walking alone

  Its late and I'm walking home alone.  I have no reason to hurry yet I walk quickly.  Its November but the air is unusually warm, almost tricking you into thinking its spring.  The path is carpeted with the needles of tamarack trees which cushion each step silencing any sound.  Occasional street lamps light my way giving the needles a subdued golden hue.  I grab a handful of the needles and am amazed by their softness.  Letting them dribble through my fingers back to the ground, I imagine that they are the fur off some mythical forest beast.

 

  Reaching a old staircase I hurry down, wondering why I'm in such a rush.  At the bottom I pause and look around.  There is a large empty lot in front of me.  At night it seems immense, the dim light from the street lamps turns the concrete barricades into a seemingly impenetrable fortress.  Having walked this way before I know its a lie.

 

  Tonight though I stick to the sidewalk.  As I hasten around the perimeter I nervously glance inwards half expecting the beast I imagined earlier to jump out and abduct me.  Laughing at myself for jumping at shadows, I feel like I'm six again.  Leaving the empty lot behind I turn between two buildings.

 

 With disbelief I  gaze upon the beast.  It towers above me, vaguely reminiscent of a minotaur.  My heart racing I prepare to flee.  Seeing me the beast drops down to all fours and ambles away.  Realizing its just a deer trying to reach the last few apples left on a tree I clap my hands loudly to hurry it on its way.

 

  Embarrassed by my momentary loss of sensibility I kick some gravel at the animal as I scurry between the buildings and across the street into my home.  Sitting down at my computer to check my email I immediately regret my rush to return home.  I throw my coat back on and head outside again.  All I see are empty city streets.

Author's Note

If you don't like it tell me why. If you do like it tell me why.

Reviews

[pasdepoisson]

I like it. The details are concisely, yet clearly drawn.

I particularly like the bit about the deer-monster.

For a while, I was trying to tell if this narrative was imagined, dreamed, or based on experience. Judging from the last paragraph, I'm guessing this was an actual experience.