A man and a woman (go back »)

The rain and cold bit into him, but he hardly felt it. The wind slashed through his open jacket, but he dared not close it. He dared not move at all.

Facing him was the most succulent piece of femininity he had ever laid eyes upon. She was blacker than the night, and arrayed in appealing clothing. Her frame was of excellence, her posture blameless. Her face was of such sweetness that his tooth was aching, and her hair embedded with such… such grandeur, that his lip could not stop trembling.

But her eyes… her eyes were the finishing blow. These were the reason he dared not move. Somehow, those eyes had decided to meet with his. And although he was not worthy… he knew that only a crazy man would look away.

What he saw in those eyes was beyond description. This woman was not like the rest. There was warmth in their midst capable of slicing the coldest of hearts. There was love in their depths capable of holding any man captive… A furious sea of emotions was locked within them, and restrained by her power. And most of all… there was an unusual beauty about them that surpassed all the beautiful eyes he had ever seen.

His eyes remained locked with hers. He could nearly sense the words they were formulating. But what was she saying? As he studied her facial features, she made a triangular motion with her eyes, scanning his eyes and lips.

A feeling spread over his body. It was as if a switch buried deep within had just been turned on. His heart rate sped up. His mind was racing, chemicals were released… his brain was getting ecstatic…

And the impossible happened. She broke eye contact. His heart jumped a beat. His tooth stopped aching. His lip went still. Why had she broken eye contact? Another feeling spread through him. Grief. It was like a baby being ripped from his mother’s arms. It was like his heart had just been torn out. It was like realizing that there was no oasis in the desert, that it had been a mirage.

The woman was looking to her left. He turned his gaze, and witnessed a bus approaching. His heart screamed and his eyes grew wide as he quickly understood what was happening. His mind cried out to her, but she was walking away. He stood and watched helplessly.

And then the incredible happened. He ran out onto the road to intercept her. Across the traffic he ran, heedless of the vehicles that could take his life. The cars howled in warning. The rain and wind struck in an attempt to reason with him. But he was beyond help…

The woman looked back. He sighed and beheld her eyes once more, unaware that he was in the middle of the road. Once again he lost himself within those eyes… and a smile crossed his face. Such beauty…

It was then that a car struck him.

In Short Stories and Really Short Stories