Fantasy

The last breeze of day beckoned me into the twilight, tempted me with cool caressing fingers. I followed it and it followed me, teasing me with its soft touch. It allowed itself to be drawn deep into my lungs but still it was about me, leading me through the twilight into the darkness of night. Ascending the green hillside I watched the ascent of the moon. The breeze faded and died. I was alone.

Down on the shore the sea swished and whispered over the stones. Gentle waves crept over pebbles trying to keep a wave-hold and claim them but the irresistible moon insisted upon their retreat. Again and again they tried but softly slipped away, silver and sad. The moon wove her light through the newly wet stones making them glimmer like discreet jewels.

Though the night was hushed yet there was a faint stirring as if the earth was breathing. Trees stood darkly against the night sky, the undergrowth dappled in the cool glow. I stood entranced by the beauty. I had seen these sights before but never with such clarity, the clarity of an inner vision. Surely before this I had been blind to the silver river rippling on a dark sea, to the myriad shyly sparkling stars, timid in the brilliance of their queen. This night my eyes were opened.

I was free and part of the earth, part of all that magnificence, free, yet I belonged to the moon and she ruled me ineluctably. I tore off my shoes and ran through the grass, exulting in the cool, springy earth, my feet sending up little showers of moisture that split and fell like a thousand vanishing diamonds. I flung my arms wide and laughed to see them disappear. I laughed up at the moon with joy, joy to be alive, joy to be her servant.

I stopped running as I entered the wood. The trees looked solemn and majestic. I felt that they might think me disrespectful if I flew past them. Yet they too were servants to the moon. In the wood she showed her light with special splendour, touching a shimmering leaf here and there till every tree was jewel-set. Sometimes she would hide behind some venerable old tree but as I walked she would appear again, bewitching me. She wove her magic spell, whispering to the earth, to the trees, to the grass, to the water, to the stars and to me.

Now all the woodland was awake and the spirits came out of the trees. I was not a stranger to them. They accepted me and showed themselves. They whispered "Come with us, come with us". I was not afraid when they crowded around me awaiting an answer. The moon too seemed to pause in her imperceptible flight. The spirits took me by the hand and weaving through the empty trees we danced on the soft mossy soil. For music my friend the breeze returned, rhythmically rustling the leaves. The leaves dance too, exulting with me in the beauty and the breathless joy.

I was wild with joy and I whirled and jumped and laughed. Free, free, free.

As I danced, my enchantress began to steal away, pleased with her mischief. The spirits looked up and seeing her depart, went back to their tree hosts. I stood alone, my harsh breath now the only sound. The trees were still, silent, aloof. The moon had gone and the first rays of dawn were claiming their turn in the sky. My feet were cold. I bent to put on my shoes, turned, walked slowly through the wood. I felt lonely, sad, perplexed.

I had been tricked.

For one moonlit night I was a spirit wild and free but at the dawn I was a young girl, cold, alone and a little frightened.