St. John's Episcopal Church being spooky.
Edinburgh is apparently the windiest city in the UK. This is one thing that does not agree with me. Since yesterday night, the wind has been upon us. The clouds were streaming past us on the way back from the restaurant, bright orange against a black sky. It gave me the creeps, it's like a cheap camera trick in a horror movie, but it is very convincing when it is happening for real, the sky streaming overhead, the buildings eerie and empty, the streets deserted... All that inspired me and Wondertoes to take some ghost-like photographs, and warm up our chilled tremulous hearts with the amber glow of whisky.
Turned into ghosts, me and Wondertoes hover above the sidewalk.
But today the wind continued, and stronger. As I was trying to focus on the numbers and letters on the screen, it started howling in the cracks of the windows, and rattling the blinds against the glass. I continued to ignore its showing-off outside, the throwing of plastic bags into the air, swirling them around the roofs, tangling them in trees. So it started hammering its head against the wall, blow after blow after blow. I knew I would not get away. The sky was all streams of clouds, warped, fluorescent. It got darker, people left, I had to go home. I braced myself against the wind, but it knew, and as I stepped outside it let off, and pretended to be docile. It was warm, which made it worse. I was prepared for an attack, for icy fists, and instead I got insidious fingers, crawling around my neck, gently tugging my coat, like a creepy mugger you can't shake off. It was really getting to me.
I got off the bus in the city centre, and started walking home, the wind by my side, in my face, all around me. It made me feel dizzy, lose orientation. When the gusts were stronger my bones would evaporate, and my head would turn into a balloon, and just bob between my shoulders, helplessly. I was going to be swept away, I knew it. But then it would stop, and I'd turn into lead, unable to move my body which became heavy and lazy, as if there was hot honey in my veins. It took me a month to get to my door, and my hands were shaking, and my knees were wobbly when I walked up the stairs. The wind shut the door for me, and the last creepy finger ran along my spine, which was wet and cold with sweat.
Windsweapt New Town.
The weatherman tells me the wind is going to be even worse tomorrow. I may have to call in sick.
I heart your writing. You are beautifully talented. I am glad I missed the wind, and even happier to be Wondertoes :)
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