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You are not scared.
He was about to jump off. Off of that tree so high. The stars swirled and shimmered, the wind whispering for him to do it. It pushed against his back, urging him off the edge. He was about to do it. He would jump. But as he took a final glance down, he saw these bright, aching eyes. The pain in those eyes matched his own. Sweat covered his back, as his spine became laced with fear. The eyes flickered and a dark shadowy head rose from the darkness. He tried to scoot back, but the tree limb was too small. The shadowy creature crawled closer. He didn’t know what to do, so he sat shakily and waited. The creature climbed up and sat on a branch, right in front of him. It stared as his forehead became beaded with sweat. He breathed heavily. The creature leaned forward, almost touching its face to his.
“If you are afraid of me, you will not jump.”
Then the wind blew hard and the eyes faded away. The night went silent. Nothing made a sound.
But the shocked silence was disturbed once he climbed to the ground. He walked away, thankful for the beast.
10 years later and he’s back on that tree. The wind blowing gently as the sun fades from view. He thinks back to that night with the monster and the moon. He remembered how the moon lured him up to top, the wind whispering sweet nothings into his ears, and the gentle swaying on the branch underneath him. He pictured the monster, glowing eyes surrounded by black shadows. He sat remembering for a long time. When his mind finally returned to the present, the sky was dark but filled with the light of the moon, brushing against the treetops around him. He sighed. Then the wind picked up. He had felt this cold before. He waited, staring out at the vast canopy of trees before him. Once the wind slowed back down, he waited for a voice.
“We meet again.”
“Yes I’m afraid we do.”
And at last he turns his head, and resting beside him on the branch was the creature. It’s eyes bored into him but he held his ground.
“You are not scared.”
“No,
I am not.”
And the wind picked up again, rustling through the trees. Then it was quiet. The branch was empty once more.
“If you are afraid of me, you will not jump.”
Then the wind blew hard and the eyes faded away. The night went silent. Nothing made a sound.
But the shocked silence was disturbed once he climbed to the ground. He walked away, thankful for the beast.
10 years later and he’s back on that tree. The wind blowing gently as the sun fades from view. He thinks back to that night with the monster and the moon. He remembered how the moon lured him up to top, the wind whispering sweet nothings into his ears, and the gentle swaying on the branch underneath him. He pictured the monster, glowing eyes surrounded by black shadows. He sat remembering for a long time. When his mind finally returned to the present, the sky was dark but filled with the light of the moon, brushing against the treetops around him. He sighed. Then the wind picked up. He had felt this cold before. He waited, staring out at the vast canopy of trees before him. Once the wind slowed back down, he waited for a voice.
“We meet again.”
“Yes I’m afraid we do.”
And at last he turns his head, and resting beside him on the branch was the creature. It’s eyes bored into him but he held his ground.
“You are not scared.”
“No,
I am not.”
And the wind picked up again, rustling through the trees. Then it was quiet. The branch was empty once more.
Published 19th Aug 2021
Author's Note
I wrote the beginning of this short during the start of my freshman year of highschool. Now, 3 years later, I have finished it. The ending is special to me because it leaves questions in the readers head. Where is the man? Who is that monster? Why do they meet?
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