Clever Subterfuge

Clair de Lune Part II:

The moon hung high and lingered, pacing through the dark night as if strung by a tattered string. Clinging from strained fingers and demonstrating a celestial smile that either taunted or joyously rejoiced amongst the populace underneath. 

Artificial lights glimmered in similar hues and linked together like veins. Each vein stretched into a network of capillaries in which vehicles transported vessels from one point to another and it was all rather mindnumbing. As if the celestial being that clung to his tattered string were watching each story unfold before his very eyes as his celestial sister carried such beings. 

If one were to watch closely, the stories meshed together. All of them had influence on each other, akin to a droplet falling and rippling the entire liquid surface. Although this much was true, the slight differences and consequences made each timeline worth observing. 

One story that was presently being played out caught timid attention, rather, it was more of a generous curiosity and the observing moon lead his moonlight to lethargically meander towards the subject of his attention. With the aid of his tattered string, the curious moon was able to see a girl who laid atop a mess of blankets and the way fiercely held whatever was in reach in the same fashion he held onto his lifeline. 

Upon close inspection, the cautious celestial being found the dried tears tracing the crevices of her cheeks and the subtle reddened hue of her lips from the constant action of biting back the traitorous saline droplets. With an aching heart, the moon lost focus forgot to realize that the moonlight, his source for sight, had moved to directly sheet the girl's figure. As if also placing a protective barrier, the awkward reflection cast shadows and gave her a new beautified appearance. 

Clink-clink

For the moon was deaf, he lacked the recognition of the pebbles being flung onto the windowpane until the girl's eyes fluttered open. He searched for the perpetrator and found a boy stuffing his hands in his jean pockets to limit the exposure to the brisk wind outside. Meanwhile the girl rubbed the slumber from her eyes and padded over to the window to search as well. The way her expression had changed to that of blatant joy caused the celestial being to mimic emotion and his taunting smile turned genuine. 

Cursing at his inability to comprehend the verbal exchange between the two, he clung to his tattered string as it tugged him across the murky abyss of night and watched as the two figures had met halfway on the rooftop. Moonlight fragmented and scattered across the scene and met the girl's irises. It was funny how the celestial being finally felt how questionable the morality of his imposing was, the girl shed tears over past pain and even though she was held in the other's arms, it was just another opportunity to hide one's face. 

The boy appeared to stand amidst a personal conflict, unsure of the components of such debate but one could only assume that it stemmed from the desire and necessity of his presence there. Feeling a duty to aid one in need and his personal intentions with this girl. It was clear that she mattered to him, but she stood as a fallen statue. Once constructed of prominent marble, now laid as meager dust. 

It was not his duty to pick up the pieces, she understood this much. Yet the knowledge of merely mattering to someone made her reluctant to let go. So she and the celestial being came to a subconscious comparison. Both clung fiercely to a lifeline to move on with time, too afraid to let go and fall. Too afraid of the pieces scattering to oblivion and fading. 

The girl came to this honest realization, this fear. And she submitted to it, had turned her back to her apparent vulnerability and blindly hoped that her greatest insecurity would not affect her capacity to be cared for. 

So she gave a blind eye to the stark contrast between the light and shadow that seamlessly obscured the boy's face as he leaned over and kissed her forehead. Fear. Too afraid to concede to the celestial being's warning concerning her submission to fear. 

Giving a small smile, she peered at the moon who returned her expression but with a heavy heart and pity; slowly letting go of his tattered string and falling from the horizon to elsewhere, too ashamed to continue watching.