Artist: Taras Loboda
Shadow
With her mind in play tonight, Emily tries to calm herself by gazing at the woods from her bedroom window. At this time of night, the combination of a full moon peering just above the tree line and a mischievous breeze work together – to cast ghostly patterns with lights and shadows – fading in and out of the darkness below.
It is 2 AM, but her mind refuses to rest – a voice within that insist on being heard. Yet, she is determined to ignore it. She begins to focus on the fleeting patterns of light and shadow. It’s strange – there is something familiar in the flowing shapes – she can feel it.
With the mental distraction in place, the voice in her head begins to fade – and details from the ghostly shapes emerge. Emily begins to think she can discern a connection among the pattern of moving shapes – parts of a whole perhaps? There is definitely something familiar – something almost life-like about them. She’s not quite sure why they feel familiar to her – or whether she really wants to know what that familiar shape is.
And yet, ever so slowly – a distant thought surfaces within her. At first, a hint of vague memories – dimly formed. Her eyes narrow as she tries to maintain focus on the ghostly shapes – she senses she doesn’t want these memories to return.
Emily almost jumps out of her skin when she hears the laugh – “where did it come from?” she hears herself thinking. And then – she hears it again. It must be an animal deep in the woods making that sound she tries to reason – and yet, she knows that laugh. Yes, that laugh she remembers … and the memories begin to flood her mind – her internal walls can no longer hold them back.
Now – she sees him in the previously amorphous moving patterns of light and shadow on the ground – and the memory of his voice begins to surface in her head. She smiles at the memory – a sad smile, still the same. She wonders at the possibilities – he has been out of her life for so long and he must be so far away … yet he feels so near right now.
The sound of a pebble bouncing off her window momentarily stops her thoughts…
Light
With his mind in play, Ethan continued his late night walk along the path in the woods. It was nearly 2AM, yet with the full moon at his back there was plenty of light. It occurred to him, not for the first time, that she seemed to surface with intensity in his mind during a full moon.
Emily was always close to the surface of his thoughts, but the full moon brought thoughts of her in waves washing over his walls. Although he tried to forget, he knew why – the last time they were together was during a walk on such a night as this.
He quickly forced his mind to concentrate on the woods around him. The trees seemed alive with movement – the leaves dancing about in light and shadow as the breeze flowed through. The woods at night always seemed to calm him – except that one night with Emily … “Damn it, stop thinking about that” he tried to will himself to obey.
Her voice deep within him – normally buried away – persisted in being heard tonight. “You have to face this and make it right” she said. Ethan sighed and let the thoughts wash through him. She was the most beautiful light in his life at one time – but, he let her go that night. He thought he had convinced himself it was for the best, but now…
He walked these woods almost every night – never turning down the trail that led to her house. Funny, he could never convince himself to move away from her – yet, he stayed out of her life. And now … he was unsure if she would see him even if he came to her.
But, her voice was strong inside him tonight. He was half-way along the trail before he realized he was heading towards her house. “Now what?” he wondered. Then – two birds darted across his path. Cardinals he hoped, as a remembered memory made him laugh out loud. It was a sad laugh all the same – an involuntary escape of emotion from deep within, he knew.
And there she was – standing at her bedroom window – and she seemed to be looking right at him. But, he knew she couldn’t see him – at least he didn’t think she could. He smiled wistfully at another memory and hoped this would work – as he picked up a pebble and tossed it at her window.
Michael
