Downfall

She walks slowly...

So slow that her legs feel light, lighter than the rhythm of her breathing.

The wet, cold ground embraces the bare palms of her feet, like everything else.

Like everything always does.

She closes her eyes for a moment, to concentrate, and when she opens them in the dark forest

she sees with contempt what she has been running after. She aims, directs her bow, her arrow, her meditation towards the fierce creature, with bright yellow eyes that swear to be a threat.

Her pulse doesn’t tremble. Her hands remain stiff. The beast opens his mouth slowly, flashing his white teeth, liking grinning gracefully.

She hesitates for once that night, contemplating the monster.

Or…is it not a monster? The creature breathes, moves slowly towards her. His skin rising. His hair shining, a beautiful mixture of silver and ebony. His heat fills the space between them, breaking the stiffness of the cold forest.

Her bow and arrow are no longer pointing at the approaching creature. She admires how he moves, with premeditation, elegancy seducing her eyes, uncertainty ruling the minutes she probably had left.

She closes her eyes again, for seconds only, considering all to be a dream.

But she doesn’t wake up, and she can only feel tempted by the sense of his deep breathing, inches away from her skin.