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The walk…

Cyranny
Previously posted on August 18th of 2018.
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She loved these long walks they took, when the weather allowed it.
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He had his modest house built in the middle of the woods, ages ago. She never got tired of the scenery, either they headed to the lake shore, up the hill to have a view of the nearby village, or simply wandered through the forest, for the thousandth time.
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Every time, she walked and he followed about thirty feet behind her. It had seemed odd at first, but she had gotten used to it. He wasn’t the chatting kind, anyway. As he liked to say, there was a time for everything… A time to write, a time to eat, a time to contemplate. A lot of time to contemplate.
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As she walked along the narrow path, she felt his gaze studying her from afar. She liked how he was protective in his own distant way. His whole life revolved around words, and he chose them wisely. He had never never expressed the slightest affection towards her, but she knew he couldn’t live without her now. To a foreign eye, she would have looked like just a convenient presence in his life, but she knew better.
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He had always been part of her life, as far as she could look back. He and Father had been friends for years, and he came to their home every other week, when he had some shopping to do, or when he had to visit the post office. He’d come, sit at the table with them, and eat with appetite, breaking the silence just to greet Mother with some fancy compliment about the rustic stew she had served him.
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Sometimes he left before the sun would set. But often, he would join Father in the living room, sit near the fireplace, and both men would take out their pipes. They didn’t talk much, but she had always felt the strong connexion between them. They seemed to communicate with smoke signals…
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She paused before entering the clearing in the woods. The sun was high in the sky, and she tipped her large hat to make sure its shadow protected her bare shoulders. Glancing his way, she waited for his approval. He slightly nodded, she smiled and found the perfect spot to set the blanket on the grass.
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Mother had not agreed, at first, when he had suggested to take her with him. Of course, being pregnant with her ninth child was casting a shadow on their life. One more mouth to feed, one more little being to find clothing for, and if it was boy, they would have to find a way to pay for school in a couple of years.
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He hadn’t asked for her hand. Just a helping presence around the house. He never spoke about money, but everyone in the county knew he was the richest man around, and he could definately spare them all a lot of trouble. He promised to take care of her, and Father had given his blessing to her moving to his home the next spring.
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She sat on the quilted blanket, and waited. He usually took his time, walking along the edge of the clearing, looking for wild flowers and really anything that he could put into his writing later on. This time, he joined her as if it was just natural.
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They rarely found themselves so close to each other, physically, and she blushed. He looked intrigued by her reaction, and unexpectedly raised his hand to brush her burning cheek softly. He was such a mystery… So very distant, until he’d suddenly do something like this.
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Her heart raced, as he took his hand back, and gazed away, as if nothing had happened. Again.
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It is a beautiful day, wouldn’t you say?
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Beautiful, indeed. But she remained silent, listening to the cicadas singing.
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You can catch up with the first installment of these characters, by reading A Muse day

35 thoughts on “The walk…”

      2. Yes I am glad he could help me too 🙂 it would have been a shame not to be able to post Kira’s amazing drawing!

        If you enjoyed the first two installments, “Evening doubts” is the third part of it 😉

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    1. Thank you Brutus, your comment made me smile. A lot of things about the relationship between these two and their secluded universe are, or at least can seem disturbing and confusing. I am glad they provoked such mixed feelings 🙂

      Nice to read you again, as always! xx

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      3. And I too, would be happy, we’re that to happen. It does feel a little unlikely right at the moment, to be honest.
        I might have to continue, instead, on my documenting the ‘life and times’ of my shadow.

        Liked by 1 person

  5. Intriguing and sensual, yet also (as Richmond Road observes) curiously unsettling, as the relationship is obviously unequal and left so open to interpretation (as does the reaction of the main character). Beautifully nuanced, and I love how you pull us into the worlds of your reveries, to create a sort of very human, cliché-free fantasy.

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    1. Thank you for the always kind words, Gorgeous! I have had this story building up for a while now, and it is interesting to put it into words… I was both excited and a tad worried to give life to such an awkward and unusual relationship. I am more than happy to see that the complexity of it translates well 🙂 Muuuuah!

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    1. Thank you Suzanne 🙂 It is so motivating to see that people like these people walking around in my head. I love them, but I am a bit biased, hehehehe. If you enjoyed this, “A Muse day” was the first instalment, and I have writen “Evening doubts” since 🙂 xx

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