The night was so dark; yet the wispy mist that ebbed and flowed across the land seemed to have a light to it, a glow that led him further from the party. He had come outside just for a breath of fresh air, to feel the cool night on his hot skin. He had drunk too much, and wasn’t sure but though someone slipped him something in his last drink. The world around him just seemed so pretty and clean even though it was dark and strange.
The moon seemed so big yet, the land was dark around him.
The party ragged inside as if fresh though it had been going on for hours.
Halloween. He had loved the day since he was a child. There was always something more to it than the parties and treats and movies could ever capture.
He walked closer to the edge of a small pond that was off to the right of the front yard of the great house he had just left. It had a heavy fog over it telling of how fast the air had cooled that evening. He heard a noise, as if a stone were being thrown into the water. He alerted to it, and walked toward it. He heard another, and wondered who would be out here throwing rocks into the pond.
He stopped under an old gnarled branched tree, the mist floating up to his face for a moment. He heard a giggle and felt his mind slow down and float as if into a dream.
He turned and saw a pale woman in a white gown with black hair walking slowly along the waters edge. He walked towards her. At first he wanted to call out for her, but decided to walk with her instead. He heard a dog howl in the distance and a bull frog answer. The lady giggled again and began to walk faster. Ahead he saw a circle of fire, the smoke making slow swirls on the cool air.
They slowed and walked to the circle. She turned and looked at him as she walked slower still and backward. Her eyes were black in the night and her dark red smile alluring and sweet in her pale white face. He felt he must touch her; she must be a phantom or illusion. He slowly reached for her but she turned and walked on. They stopped in the middle of the ring of fires. He heard another small laugh over in a small grove of lush trees edged with tall flowers. He walked past the dark haired woman toward the sound wanting to see this new scene. She reached out and touched his arm as he passed. He fingers were warm and left glowing trails on his flesh. He walked between trees to a small clearing. He heard a woman with an accent ask for another, but another what?
In the small clearing he saw a small blond British woman with a flat chest and small pink nipples lying on thick green grass. He cold not stop looking at her small chest. The light of her skin and light pink of her nipples made him believe he could taste pink Amorini chocolate hearts. Standing over her was a tall man in a black cloak wearing a long nosed mask of silver, gold and black. His smile was visible, as were his long teeth. He held a whip high, and brought it down softly onto the girls pale stomach. It barley made a sound but she writhed and giggled and asked for more. To his right a bright sparkle in the water caught his eye. He went back to the waters edge and saw a small long boat, white as a wedding dress and sharp as an arrow cutting softly and slowly through the water. Inside was the dark hair woman in her white dress. The boat stopped beside him.
“Care for a trip around the pond?”
Did she speak? Her mouth didn’t seem to move. The light of the moon danced salaciously on the surface of the water. He looked at her, and wanted to be with her. He looked down and saw a large white stone between him and the boat. He stepped on it and into the boat as easy as walking on solid ground. He carefully sat in the boat, she turning him so that he lay back against her body. The boat began to float slowly around the pond. He saw the house come back into view. The lights coming from the windows were red and white, blue and green. Some were shades of pink and others the purple bruise of a black light. In a high window they could easily see a man, tall, muscled, naked and holding a woman tight in his arms. Her legs were around his body. From their motion it was obvious what they were doing. From behind he felt the vibration of his companions snickers in her warm breast.
As they rounded the edge into the farther side of the pond, the woods were deep and dark on the shore. On the bank he saw people sitting and talking, but they were making the same stiff motions over and over, as if they were marionettes. Behind them red eyes glowed in the wood, and the scent of musk was suddenly heavy on the air. The scene left him feeling alone and heavy. He looked away from it not wanting the disturbing feelings.
Further on there were women dancing to music un heard by him. They were in short, flowing silken dresses as light and lovely as butterfly wings. They danced so beautifully he wanted to stop and watch for a while. As if hearing his thoughts, the slim boat stopped. As they leapt and twirled, spun and danced in circles he became dizzy and wished to leave. The boat moved forward awhile, and then approached another curve of shore. Here he saw people he knew listening to music from a portable stereo and smoking from a pipe. They were laughing and talking. They had a small fire near them to stave off the damp coolness of the night. The fire was so red, so orange, so yellow; their smiles, so familiar and good. He turned to the woman. Though she was so beautiful, her paleness mad him feel as if she were not real. He wanted very much to leave the boat and go to his friends. He looked at the shore expectantly, believing the boat would follow this thought as it had the others.
Instead, the boat pulled away from the shore. He looked back at the woman, but she simply stared blankly back at him. He stood in the boat wanting to jump, thinking he was close enough to make it. The boat toppled, making him fall into the cold water. He fell straight to the bottom. The water was shallow, but cold and he instantly felt numb and panicked.
His feet hit the bottom of the pond; it was squishy with vegetation. He looked up and saw the woman looking over the side of the long slim boat. He tried to push off with his feet to get to the surface, but they slipped. He tried again, and slipped. He looked up again. He saw the water, so green and the sky above, a blanket of stars; and her pale round face. He tried to calm himself but felt his lungs straining for air. He allowed himself to sink again, and as soon as he felt his feet on the bottom, he pushed as hard as he could. His feet gained ground and he floated quickly to the surface. As soon as he broke the surface he gulped in air, panting and coughing. He looked over to the boat, and found it was not a boat at all, but a log. He looked to the shore where his friends were, and found the far shore was just that, far from him.
He looked up and saw the round bright moon and stars. He turned around and saw the house just behind him. He swam a few strokes before his feet hit bottom again, so he walked out of the water. He walked a little onto shore and sat down in the thick grass. He laid back and looked at the stars as he tried to steady his breathing. His mind felt confused, but he was relieved to be safe. He heard footsteps behind him, and then a pretty face lined in curly blond hair appeared over his.
“Fell in didn’t you?”
He sat up and turned and saw the girl from the clearing. “Yes, I think I did.”
As she sat next to him she laughed. He turned to her and asked her if this was the first time they had met.
She said it was, and then noticed he was shivering.
“Let’s go back inside and a have a few drinks, that’ll warm you.”
He agreed.
They stood and walked back toward the house. He stopped as they climbed the stairs to the house and looked back at the pond. A swirl of mist floated into the trees, that looked very much like a beautiful woman dressed in white. He smiled and decided he would be the only one to make his drinks for the rest of the night.
©SMBW
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