Persistence of vision. He could see her there behind his eyes – even with his eyes shut. Like a phantom, rendered even more terrible by the frightening reality of her presence.
He could not escape her. It wasn’t manly, he knew it. He was caught! She knew. It might be better if she yelled, or screamed, or attacked. Anything was better than the flat, disappointed, slightly mocking stare leveled at him. No one moved. The three people in the room seemed to be holding their collective breath. They were locked there in that moment as if frozen in time by some evil jinn.
He broke the spell.
“I’m sorry…”
He had chosen the wrong magic words. Her face contorted as if possessed. She said nothing – he was beneath contempt, beyond redemption. The light went out of her eyes, the last embers of uncontrollable rage and hurt burned away. She turned left, taking his light with her.
