Day 19 of Short Fiction Snippets. This one is also from Time - Marcus first trip into and through the Place of Passage. I hope you enjoy! As always, comments/thoughts are welcome! Thanks for taking the time to read. Marcus opened the cabinet and grabbed his Tequila. While pouring the crystal liquid into the large shot glass kept next to the bottle, he glanced out the window positioned above the sink. What a beautiful back yard! The platinum glow of the full moon shining unencumbered in the cloudless sky, cast distinct shadows from a large variety of bushes, shrubs and trees on the lush lawn beyond the panes of glass. The moon shone so brightly, that he could have driven all the way from Albuquerque to Santa Fe without so much as a parking light. Nights like this were his favorite – always had been. In fact, it was on a similar night that he and Lori had mapped their future together – a future pregnant with promise and happiness. It was a predicted future that concealed any hint of the terrible tragedy heading straight for them mere days in their future. “Damn It!” Tears threatened to gush from his eyes as pent up, raw emotion broke through his fragile defenses, furiously engulfing his grief-stricken heart. Dizziness once again sought to topple him and he quickly grabbed his tequila downing it in a single gulp. “Damn It to Hell!” Immediate warmth flooded his body as the shot took effect. He steadied himself once again and shakily poured another glass. Closing his eyes and bowing his head over the sink, Marcus inhaled deeply, and then slowly released his breath. In charge once again, he looked through the window into his yard. A slight breeze gently nudged the trees and shrubs to break into a sort of slow midnight rumba, swaying gently to music to which only they were privy – engaging their silent shadow partners on the grass in sensuous undulations mimicking lovers lost in passionate embraces. As Marcus sipped his drink, the magic of the moment beckoned his lonely heart to venture beyond the window – to join the dance, as if seeking to infuse warmth throughout its cold chambers. Gazing out onto the moonlit courtyard-turned-dance floor, he permitted his spirit the pleasure of momentary seduction – of being the object of furtive caresses from imaginary suitors seeking his affections. So entranced by the electricity coursing through his being as a result of this fleeting magic carpet ride, he almost missed seeing the anomaly gliding among the shadows toward his house. From the corner of his eye, Marcus spied what appeared to be a rather large swarm of gnats, clustered and jumbled together, changing shape and form like a cumulus cloud carried along by the wind on a hot summer day. In the same way that the billowy clouds alter appearance as they float along, this dark apparition shape-shifted from one shadow to another, slither-stepping in thin ribbons only to gather itself into a clump, taking on the appearance of the silhouette in which it concealed itself. Thinking that surely his eyes were playing tricks on him, he rubbed them with his free hand and leaned toward the window hoping to get a better look. Peering intently into the shadows cast by the trees and shrubs, he sought to catch a glimpse of this spectral intruder – nothing! No movement except for the now familiar play of the wind-powered, moonlit shadows in which he had been enthralled only moments before. From Time - a short story by Mark E. Hundley
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 19:55:51 +0000