by Lance Allen
***
If it tried to tell you something would you listen?
Yes I will listen.
Will you sit and listen or will you try and understand?
I want to understand.
I’m not sure I can trust you.
You can trust me. I’m here. They’re not. I won’t leave you. I promise.
My wing is broken. I want to fly.
Talk to me. I’m ready to listen.
The other night while you were at work, I was reading. I heard a dull thud off in the distance. It grew louder and louder. It was after 9:00pm so it was really dark out. The thud grew louder still and I went outside to see what it was. There was a black helicopter, moving slowly over the tree tops. If not for the thud of the rotors I wouldn’t have known where to look; it was dark, running without lights.
As I strained through the night to see what it was doing, I noticed two sets of green eyes. They were looking at me. Directly at me. I froze. So did the helicopter. They were watching me. My heart thudded in my chest in rhythm with the rotors. I was shaking. What did they want? Why were they watching me? I broke for the door and didn’t stop until I reached the bathroom. I jumped into the shower and turned on the cold water. I had to get rid of my heat signature. But the cold water woke me up. I had been dreaming.
I wondered why your shorts were in the bathtub. I should have asked.
It seemed so real you know. I could feel the downdraft from the rotors. And those green eyes.
But it wasn’t real. There was no helicopter.
No not this time. They come at night though. Not every night. But when they come, they come at night. I’m not always alone.
