Tails, Tunes, and Untouched Territories.

Tousled Terrors of the Past

A haunting lullaby whistled distant in the air followed by harsh winds whistling louder- a  competition that screeched into my ears like a sudden tremendous bout of tinnitus. It blew in all directions but I could have sworn it was pulling me closer, the stone wall being my saviour from the crashing waves and sharp stones below. 

I followed, I followed that call completely entranced until my feet hit that cold wall and my hands had to hold onto the top stone to steady myself.
I broke free.

Then there it was again. The high pitch three-tone song beckoning me down, down into those dangerous waters.
A moments silence, as though the world took a breath. Then the same song again. It sang to me, it taunted me to follow. It sang "come, come see."

Surely the water wasn't singing to me.
My head swivelled around, but it was dark, the single street light giving the only ray of colour into this meek grey world of night.

I was alone.

The tousled updrafts of the ocean chased after me, scaling the rocks and the wall anything to get a taste of me. The wind that followed it wrapped around my entire body like a chilly coat, brushing my skin until I shivered back. My actual polyester coat couldn't quite cover me enough as I frantically pulled the hood further forward and zipped up the front.

No longer under the spell of the mysterious waves, I plugged my headphones back into my phone and used them to cover my ears. Soft guitar strums blocked out the harsh reality around me as I continued making my way home. Hands in my pockets fiddled with random objects I'd hoarded in there, anything to distract me until my feet no longer hit the wall and instead felt the relief and comfort of my door mat.

An hour later and I was shredding my outer layer off in the foyer of the family home calling out to my welcoming mother, who as always would come from the kitchen with oven mitts in hand to hug me. I enveloped her in the warmest of hugs always being appreciative of the warmth her love would give me within these moments.

"You're late tonight, I hope you stayed under the lit street and not by the shore again. I know you Izuku Midoriya I know what you're like."

Her hands, or more the burnt mitts, cupped my cheeks as she scanned me once over, rolling her eyes when she saw I'd actually missed most of what she'd said as I still had yet to remove the headphones.

"Oh Matthew , honestly. You make me worry."

"I make you burn food too apparently. What's going on in there?"

I nodded towards the kitchen door as her eyes continued to bore into me. My nostrils filling with the delicious aroma of fresh spices and another ingredient that I couldn't quite make out. It smelt deliciously sweet. But the smoke circling the entrance wasn't as inviting. My little stout of a mother turned, had an almost light bulb moment where I swear I could see the cloud of confusion take a moment to disappear before then remembering the task at hand and toddled off into the kitchen, fanning her hands at the smoke as if to magically make it disappear. A few rattles of clanking pans and what sounded like the oven door slamming shut bounced from the room until even the fire alarm started. It's loud repetitive beeping receiving a few choice words from my mother that shocked even me to hear.

The world is so loud, always so loud.

"Need a hand?"

Not that she ever accepted my help, sometimes that woman was too independent for her own good. I understood why.

"No dear that's alright. I've got it sorted now."

Her flushed face popped out from behind the door, a genuine smile and true love spread across her lips and eyes as she shoo'ed me away. Her typical response. I gave my usual response in return; a simple small shrug; before carrying my bag halfway across the hallway ready to walk up the stairs. As I walked I merely kept my head down and said: