Underneath My Skin

Ch. 42

Love is fathomless; a unique emotion evoking unparalleled happiness.

                                     - Jen Roos

____________________________________

I open my eyes and above me is the night sky. The sky is as dark as charcoal. Small splashes of gold liter here and there as if an artist had brazenly attempted to light it without aim. Smokey grey clouds deteriorate under the fluorescent silver beams of the moon, as if they were shadows to be banished.

The wind blows suddenly. Cold licks at my face and creeps under my silk night gown, spreading across my skin like a lacy tide on a frigid winter beach.

The biting cold chills my fingers into clumsy numbness. Cold seeps into my toes and spreads painfully throughout my feet.

I ball my fists and pluck damp grass from the ground. I release the grass and pluck more from the moist earth beneath me. I am completely and utterly lost in the stars floating around above me. My teeth begin to chatter like a pneumatic drill. The wind pokes me like icy fingers and wraps around me like a shawl.

I'm too captivated to move from this spot. I want to. I want to escape from the icy tendrils of this cold September night, but it's as if the stars won't allow me to move. The icy wind blows around me, whispering stay, so I lay paralyzed lost in the stars.

I hear faint voices and heart warming laughter in the distance. I gather all of my strength and sit up. I make out two bodies far away from me. One tall and masculine with short hair, obviously a man. The other short and frail with long hair cascading down their back, obviously a woman. Both of their silhouettes are glowing under the moonlight. Behind them is the outline of the enormous New York City buildings.

The tall masculine silhouette grabs hold of the short frail silhouette's hand. He spins her around and a laugh escapes her. He pulls her to his chest and their bodies sway slowly side to side.

Slowly, I crawl towards them until I'm at least ten feet away from them. They don't seem to notice me.

The male silhouettes back is facing me, but I have realized that the women is old, very very old. Her eyes are closed and her chin is resting on his shoulder. Her expression is one of jubilation. 

I can't help but wonder why they're dancing. There is no music out here and it's absolutely freezing and neither of them are wearing jackets.

"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music," the man says softly.

I automatically recognize the words he's saying that were first said by Friedrich Nietzsche.

Suddenly, soft piano music floods my ears. I shut my eyes and listen carefully to the hypnotizing melody playing perfectly in tune. Then, the soft sound of a violin joins the piano creating a balancing harmony. Then the sweet sound of a cello joins in followed by bells and harps. Soon, an entire symphony is playing effortlessly inside my head.

A laugh escapes my lips. I am in awe of what is happening inside of my head. I open my eyes and the man and the woman are standing a few feet in front of me, staring at me.

It takes me a moment to realize that the man is Jackson. The woman looks vaguely familiar, but I can't pinpoint who she is.

Jackson smiles and his straight white teeth glisten in the moonlight.

"This is my grandmother," he says softly.

My heart warms. I remember Jackson telling me how much he loved his grandmother and how devastated he was when she had a heart attack. He was in the ninth grade when she passed.