Come Up

I'm coughing my throat hoarse.

There's a thick, stinging sickness

In my nasal cavities.

My stomach boils in grumpy discomfort.

I've been lying on my bed for hours,

Steeping in sweaty blankets.

My face is runny with snot, tears, and drool.

Delirious, I roll over and sob,

Begging heaven for relief.

That's when I hear it. 

My window creaks open,

And an icy chill creeps into the room.

Come, then.

Frightened, I prop myself up on my elbows,

Eyes wide. 

I don't know why I'm surprised.

Of course it was just the wind.

He smiles at me, and it almost looks

Flirtatious. 

His hair is wild and tousled.

His eyes are pale.

Well? he says, and his breath smells like

Autumn. Come away. Come fly, love.

My thoughts feel sluggish and soupy

And my voice sounds that way, too. 

"I'm afraid." 

He cocks his head to the side, smiling,

And arches a brow. 

The young always are. I won't hurt you.

I can be gentle. 

He reaches out his hand, 

And cups the flesh of my forearm. 

I gasp, and try to pull away. 

"It hurts... oh, it hurts... you- you said you wouldn't." 

He looks sad, but his gaze is steady. 

It will pass. 

"No. No. Oh, it hurts." 

As I cry, he grabs my other arm and

Pulls me up. 

He places me in his lap, and wraps an arm

Around my shoulders.

His touch is wispy and light,

But the frostbite in his fingertips 

Is white-hot on my skin. 

"Please, stop." 

My heart is wriggling in my ribcage.

Teardrops sting the backs of my eyes. 

He doesn't seem to hear.

Silent, he takes the palm of his hand,

And presses it over my chest.

I want to scream, and maybe I do,

But I can't get free. 

The pain is blinding, and it causes

Absolute panic in my head.

I feel the burning chemicals

Knocking around in my skull. 

Somehow, the pain begins to fade

To dullness. 

When all that's left is a simmering ache,

The wind rocks me in his arms

And croons over me.

The tip of his nose brushes my wet cheek.

He does this for hours,

Sometimes singing to me. 

I almost fall asleep,

But then I look past him,

And see puffs of clouds slipping by overhead

Shadowed in starlight.

"It's..." I wipe my nose and sniffle,

Letting out a shaky sigh. 

"It's beautiful." 

The warm curve of his dimpled smile

Is soft,

And it's only then that I notice

I can breathe,

And the illness has been burned away. 

He sets me back on my bed, and

Stands in the windowsill .

Come fly, then, love. 

A trickle of fear runs down my spine. 

"But-"

You have done all you will do here.

He leans down.

No more.

He brushes my hair back, and presses

His forehead to mine. 

Come up. Come home. 

His eyes search mine, and he wipes

The tears from my face. 

This time, when he reaches out his hand,

I take it...

We fly.