Something in the Wind: There was a lone man, walking through the wind. You would have never seen him if you hadn’t been staring aimlessly out your bedroom window that stormy fall night. The wind blustered outside, blowing the trees threadbare of their leaves. The world beyond your frigid lamella of glass was blanketed in darkness, the dim glow of streetlights being the only thing illuminating the darkness. The man slunk through those faint patches of light, his tall silhouette being visible one moment before fading into clandestinity the next. Why anyone in their right mind would be out in such dangerous conditions, you’re not sure. As the man continued down the sidewalk, you see a small navy-blue bundle ceases in his arms. Something about the specific shade of navy blue felt familiar; nostalgic, almost. Ebony trench coat fluttering in the breeze, the man was approaching the edge of the block when a flash of lightning rippled across the sky. You jolt back, startled back to reality for a moment. Heart racing faster now, you eagerly press your cheek to the cold glass of your window and see the man making his way across the road holding the navy-blue bundle even tighter to his body. Squinting, you can barely see a minuscule, frail hand reaching up from the blanketed mass. What reason could this man possibly have to carry an infant in such dangerous weather? Out of the corner of your eye, you glimpse a bright light speeding across your line of vision. You realize what it is a second too late. A cry for help almost escapes you mouth. Time seems to slow around you as two headlights dart towards the man one second before both are gone as suddenly as they appeared. You scream. “What’s wrong?” Your bedroom door creaks open as your mother enters, eyes creased with concern. “There was a man, and there was a car, and-and-“ anything you were thinking of saying is drowned out against the rhythmic cacophony of your breath. You could have easily helped the man; he was right outside your window, after all. But your idiotic brain froze, and now a person is dead, thanks to you. Scalding, dagger-like tears bubbles behind your eyes. You push them down. “Sweetheart,” you hear your mom’s voice behind you. “Even after all this time, you still can’t forget how your dad died?” You pause. The man couldn’t have possibly been your dad, could he? “But there really was a person there, I swear! He was walking down the sidewalk and then he crossed the road and then-“ “It’s just the wind, dearest.” A wave of calm washes over you as your mother’s hand finds its way onto your shoulder. “It’s like that sometimes, you know?” After a few minutes, she turns off the lights and leaves. You let the soothing nothingness of the night lull you thoughts to a stop. Maybe it really was just something in the wind.
Ik this is super last minute but thanks for reading anyway:))
