Night of the Aurora
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Little Sarah sat at the street corner huddled all together in her black cotton dress with dirty lace trimmings, She rocked slowly back and forth and shivering from the cold, her bare feet teetering on the wet sidewalk. Her breath passing thinly through cracked lips as the streetlight cast pale rays that carried no warmth.
Unexpectedly, she heard footsteps striking sharply on the ice-crusted cobblestone, coming ever closer and finally halting a foot away from her. She looked up at a tall man with shadowed eyes and an emaciated face. His hat slung low over his brow. A maroon scarf swathed his neck above his long black cloak that seemed to flap and billow even though the air was still. From its depths, he extracted a pocket watch and popped it open. Satisfied with what he saw, he replaced it and removed his scarf wrapping it tightly around little Sarah. She blinked with bewilderment but smiled ever so slightly in gratitude. The stranger then stooped over, took out a chunk of bread from his pocked and waved it temptingly in front of her. Her hesitation was momentary and pinched it out of his hand with nearly frozen fingers. Little Sarah opened her mouth wide and welcomed the crusty morsel of food.
He then offered his hand which she took immediately and he pulled her to her feet. He brushed her unkept hair away from her face and held it gently in his hands. "You shan't feel any hunger nor cold nor pain from this moment on. Come with me." he said with a raspy voice in low undertones. Little Sarah couldn't do anything but to nod in acceptance. So he gathered her at his side and with a great leap, soared into the night sky. His cloak whipped around like wings propelling them higher and higer, away from the citylights and into the abyss of space.
In the early morning just as the sun's was beginning to caress the frozen pines, the town's minister clattered down the street chuckling merrily with his assistant. As he came round the corner, he stopped in mid-step and sighed. His brows furrowed as he told to his assistant "Call the hospital to bring around the ambulance would you Harold? And tell them the siren won't be necessary". As he stepped closer he whispered, "Peaceful Christmas, little girl."
And a happy Christmas to you all.
Morbidity Exposed
10:49 PM
