For the Love of a Swan

For the Love of a Swan

Posted by A Great Liar

Standing against the window, I stared far into the distance unknown, dark clouds and beyond, watching the demons of the night smiling at me.

I lost the track of time till, with my back against the door, I heard her barging in the room.

“Don’t you ever knock!” I said, visibly irritated, turning around to face her.

She was all perked up and shining as a well done corpse. Wearing a white blouse with long sleeves and black pants so tapered they made her legs look like sheathed swords, with narrow face and hollow cheeks, her black hairs with dashes of white hung around her face in a lank cowl, and lips painted so brightly red she seemed to be bleeding from the mouth. I also couldn’t help but notice the half finished cigarette sticking between the fingers of her left hand. Or call it weed-candy.

She was apparently off to a date; some slime ball fella with thin shaky legs, sunken cheeks and hippie haircut dipped in olive oil, and cocaine written all over him was the best possible thing I could imagine for her.

Because Providence had its set of regulations, and even for junkies, it wouldn’t make an exception.

She seemed taken aback by my response. “Boy, aren’t we touchy tonight!” Noticing the expression on my face. “You look so pale, Lev. Everything all right?”

“Oh, thinking about the experience I had. Just some lady swaying to the dance of death.” I replied. “It’s probably nothing. Had a funny effect on me I suppose. You know, that face like a painted veil, with the most extraordinary set of emotions you could ever see on a human face. Kinda hard to forget.”

“Well, pardon me for being rude.”She laughed. “But you do know it was just a movie, right?”

“Oh, but it wasn’t just a movie.” Feeling disgusted. “I mean it was something so exquisitely beautiful to behold as whole, and yet if you look deep enough, torn down with madness too deep to comprehend.”

“OK, maybe it was all that and more.” She said. “But don’t you think you are getting a little carried away.”

“Yes, but how could one not.” I protested. “Unless one is an absolute dullard. Wasn’t there was something sublimely beautiful about her tonight. Natalie, that proverbial girl next door, looked like she has just won the heart of Great Satan himself. Her near perfect transition from innocence and inherent fragility to being a most delightful monster you could ever come across. Simply exquisite, don’t you think? I mean … was ever evil done with such finesse, I wonder?”

“You silly duck, you are totally gone, aren’t you?” She exclaimed. “It's almost as if you are in love with her, Lev!”

I drew away from the window, and approached her. Took the half finished weed-candy from her hand, and inhaled, and whispered. “I often am, in and out of love with many things. But you know, it takes a while to shrug something like this off your system. She was so bloody fascinating. To witness one so inherently good-natured so helpless against the madness pulling her down like gravity, bit by bit, ... I mean, there is so much about her I could forever be in love with.” I sighed.

She replied, now seemingly uninterested. “Anyway, I will leave you to your sulking; it should be over by the morning." Paused. "It usually is.”

I hated her for saying that. “You disappoint me tonight, ammo my girl.”

She ignored the comment. “Well, I only came here to ask what you thought of this dress. I mean, how do I look tonight? Do I look all right?”

Like Attila the Hun. I thought bitterly. Only more starved. Like she has spent a winter in wilderness, feeding on marshes and reed, and may be an odd Rabbit meat cooked on stone fire!

“You look great!” I replied, now turning back towards the window, wishing to see her off. “Go get them, girl!”

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