Between the Midnight Hours

He hates the night. The darkness. Silently I watch him as he raves and curses, wearing out the carpet. At times he won't even talk at all. It's agony watching him, it tears me apart everytime I see that empty look in his eye's. I sometimes wonder if he's still alive. Everytime he sleeps I softly press my ear against his chest just to see if he's still breathing. He hates the darkness...

It's nearly sunrise and he still hasn't moved. I shake him gently, telling him to get up. "Come on Rick, you have to get up you can't stay here". His only response is a grunt. Rick! more insistant now "Remember what nearly happend last time"? Tears blur my vision. "I can't go through that again. Please don't ask me too". He's done this many times before, just waited for the sun to consume him. Finally he gets up and slinks away. He used to stand tall and strong. It always amazed me how he moved with such easy animal grace. But he doesn't do that anymore...

Another day alone. My eyes close as memories start to asail me. I remember the first time I laid eyes on him. Dark, dangerous and handsome, not my type at all. But it was something about his eyes that drew me. Pain, Despair, Loneliness? it's hard to describe what i saw.

While poetry reading at a bar, he was sitting in the back row with a slight smile upon his face. My heart was beating fast, I think i must have stumbled a bit on my words, but no one seemed to notice. I closed my eyes for only a moment, but it felt like hours. When i looked up again he was gone. After my set was over i waved goodbye to Aaron the owner of the bar, opened the door and walked out into the night. After a few paces i must have walked into a brick wall but it was a pair of strong arms and a hard chest protecting my fall. As i looked up into the eyes of the man from the bar, thats when i knew that i had fallen fast. Thats when i knew I had fallen in love.

My eyes flutter open before more memories come back to haunt me. I gaze outside the open window. It's night time again. He hates the darkness....