Dear Reader,
I saw a silhouette upon the brick wall just beyond my eyes. A thick fog surrounded me, and along with the setting sun, it made it difficult to see anything. Yet, I still could discern the black silhouette along the red brick wall. I suppose it was formed from the single streetlamp, which hung low over the street. Its luminescent glow was so inviting, and after staring at it for too long, a trance befell on me.
The lone silhouette swayed gently from side to side, left to right. Behind it, the sun fell low below the horizon and a dark purple fell over the land. It is difficult now to remember what exactly the wall's purpose was. Perhaps it was a shield to protect the city from a foreign harm, or maybe, it was a shield to protect a foreign land from the dismal city. Either way, all of my thoughts were incomprehensible as I began to walk closer to the light and the silhouette it created.
I crossed a cracking sidewalk as a car rolled along the road, honking at me when we nearly collided. I remember looking back with my eyes, then beginning to glaze over, and seeing the look of an unbridled terror appear in the gaze of the driver. He shook calamitously, and I thought I could almost see beads of sweat dripping down his cheeks. Then, I looked away, far beyond, to the place where the streetlamp hung low against the brick wall. The sound of the car faded as I stepped. He might have had a heart attack at the wheel, or perhaps my ears were shrouded with an inescapable cloud of silence, for after only walking a couple short steps away from the vehicle, I could no longer hear any sound at all.
The dark figure was swaying violently then, and the rocking movement was like a siren call, and I, a sailor. I continued to venture through the uncharted waters of a land I once knew as familiar. But, the foggy haze surrounded me, clouding all that I thought I knew: except the silhouette. It remained tall and strong against the background of fading red bricks. At that point, still yards from the light, I heard the figure call out to me. It was a soft sound, yet it was mighty against the wind. It was so soft, it almost resembled the hissing of a viper.
"Come hither, " It commanded, letting the ending of its final word linger in the air.
Although it was unfamiliar, I had never known a more profound responsibility than that of following the figure's every order. To disobey would be a horrible crime. At that point, I no longer remembered a world where my every moment was not filled with the light of the incandescent glow of the streetlamp hanging low against the dreary, brick wall, and neither did I know a world where that silhouette was not the instructor of my every move.
My feet were grating against the dark pavement, as the sky grew black. A single tree stood beside me, a willow, its branches thrashing childishly in the wind. As I walked, my arms were planted at my sides, and my head was immovable while it stared ahead at the silhouette.
"Come hither."
At once, the sound struck me again! It beckoned at me, forcing me to push myself faster toward the brick wall ahead of me. I nearly started floating at that point: my gray laced shoes were moving as if they had a soul of their own. I think I was carrying a briefcase before that wall struck my eyes, but by the time I relinquished myself to the silhouette, it was long gone. The fog was shrouding my view, but I knew that beyond there was a light and a black figure where I would find my long-sought escape. After only a brief moment, my feet found their way back to my supervision, and it felt as though they were landing gracefully back onto the ground: I was finally at my destination.
The bricks were tired and fading, and brazen designs of graffiti were sprayed along the wall. As I stood there a realization crashed into me like a sudden wave. There was not a soul there but my own. Whatever had been swaying in the spot where I was then standing, was not there. I began to question then if there had ever been a figure swaying there. Perhaps it was just a tree branch.
Even though I had reached the wall, I was still completely entranced by some force of nature. And so, my feet carried me closer to the wall, and I turned my body until my back was facing it. Then, I stared ahead, blankly. Not a thought passed through my mind, and never would one ever pass through there again. I was completely meek, a mouse in nature. I looked beyond and saw a tree branch swaying low above the road. In my submissive state, I followed its move and began to sway as well. A gentle hiss escaped my lips too, imitating the sound of spring leaves whistling in the wind.
While under the order of the tree, a gentleman approached, obscured by the bleak fog. He stood tall, with a briefcase in one hand, while his other arm was firm and empty. He stared right at me, and his eyes became filled with wonder and bewilderment. At that moment I became lonely, for I had felt as though I had been swaying there for years, and so I began to call to him.
"Come hither," I hissed.
When he came too close, my body flung itself back against the wall, breaking my connection to that foggy world. I realized that maybe there had been a man standing there before me, but he had disappeared in order for me to take his spot: it was a deadly cycle.
And, at once, I was gone, dissipating through the air like smoke, or like a dreary fog.
