Out For a Stroll

Things have been getting really spooky around here; even by my standards.

As a Dreamweaver, I should be seeking answers in my slumber, but even that proves severely unnerving.

I wake up bruised & bloody, with broken fingernails & scars I can't explain to myself. & no recollection of how it happened. This, in itself, should be impossible...

Deeply immersed in my thoughts, I reject sleep, & decide to wander instead. I take the form of a large, black, shaggy dog, completely unextraordinary save for the heavy scar curling under my left eye.

I pad through the dark, empty city streets--not many people on the prowl at 3 am. Every so often, a car will whiz past; occasionally it'll pull to the curbside, & a drunken human will stumble out, slowly making their way to safety inside one of the tall tenements that line the street. The soft glow of streetlights illuminate my path, casting an eerie pall...

Summer is giving way to fall, the temperature has dropped, & I can taste a distant storm on the breeze. A white feline crosses my path; she pauses, a glimpse of recognition in her amber eyes...I chase her into the night, the exhilaration of a run easing my mind...

.....

I wander your world, the lyrics of an old tune twisting through my thoughts.

I shift back into human form, & find myself singing softly to the night...

..."as the rain comes pouring down, & you're lonely as the night grows colder--don't worry cuz I'll be there for you...

& your dreams seem far away, take a moment to look over your shoulder--cuz honey, you know I'm desperate too..."

-..."Everybody's desperate--just like you..."

A deep male voice wraps around me like silk. I start when I hear that voice; it's one I know well, though I haven't heard it in ages...Justin.

-"I knew I recognized that damn song..." he tells me.

He falls into step beside me, long leathery wings wrapped around him like a cloak. His dark hair cascades in ripples past his shoulders, shielding eyes that I know are silver as coins...

-"What are you doing here?" I ask him.

-"Looking for you."

-"Why? You left me when I needed you most."

-If I had stayed & fought by your side--we'd both be dead now. I had no choice..."

I loved him once--seems like ages ago. But his familiar voice still sends shivers down my spine. My mind drifts to a time when we were so young & free; I'd shift into a raven & chase him beneath the stars. We'd dance on the breeze, Justin & I.

Justin is one of the Winged Ones. They are an ancient race--predominantly avian in nature, though Justin has bats in his heart.

-"Whatever." I snarl at him. "Why are you here now?"

-"You've been calling out to me in your dreams...."

I don't recall this, but Justin was never one to lie to me. Why would he start now?

My heart wants to trust him--like he'd never left me behind. Unfortunately, old scars just don't heal that quickly.

Leery as I may be, I don't push him away. We have alot to talk about, Justin & I.

It's been a while since I've been to the Ciudad. Hopefully, he can fill me in on some things...