sleepwalker.

among others, also ended up in my creative writing final.


his footsteps echoed through the bleak fog of late nights.
he jumped suddenly at the sound of a dead leaf crunching beneath his tread.
he heard a shuffling, then, to his right, and he stopped dead, holding his breath.
silence.
after a moment he assured himself that it had been nothing.
a trick of the mind or perhaps a small animal, frightened by his midnight stroll.
the fog on this night was unusually thick, and his appearance quite disheveled.
his dark hair clung to his forehead in the humidity
his hands were dirty, feet bare.
he wore simply a white cotton shirt and plaid boxer shorts
and he smelled the coming storm.
the moon and stars were invisible behind the thick clouds rolling in
it would only be a short while before they opened
tumbling fat raindrops down to the already-damp earth.
he continued his trail, following the sidewalk.
unsure of his destination, he trusted his feet, and they lead the way.
after what seemed like miles, his feet halted.
straining his eyes peering through the darkness
his dilated pupils informed him that they had arrived at a cemetery.
he was startled by the place, but did not question it.
he could now make out white and gray stones jutting out from the cold dirt on which he stood
rooted to the ground, as he surveyed his mysterious location.
the place was enclosed by several surrounding trees
as well as a short, wrought-iron fence with one gate
through which he had come.
one tree stood out among the others.
a single weeping willow was grounded on a slight hill
a small ways away from the tombstones.
he felt a strange attractive force pulsating from the willow
and before his mind could suggest it to him
his legs were already making their way toward it
slowly, calmly, without hurry
though the magnetic-like pull of the tree felt quite strong.
upon reaching their target, his legs stopped abruptly
and he realized how monstrous the thing was once he stood beside it
as he also noted it's peculiar, comforting aura
unexpectedly overwhelming him with feelings
of safety, love, peace, and warmth
despite the chilled breeze making his hair stand on end.
his ears noticed, then, a soft, sweet melody
near a lullaby, carried along through said breeze.
simultaneously, his violet irises contracted
and he saw a bright white light, seemingly floating
beneath the safe haven created by the willow branches.
his arms reached up, then, and his hands parted the leaves slowly
tired eyes focusing on a young girl
dressed in a flowing white gown, dancing joyously
bouncing off of her toes and into the air.
at first it appeared she had not seen him
but when she caught his eye, she jumped
and, startled, hid quickly behind the enormous trunk
he smiled at her, as warmly as he could
when she attempted to steal a peek at him, still behind her tree.
he held his hand out to her, asking for the next dance
she squinted, and recognition filled her face
she instantly smiled quite happily, though with ghostly tears in her translucent eyes
she tip-toed lightly from her willow
and he watched the first raindrop pass through her
and making a soft pat on the grass over which she hovered
then, with a graceful curtsy, she obliged him
and the two danced
though living in different worlds
on different planes
they danced despite the impossibilty
despite her tragic and untimely end
despite his lonely despair at the death of his love
they danced until the first ray of sun peeked over the horizon
he, dripping rainwater and she, still soft and dry as before
at the sight of the breaking dawn
she turned to glide away from him, with a tearful frown
he called to her, with the tortured lament of a songbird
separated from his lifelong mate
forever yearning.
she turned then to look upon him once more
and reached out with a hand of simply vapor
before disappearing into the mist of a new morning.

tears running down his cheeks
he cried his tormented cry
and called his anguished call
until his throat was sore and his voice hoarse
and then he walked home the same way he came
but with purpose this second time
as he reached the front door
he paused and decided against the house
and for the shed in the backyard
so he crossed the front lawn
feeling the sodden earth squish between his toes
and, upon reaching the decrepit shed
he opened its creaking doors
reached in, and grabbed the rope he knew he'd kept.
then, without bothering to close or lock up the shed
he turned, with his arm around the bundle of thick twine
and followed his now-familiar path to the cemetery and it's willow
and her.
the walk seemed much more brief this time
perhaps because the sun was shining brightly
perhaps because he knew where he was going
or perhaps because he knew what he was to do when he got there.
in any case, upon his arrival
he proceeded to tie one end of the rope into a knot
throwing it up around one particularly strong branch of the willow.

with the other end
he tied a slip knot.

slightly resembling an old-fashioned noose.

slipping the latter end around his neck
he tightened it somewhat, and climbed a small ways up the immense tree.

then, at a comfortable height
he let go.


swinging slightly, he hung by the neck
struggling only for one short moment
and then resolutely ceasing all motion.

that night, she returned
and in her flowing white gown
she commenced her ethereal dance

this time, however, she was not alone.




nor would she ever be so again.