Sincerely,
The Fading Shadow of a Man
I saw a silhouette upon the brick wall just beyond my eyes. A thick fog surrounded me, and along with the setting sun, it made it difficult to see anything. Yet, I still could discern the black silhouette along the red brick wall. I suppose it was formed from the single streetlamp, which hung low over the street. Its luminescent glow was so inviting, and after staring at it for too long, a trance befell on me.
The lone silhouette swayed gently from side to side, left to right. Behind it, the sun fell low below the horizon and a dark purple fell over the land. It is difficult now to remember what exactly the wall's purpose was. Perhaps it was a shield to protect the city from a foreign harm, or maybe, it was a shield to protect a foreign land from the dismal city. Either way, all of my thoughts were incomprehensible as I began to walk closer to the light and the silhouette it created.
I crossed a cracking sidewalk as a car rolled along the road, honking at me when we nearly collided. I remember looking back with my eyes, then beginning to glaze over, and seeing the look of an unbridled terror appear in the gaze of the driver. He shook calamitously, and I thought I could almost see beads of sweat dripping down his cheeks. Then, I looked away, far beyond, to the place where the streetlamp hung low against the brick wall. The sound of the car faded as I stepped. He might have had a heart attack at the wheel, or perhaps my ears were shrouded with an inescapable cloud of silence, for after only walking a couple short steps away from the vehicle, I could no longer hear any sound at all.
The dark figure was swaying violently then, and the rocking movement was like a siren call, and I, a sailor. I continued to venture through the uncharted waters of a land I once knew as familiar. But, the foggy haze surrounded me, clouding all that I thought I knew: except the silhouette. It remained tall and strong against the background of fading red bricks. At that point, still yards from the light, I heard the figure call out to me. It was a soft sound, yet it was mighty against the wind. It was so soft, it almost resembled the hissing of a viper.
"Come hither, " It commanded, letting the ending of its final word linger in the air.
Although it was unfamiliar, I had never known a more profound responsibility than that of following the figure's every order. To disobey would be a horrible crime. At that point, I no longer remembered a world where my every moment was not filled with the light of the incandescent glow of the streetlamp hanging low against the dreary, brick wall, and neither did I know a world where that silhouette was not the instructor of my every move.
My feet were grating against the dark pavement, as the sky grew black. A single tree stood beside me, a willow, its branches thrashing childishly in the wind. As I walked, my arms were planted at my sides, and my head was immovable while it stared ahead at the silhouette.
"Come hither."
At once, the sound struck me again! It beckoned at me, forcing me to push myself faster toward the brick wall ahead of me. I nearly started floating at that point: my gray laced shoes were moving as if they had a soul of their own. I think I was carrying a briefcase before that wall struck my eyes, but by the time I relinquished myself to the silhouette, it was long gone. The fog was shrouding my view, but I knew that beyond there was a light and a black figure where I would find my long-sought escape. After only a brief moment, my feet found their way back to my supervision, and it felt as though they were landing gracefully back onto the ground: I was finally at my destination.
The bricks were tired and fading, and brazen designs of graffiti were sprayed along the wall. As I stood there a realization crashed into me like a sudden wave. There was not a soul there but my own. Whatever had been swaying in the spot where I was then standing, was not there. I began to question then if there had ever been a figure swaying there. Perhaps it was just a tree branch.
Even though I had reached the wall, I was still completely entranced by some force of nature. And so, my feet carried me closer to the wall, and I turned my body until my back was facing it. Then, I stared ahead, blankly. Not a thought passed through my mind, and never would one ever pass through there again. I was completely meek, a mouse in nature. I looked beyond and saw a tree branch swaying low above the road. In my submissive state, I followed its move and began to sway as well. A gentle hiss escaped my lips too, imitating the sound of spring leaves whistling in the wind.
While under the order of the tree, a gentleman approached, obscured by the bleak fog. He stood tall, with a briefcase in one hand, while his other arm was firm and empty. He stared right at me, and his eyes became filled with wonder and bewilderment. At that moment I became lonely, for I had felt as though I had been swaying there for years, and so I began to call to him.
"Come hither," I hissed.
When he came too close, my body flung itself back against the wall, breaking my connection to that foggy world. I realized that maybe there had been a man standing there before me, but he had disappeared in order for me to take his spot: it was a deadly cycle.
And, at once, I was gone, dissipating through the air like smoke, or like a dreary fog.
Sincerely,
The Fading Shadow of a Man