Phantom Voice

Fingers, trembling, touched the glass,
My heart was racing, my eyes were searching,
Searching for that little one.

Breath fogged over the barrier,
My mind was remembering, hours before,
Before the clock turned 7:01.

Tears came welling over the rim,
My smile was breaking, my eyes still searching,
Searching for that little one.

Lips smiled wider, a pride in my eyes.
That time was forgotten, hours before,
Before the clock turned 7:01.

Hands settled on my precious gift,
For they’d found her. My eyes stopped searching,
Searching for that little one.

Arms held tight, tighter than ever,
Protecting the bundle from hours before,
Before the clock turned 7:01.

Ears hear laughter, of a little child,
My beautiful child, so my eyes go searching,
Searching for that little one.

Before the clock turned 7:01,
Searching for that little one,
My eyes find Nicole
Playing in the sun,
Mind and soul,
My little one.

Her fingertips caress the end of the stem.
Petals echo their scent with every breath.
She walks at a slow pace, staring at the windows.
Her reflection smiles beside the open bloom.

Clouds surround her feet as she thinks of the days,
When the world is better because he’s near.
Each glance at another shows only his face.
Only his smile. Only his eyes. Only him.

She moves a little swifter. Her meeting is soon.
She sees the future kiss, standing from afar.
Her lips brush his. Her eyes touch his.
Their souls intertwine in the mist between them.

She glances in a window to view the gift.
That single flower glows brightly,
After having been touched by him.
She envies the rose, but she knows not long.

Beyond the shadow of the rose in the window,
She sees him.
Wrong place.
Another woman.
A passionate kiss.
She squeezes.
The prick.
It hurts.

Love is like a rose, covered in pain.
Trying to understand it will drive you insane.
People have tried to learn how it makes you feel,
But the thing about love is no one ever will.
Love is like the water which can smoothly flow
It is also like a turtle which moves very slow.
Love is like the sun which shines from day to day,
But it can also make your heart break in every kind of way.
Love is hard to understand,
And the Lord knows I never can.

(This is a fiction written in answer to the challenge Alan made to me.)

I got out of the taxi and headed into the large building in front of me. It was raining and all I had was today’s newspaper to cover my head. I unfolded it quickly and caught a glimpse of the person I was about to meet. He always had a funny look on his face. I put the newspaper over my head and stepped around the puddles on the sidewalk leading up to the building.

Once inside, I was greeted warmly by a woman in a black business suit. She looked to be in her forties. Her skin was showing the wrinkles but her beauty still existed.

“He’ll be ready to see you in a moment.”

“Thanks,” I said as I followed her.

She walked me through the maze of a building until we reached the door to a room I had never been in and had always wanted to see. When she opened the door it was like the gates of Heaven opening as the light peeked out of the edges of the doorway. My eyes, of course, were playing tricks on me. It was probably my reverence of the place that made me see such a bright light. It faded quickly and I looked closer at the supple leather and old wood furniture behind the door.

“Go on in and have a seat. He’ll be with you shortly.” Read the rest of this entry »

The rain beating on the hood of the car and the cold November air were calling me closer to sleep. I needed to get off the highway and to a hotel pretty fast. I frantically searched for an exit sign. About twenty minutes later, I spotted that familiar green glow. There was a city called Friarville only 2 miles away. I was a few days early getting to my next job, so one night wouldn’t hurt me.

Driving through Friarville took about two minutes. It was one of those places you see in scary movies, with one street filled with houses and a larger building at the end of the street, on a hill. Not a single light was on in any of the houses, and I was certain that if I drove up to the big house, a man carrying an axe would chop me in two. In my line of work, you always had to expect the worst, but this place actually scared me. I had to get some sleep though, so I drove up the hill, to the only building with lights shining through the rain.

The larger building was the house and business of the local undertaker. According to the shining placard hanging next to his house, his name was Joseph Friar.

This is just my luck. The undertaker of this backwoods town is the richest and the one it’s named after. I bet his family even had that exit sign put out on the highway.

I took the keys out of the ignition, turned off the lights, and prayed for God to help me live through the night as I climbed out of the car and raced to the front porch of Mr. Friar’s domain. The door knocker was a miniature coffin.

I decided to knock with my fist, not wanting much to do with death on a night like this. Read the rest of this entry »