Pale blue eyes snared the moonlight seeping around the curtains of the silent room. The figure in the bed was quiescent, but for the rise and fall of a body breathing. Sleep had evaded her once again, dancing just beyond the reach of her weary flesh. Despite the fact that she hungered for rest, her mind refused the repose. The sound of her own heart pulsing was deafening in the silence. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, Laurel sighed, pushing the blankets from her body and rising from the bed. In the dim light, she made her way through the house. The clock in the dining room chimed twelve, seeming to scold her as she passed beneath it’s watchful face. She paid it no heed, only continuing on her way. Anticipation teased her senses as she placed her hand upon the cool door handle. The sound of the knob turning resounded through the kitchen like thunder. Heart still pounding, she stepped into the night and glanced up at the harvest moon, hanging like a huge orb above her. It seemed to observe her purposefully. An almost hypnotic power possessed her mind. The darkness seemed to have a texture against her skin. Laurel inhaled the essence of the moment, drawing it in as if it were sustenance. When her breath mingled with the moisture in the air, it drifted for just an instant, forming the specter of a cloud, before disappearing. Spellbound by the environment, her actions were mellifluous as she advanced soundlessly along the path, bare feet whispering over the cool, damp earth. To anyone observing, she appeared ghostly as she met the night, a phantom in the darkness. The gossamer gown she wore lent her skin a transparent sheen. Somewhere in the shadows, a figure did witness her excursion. Through mesmerizing eyes the color of jade, he watched her progress. He was an enigma cloaked in mystery, lingering like a vapor in the space it engaged. Soundlessly, he moved from the contours of the shadows to pursue the object of his desire. The air stirred in anticipation of his advance as he followed her towards the grove. The trees swayed in response, murmuring secrets to the atmosphere. The movement of their limbs captivated her momentarily, and Laurel hesitated to watch and listen. From behind, he crept upon her with quiet confidence, softly kissing the nape of her neck. Startled, yet recognizing his caress, she spun to face her paramour. Only a silhouette, formed by a misty apparition, confronted her. Trembling slightly, she passed her hand through the space before her, causing the shape to dissipate almost instantly. Only wisps of fog lingered around her, swirling momentarily before disappearing. Her knees slightly weak, she began to walk once again. It was not fear creating the chills coursing beneath her skin, but a powerful force of a different type. Her mind was consumed by a need she was with which she was familiar, but could never fully comprehend. The dappled shadows of the forest fell upon her hair, entwining with the rich, dark chestnut hues. Her incorporeal companion observed closely, noticing the quickening of her breath, the racing of her pulse. Unable to restrain his need for contact, he tentatively stroked her hair. Laurel froze instantly, her body shaking. Her eyes searched the dim moonlight for a shape, she strained to hear him breathing. The only sound she heard was the night. Her eyes closed, she felt his advance upon her in the wind. He was totally enamored by her closeness, creating an urgency to his touch that could not be hidden. From somewhere outside herself, she heard the sound of her own name, uttered in the trees. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes. He willed her to walk on, there was a specific designation he wanted to share. Sensing his insistence, she tread further into the woods. Pressing through a thicket of brush, she found a clearing. At the center was a pool of water resembling cobalt glass. An image in it’s surface beckoned her forward. Without hesitation or thought, Laurel stepped into the silky water, barely causing a ripple across it’s face. The tranquility of the pond was timeless. From within the depths, he reached out to her, gently drawing her to him. Her body offered no resistance to the enticement of the water. She made no sound, but a sigh escaped her lips. His touch was satin upon her skin. Hungrily, he surrounded her, needing to come in contact with every inch of her body, to thoroughly enrapture her. The water swirled around her, engulfing her entirely, yet panic did not overtake her. Instead, it was pleasure which overwhelmed her, as she floated timelessly within another realm. The sensation of him invaded her. Laurel tasted him in her mouth, warm and wonderful. His essence flooded her entire being, pervading her soul. Nothing existed but the presence of him around her, inside of her. Within his embrace, Laurel was oblivious to her mortal needs. Her lover recognized her physical limitations, reluctantly releasing her to the surface for a breath. She broke the exterior of the water, gasping, swallowing the oxygen that she required. Her entire body tingled, every nerve ending alive and pulsating. Somehow, she made it to the shore. Her lover never left her side, gliding along the surface of the water, leaving not even an undulation in his wake. Still, she understood he was nevertheless with her as she stumbled to the grass and collapsed, exhausted. As she struggled to regain her breath, Laurel discerned the impression of him on the ground beside her. She closed her eyes and felt his fingers in the blades of grass as they brushed over her skin. The breeze on her face seemed to be his lips, kissing her temple, her eyelids, grazing her cheeks, finally resting upon her lips. Softly and tenderly he covered her with love. Although the passion still blazed within them both, this was a gentle exploration. There was no celerity, only a deliberate progression towards ecstasy. Her pulse hastened once again. Her breathing, which had just begun to equalize, grew rapid. Nothing mattered but the precision of his touch. Not to be ignored, the night took on a personality of it’s own. The sky was so black that the depth was unfathomable. The stars glowed within the fabric of the darkness, dimmed only barely by the gleam of the moon. Each sound in the woods blended into one melody, so pure that it made the human soul ache to hear. The scents in the air were potent, filling her head with the proximity of the entity that was entering her through every pore. Her entire body opened up to absorb his spirit, drinking it in as if it were necessary for survival. Finally satiated, the phantom withdrew from her, leaving her trembling in the afterglow. His departure was intimately agonizing to her. Each night it left a void at the very epicenter of her being. While each encounter with him was satisfying, she was always left aching for more time. The dew was beginning to settle upon the landscape. The dampness on her skin was cold and uncomfortable. Laurel rose to go. The night began to mute as she returned home. The eerie quality of the pre-dawn sky was beginning to show in the east. A sense of remorse tugged at her psyche. The daylight hours, while satisfying in their own way, could not match the magic of the night. Only under the cover of darkness could her lover’s presence be discerned, his feline eyes luminescent in the shadows. She longed for him to join her under the sun, yet knew that it was impossible. He was cursed to wander the obscurity of night, she was forced to live in the light of day. Their devotion was never meant to happen, yet had. The constraints placed on them had been mystically overcome. Nature had tried to be their captor, and instead become their accomplice. The very forces which had attempted to keep them separated were the ones that allowed them their nightly respite. Were in not for the powers of the earth, water and air around them, contact would never occur between them. Through these channels, he could manifest himself into some semblance of human form. Despite the lack of flesh and blood, he manipulated the surroundings to impress himself upon her. Contemplating these musings to herself, Laurel returned to her bed. The sleep which had resisted her now enfolded her within itself willingly. She slept without dreams, passing time in the only darkness she could find until unfeigned night brought her true love home again.
Copyright 1999 by Ronda Sue Smith, all rights reserved.
