Below is a sneak peek on an anthology, which I am hoping to have complete and published by the end of next year. Please let me know your thoughts.
In the silence of a moonless night
A woman sat, scribbling a letter in a candle’s fading light
Exhausted and determined, she laid her head on the wooden desk
He wouldn’t know the truth, not until she left
She tried to hold back the tears, he wouldn’t notice her absence,
He probably wouldn’t care
The past few days, he hadn’t even said a word
No vocal endearment, when she said “I love you,”
it was like he hadn’t heard.
But she had to leave, before he knew
The secrets that love couldn’t undo
Absently she laid a flat hand to her stomach, and looked out to the night
He would be upset, but she knew her course was right
For she loved the sodden oaf of a fool
But she was so scared, it would turn him away
If he couldn’t even say the word “love”
What to a child would he say?
She placed the letter, carefully bound on his chair
The memories bombarded her, every room, everything they shared
But she walked to the fireplace and lit the wood
Watching the fire turn into flames, she hoped he understood
She picked up her suitcase and pulled her shoulders back
She could do this. She could stay brave
Yet she couldn’t help but feel this mistake would be grave.
In the thunderous quiet of a moonless night
A man stood, battling an inner fight
Foreboding and still, in front of that fire he stood
Until the flames devoured the crumbling wood
White knuckles tightly gripped a flask
The other hand cradled a letter, she said it was her last
Her feminine script, decorated that page
Yet, it was her last sentence that sent him into a rage:
“Dearest love, please don’t be mad,
It’s for these reasons I must leave as planned.”
With a sound, that wasn’t quite a growl
He tossed her letter into the quaking flames
He was getting tired of her senseless games
He knew, without a doubt, what he had to do:
Follow the sodden oaf of a fool into the night
Protect her from a distance; make sure she was alright
Any other man, would have shoved her away
Taken the chance, when she decided not to stay
And as he watched that letter burn
He felt the cold hand of fear around his heart,
A place, she had declared, was void from the start
She was a flight-risk, stubborn and full of strife
But he wouldn’t find another lass
That brought such a light to his life.
She had made a mistake, that was clear
The night held unfathomable fears
She tried to stay clear from the road
To avoid thieves, and heartless rogues
But she hadn’t thought this plan through
Shadows danced around her, caging her in
Rumbling noises got under her skin
Thoughts of her family, kept her strong
Her parents, undoubtedly, would invite her inside
Listen patiently to what she had to leave behind
They would be disappointed, but they would understand
At least, that was her hopeful plan
They would know what she should say and do
Heaven forbid she lost them too
Yet still her thoughts kept going back to him
His dark intense eyes, and reluctant grin
And as the night appeared to go on and on,
The dark skies transitioned to a gloomy dawn
Maybe it was exhaustion, a lack of sleep
That she didn’t hear the methodical stepping of feet
A rough hand grabbed her around the waist
Another shoved a foul-smelling cloth in her face
Her vision dimmed, and in her mind she screamed
But around her, the light faded to that of a dream.
He rode off on his fastest horse
The past few weeks, she had talked nonstop of home
It drove him mad at first, but then
He realized she must have never felt at home with him
As the night drew on, images taunted his mind
Of all the times he ignored the signs
She had been tired, sleeping in late in the day
Weakly waving his concerns away
He cursed again as he drew his horse in
Her prints were faint, barely there
The indent meant she was on running on foot
She was staying off the main roads to avoid being seen
But thieves and muggers did the exact same thing
He looked up at the moon, as he silently prayed
That he wouldn’t be too late
And as the miles appeared to go on and on,
His heart seemed to miss a beat
For there she was, in the distance, walking methodically
The moon light seemed to dance in her hair
She was swaying in exhaustion, but she didn’t seem to sense he was there
Then out of nowhere, he felt a sickening blow
He swung around to confront the attack
But was greeted with a cold scythe in black
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pixelskylines
