I was attracted to this post by the title. Shadow people have always fascinated me. Even though I have had no personal encounter with them, i have read a lot of stories about them. Your account is quite detailed and downright scary. I have always felt our dreams are just an extension of reality. You dream what you feel or think and sometimes you have premonitions about things that are about to happen. I had that a lot as a child. I would be so scared to fall asleep sometimes when I feel I would something bad was going to happen and I knew I would surely dream about it.
Thank goodness I don't have them anymore. Did you experience any of that?

Laughter is indeed a balm to a sad lonely soul, nothing like a good laugh when you are feeling low.