******

The willow tree splashed a shadow that curled around me, strangling me. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t see clearly and didn’t know where I was or how I got in the arms of the willow tree. I felt its warmth intervene with the hairs standing at the back of my neck.  The dark horizon of the pond that rippled in front of the willow tree lay quiet, letting the commotion of life and death commence without question. My ears perked up like a wolves, whilst scraping the essence of trampled dead leaves behind me. I could hear the confrontation of something more evil or more tainted than me. I tried to turn my body to find who was tailing my moans.
“Kano…” the voice behind me whispered.
I tried to speak, but for some reason I couldn’t reply. I knew it wasn’t the shadow that caged me. Suddenly a pain hit my knee, the knee that had hit the car bonnet. With the sudden pain increasing I woke up sweating. I brushed my hair back in mere amazement, and opened the window letting the failing breeze creep into my room in hope that it would restore my sanity. It didn’t. I had always remained sane, the dream had just felt so realistic that I didn’t notice the friction between.