she was deprived of green leaves, bright colored birds, and huggable bark. But to the locals, Maple was the most striking amongst her peers. The tree's piercing gray tips served as a stunning contrast from the ordinary lime leafs. Her stringy long branches transformed her trunk into a preferable spot to cool off from the Louisiana sun. Most importantly, Maple was filled with memories. Shadow Man just sat against the rough tree bark and closed his eyes to reminisce back into his childhood.
As a baby, his mother always placed him next to her heart in a thick cloth that she tied across her shoulders. With one hand securing him, and the other caressing the bark, his mother sang a chorus of random notes that filled the air with serenity. Shadow Man's shut eyes tighten. He tried desperately to remember that heavily tune. His thoughts soon lead him to a vague memory of his mother stepping onto a bus to Mississippi. Her last words were, Son, be good for auntie Louis. Then his memory went blank, but he could still feel his mother's spirit in Maple.
Suddenly, Shadow Man heard a faint noise behind him. Swish, Swish! It got much louder. Frightened, he was forced to open his eyes just to be greeted by a band of disfigured shadows.