Night moves...

As I walk into the room, I can feel his eyes follow me. It’s a little unsettling at times but I would never admit it. Not out loud. 

I pull my robe closer, tightening the belt a little. Still his eyes follow me. I move towards the door, intuitively knowing what he wants as he sits quietly, impatiently waiting. 

I think sometimes that I must believe in reincarnation. When I look at him, it’s easy to see. 

In a previous life he would have been an arrogant king, looking down his nose on all the commoners beneath him. To bestow his attention on you would be some great acknowledgement that indicated you were somehow worthy to be in his presence. I imagine I would have been a maid, much like now.

I hear the wind blow outside and imagine the chill it will carry at this time of night. There is a small sense of anticipation. As I reach the door and turn the handle, my mind drifts and  I wonder if this is how his servants felt centuries ago. I am there to do his bidding. Nothing more than a servant put here to meet his needs.

More than slightly annoyed to be called out of my warm bed in the middle of the night, I brace myself against the chill I know is coming.

I turn to see if he has followed. I am only slightly surprised to see him standing nearby, his eyes still watching me intently…waiting. 

I finish turning the handle and pull gently, careful not to make a sound so I don’t wake the others in the house. His mood seems dark like the night sky, his movements slow and deliberate. 

He stops and watches me for a moment with what I can only describe as a look of calm arrogance. I watch him closely, waiting for him to make the next move, just wanting this to be over as quickly as possible. 

Resolving myself to his mood, I turn to push the door closed knowing this dance by heart. We play this game each night. He beckons, I answer.

I glance back and his eyes lock with mine. Cool. Dark. Brooding. As I move to close the door, I see a flash of movement. Before my brain has time to register what has happened, he’s gone. Like a flash, he is through the door and without a sound he disappears into the night. Damned cat.