A simple evening walk.
A time to breathe the fresh air.
The streets beckon to me
With their soothing lights.
Yellow glows of love and laughter are
Reflected in dancing spots on wet cobblestones.
Spots of light that I can never call my own
As they bounce away from my reaching hands.
A peek in the windows confirms my suspicion
Of lives lived to the fullest.
Meals enjoyed and savored,
Bringing family members even closer.
I walk alone in the night.
No one’s hand to hold.
No meals to share.
My thoughts are all for myself.
I will search for my friends,
Each one of us lonely beings in a small town,
Where family is the desired way of life,
And loneliness is scorned upon.
I am no longer alone.
Footsteps are following me,
The long strides of a man.
Moving closer with each step.
Soon he’ll be upon me.
I run down the slippery stairs,
Desperate to outrun my stalker.
He is right behind me.
I shudder before I slip and fall.
I roll down two flights of stairs
To land in a ball at the bottom.
I’m terrified to lift my head
Or check my bruised knees.
Someone squats down beside to me.
An arm encircles my shoulders.
I feel warm and sheltered.
I peek through the mess of my hair,
And I recognize Todd.
A man who has saved me countless times.
A man of few words and no fears.
A man I want to trust but can’t.
He helps me stand up.
I am wrapped in his strong arms.
Soothed by his soft voice.
It is hard to stay strong and aloof.
It is so hard to be independent.
He looks over my bruises.
He leads me to the hospital.
A few stitches and I’m free.
Free to leave with Todd.
Todd drives me home to his apartment.
Few words are spoken between us.
We don’t need words to explain our thoughts.
A touch, a smile, a wink is all we need.
He puts me into his bed and leaves.
I wait for his return.
I hear him moving about the apartment.
I’m left alone until the morning light.
At midnight, I have an awful dream,
Where Wolf attacks Todd.
He takes me in his arms
And we fly away to a place in the stars.
Wolf has evil inside him.
This evil drives him to do
Unspeakable things to humans.
To me, he’s always been compassionate.
Thank god it is only a dream.
It is Todd who walks into the room and not Wolf.
He asks how I feel and is happy with my answer.
I tell him I’m ready to go home.
His face fills with a scowl.
“You’re not safe to be living on your own.
Wolf might return at any moment.”
“If he wanted me,
He could’ve taken me at any time.
But he didn’t.
I’m going home.”
I gather my clothes to get dressed.
“No! I will stay with you.
Todd stands firm with his hands on his hips.
He must always get his way,
But this time he won’t.
We walk by the beach to reach my apartment.
The winds are playing their games again.
The howling winds are shaking the trees so hard
That leaves and limbs flee for their lives.
Wolf appears before us,
Circled by thrashing winds,
Lit up from lightning strikes
In colors of orange, yellow, and green.
He doesn’t appear human,
But an omnipotent supernatural force.
He raises his arms to increase the winds.
His shouts intensify the lightning and thunder.
I cannot move.
I’m stuck in the sand.
Todd is trying to move.
Wolf laughs and blows Todd into the ocean.
I scream and scream.
Louder than ever before.
In a higher pitch.
He will not win again.
Wolf saunters over to me.
His swagger sickens me.
He takes me in his arms
And covers my lips with his.
He is taking control of my mind.
My strength is oozing out of my body.
I don’t want to fight anymore.
I give in.
Wolf lifts me in his arms
And gives a hearty roar.
He takes me to the skies,
Where others of his kind wait.
I look down to Earth
For any sign of my friends or Todd.
I can see no one.
But I know they won’t give up on me.
OUR GAMES HAVE JUST BEGUN
THE DEAD GAME
