The Face of the Wind
The Wind moved with an unusual rhythm tonight. It carried nervousness; wrapped too tightly in false excitement. He almost had me convinced his fear had run away. Until I tasted it the moment he turned around. When he finally allowed his eyes to meet mine, they were a hazy gray. They looked as if there were a storm behind them. And a familiar look took over his face. He has a secret. I know this because so do I. And because our fears share a name, it was easy to detect. His trepidation screamed at me. Oh but how I know he's dying to tell me. His fear has teeth that threaten to bite if he tells. I made friends of mine years ago. I keep my missteps just for me. We've made ourselves an agreement, my Earworm and I.
My fear is for the wind. He let it grab hold and burrow in his mind, poor guy. A few anxious whimpers crawled loose. His secret is just about to spill. We’ve been here before and he always spills. I wait with my nerves wrapped in anticipation. Then without warning, in the silky night, it clamped down on his tongue, severing his chance to be free. But he made it look so tempting. A comfortable silence melts over the room and we sit in silent rumination. This is where he thrives. He's trying to trick me. I know the darkness he sells. I do not want to pay. A gift he says. I could not cure my curiosity, so I leaned in.
He whispers in my ear. I feel its invasion instantly crawling its way towards my center. A breach of contract. A mistaken invitation. It mistook me leaning in, and could not abstain anymore than I could. You see, we are its warm hug. Its friend in the dark. Only he never wishes us to leave. He tries to attach to anyone that shows him the least bit of attention. Forgetting its connections, it feels bewildered abandonment. It told me once. The answer as to why.
A snap!
⚖️ Section IV: And then.
A silence befalls us and my mind's gray matter bleeds out. Even the hairs on my neck are afraid. I can hear them cower. It is the Earworms scream. Strangely comforting yet made it makes my skin retreat inward and unable to resist again I leaned in. Slithering out from under the Wind's breath I felt it invade my brain, braiding itself with my spine. It twisted the bones in my back and I heard as it begged to become a part of me. I let it. More. I let it just enough. Not that much!
As I coughed up my lungs I caught its face in the mirror. He…changed before my eyes. The face of the wind was my friend no more. I saw its twisted smile as it devoured my friend, the Wind. I try to shake myself home but the room has me trapped. He wore a face I've seen before but couldn't find the name. Then in a moment, what was once fear bled into satisfaction before it faded away. As the Wind unraveled I saw his real face. It was written with desperation and despair. He lingered for a moment. Then he faded away. I say goodbye before I hit the floor. When the walls come into focus, it's in the mirror again. Slipping in through my ear. The Earworm cuddles my brain. I contemplate the moment, and I lean in again.
It started with unanswered questions A hug that began so comfortably.