Dandelion

Cinderella boy

You've lost your shoe 

Cinderella boy 

Your coach awaits 

A sun makes shadows 

All over your face 

As you sit 

Naked and blue 

Into me 

-- “Blue” by R.E.M. featuring Patti Smith

Lunar incantations dissolve into the concrete sidewalk. His fragile words bloom in the cold air, vaporous dandelions carried off into the December night. The winged seeds tangle into her long dark hair, seeking fertile ground to penetrate its roots through her scalp. The truth is, the weeds have already burrowed into her core, strangling everything else that once vied for her attention. He has consumed her, a brain parasite altering her behavior and accelerating her demise. There is no conscious thought in her head as she leans into him, brushing her lips against the dewy frost of his cheek. The electricity is immediate. She jolts, a heated flush prickling her skin, and meets his gaze with a stillborn breath. They are two storm-battered ships, drawn towards each other by the promise of refuge, a beacon of rosy light in the tumultuous darkness. She closes her eyes as the negative space disappears. With a fiery crackle, they melt into one.