by M. Leighton
“Look, it’s a sign,” she said, as she pointed to my crossed arms.
I lowered my head to see the source of her delight and saw a pair of brightly colored butterflies sitting upon my crossed arms, their bright wings growing redder as the sun began to peak around the moon. They softly and whimsically fanned their wings back and forth and I sensed she was right; something was happening. I felt a force of adrenalin coursing through me, along with a euphoria I’d never known, and was engulfed with inner strength as years of heaviness lifted from me. My invisible shackles were unlocked, tossed aside and the bondage holding me to her was dissolved.
“No! No! No!” she screamed, as she fell to her knees. “What have you done?” she hissed at me. I backed away as she crawled toward me with her hand outreached. The exposure of the sun grew as the seconds ticked by and the time for my death arrived. I lowered my head to meet her eyes, one last time before the sun aided me in my eternal escape of her. I saw the burning pain on her face, along with something else in her narrowed eyes and I recognized her look of jealous fury; it could be mistaken for nothing else.
She hissed, “I don’t know how you did it, but you’ll never have her. I will serve her heart to you on a platter and make you enjoy eating it.”
She had completely lost her mind and I laughed before saying, “You are mad! You don’t even know what you’re saying.”
“No! It’s you that doesn’t understand, you stupid fool! She has arrived, but listen well and never forget my words! You’ll never have her!” she screamed.
I didn’t understand the mystery of her words, but I suspected she too felt the dissolution of our bond and realized my intentions. Fortunately, she didn’t have time to act and was forced inside by the sun’s rays before she could drag me inside with her.
Seconds later, the sun was completely unobstructed by the moon and I was entirely exposed to the beaming rays. I felt the warmth on my face and waited for the burn that would end my existence. She frantically called for me from inside the suite, but I refused to answer, allowing her to believe I was incinerated; I would be soon enough. Luckily, her misplaced, distorted love for me would never be reason enough for her to risk her safety in place of mine.
I waited in vain for the anticipated burn as I only felt the mercy of the sun, and didn’t understand why. I was afraid to move, yet afraid to remain still and I had no idea how much longer the sun would show me grace. I took a few steps, testing my boundaries like a child, and gave thanks for the arms of protection surrounding me, then made the decision to run. This was a gift and a blessing I didn’t yet understand, but one thing I knew for certain; now wasn’t the time to understand. It was the time to escape.
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