Word-High July: Takipsilim

 

“How long has it been Abel?” Said Lamont, swirling a red Merlot in his large glass, his dark, black eyes almost hypnotised by it’s motions. His skin was pale in the fading light, and the cool evening breeze flicked the tattered, moth-eaten curtains up against his slender body.

“You’ve been asleep precisely three months, Master Lamont” Abel replied, himself a young man with far better complexion. He wore a thin pair of opticals on the bridge of his nose, and kept his dirty blonde hair in a small ponytail. His Master didn’t reply, instead preferring to simply swirl his drink.

“You know why I like this time of day, Abel?” said Lamont, taking a small sip of wine and looking out the window. Abel knew full well, his master told him every time, but instead he remained silent and let him speak; he’d had his three month’s piece and quiet to work on his machines.

“I like it because I can still see the glimmers of sunlight,” Master Lamont mused, looking across the towns horizon. “It’s safe for me to sit here, as the Sun has fully left the sky, but it leaves a visual echo in it’s wake that I can still appreciate. For a moment, I feel quite normal, almost – dare I say it – human. There’s a peacefulness here, where the cattle’s day is over and the wolves’ night has yet to begin. Does that make sense?”

“It does, Master Lamont” Abel nodded. He may have heard the description before, but at least the wording changed each time. He checked his pocket watch thoughtfully “Will you go out this evening?”

His Master sat and considered it for a second, his sharp finger nails rapping on the side of the glass; the tune was known only to him.

“Perhaps later” he said finally, after giving it much thought. “For now I’d like to enjoy the dusk in peace. If you don’t mind, young Abel, would you leave me to my musings?”

“As you wish Master” Said Abel, brushing his waistcoat off as he stood up. “I’ll be in the workshop if you need me” Lamont smiled halfheartedly and looked out to the window. There was no denying he was hungry, that three months hibernation had rekindled his thirst, but whilst he’d slept he’d missed the calm of the early evening, the velvet clouds coating a cooling sky.

As he drank the dregs of his wine the final rays of sunlight dissolved into the rest of the sky. Almost without noticing it, darkness had fell, and soon the moonlight was the only thing shining through Lamonts’ open window. He cricked his neck and sighed. Right, he thought, to work.

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This is entry #12 for the WordHigh July Challenge of 30 Beautiful Filipino Words! Twilight is now a word synonymous with the Stephanie Meyer series. So I thought, rather than actively trying to avoid that, why write my own? Similar to my post for Muni-muni, I decided to revisit some old characters of a series I was once writing.