Creeping Fingers

At a quick glimpse nothing seems strange or out of the ordinary. In fact, it appears as though it should. There is more than meets the eye, however.

If one focuses long enough, the slow yet steady movement can be seen and witnessed as it gradually inches into the mysterious and embracing abyss, commonly known as the sky. If enough time has passed and the eyes of the beholder remain true to its endeavor, the field of view grows increasingly cluttered, strangled, and dark.

Afraid to blink and scared to miss what's to come, the eyes remain open and focused, or have they? The absence of light and color causes one to question the difference between reality and imagination. The overwhelming and suffocating darkness begets fear and uncertainty. The heart's pulse slowly increases and sweat begins to emerge onto the skin's surface as its temperature increases and climbs. The breaks in breathing gradually disappear to make up for the increase in oxygen consumption. Anxiety consumes.

As the beads of sweat increase in size, so does gravity's impact on their spherical existence. Trails of moisture mark their path as they travel down the forehead. Their journey is short lived as the density of one's eyebrow acts as a stop. Eventually, however, not even the collection of hairs in the eyebrow are capable of putting a stop to the determination of the cascading sweat. In a fraction of a second, this collection of water and salt lands on the eye in a nerve racking burst.

The eyelids blink suddenly in a desperate attempt to protect their delicate contents. They open just as quickly as they closed. It is at this moment one realizes the darkness is no more. Colors, lines, and shapes have returned as well as the ability to differentiate them. A few blinks follow this realization to solidify the assumptions. The assumptions are now deemed as facts and reality.

As one comes to terms with the realizations, it becomes clear that the dead tree branches are too enjoying the sunny afternoon. With a simple press of the shutter release, the moment is preserved in the form of a photograph. With a smile across the lips and the camera at the side, one continues down the marked path to finalize the planned journey on foot...