A Moment in Time

Erica Lopez                                                                                                      Approx. 1,211 words

lopezerica311@yahoo.com

A Moment in Time

by

Erica Lopez

           “We have all the time in the world,” it said, as I barely made out the words coming out of its motionless crusty, cracked lips and dry mouth. There across the room it gazed at me. I was sitting, dizzy, my eyes so blurry I could barely open them. Here I thought I was finally safe. Only to realize that my moment had passed.

           It was the beginning of fall. The leaves were turning colors and the wind was dancing its greatest dance of all. My first year in film school had just begun, and our first project involved crafting a short film with a vintage 16mm camera. I was ready to tell my story. My story would be a love story. Not your typical human love story, but one of moments we take for granted. It would be a silent film, black and white, slapstick style of which I would capture the essence of Charlie Chaplin. It would be the story of a man and his love for kite-flying. 

Especially, the love he had to take moments from his busy life to just be one with nature. I pictured trees, grass and a nice open area in a forest where we could have enough space to fly a kite and I had the perfect location in mind.

           Like any film shoot I required help from friends. I recruited two friends to help, including the actor. We drove to a little forest preserve outside our little town. The majestic thing about this place was its big beautiful green bridge that sat above a river. As we walked around this beautiful place there was something eerie in the air. There was a smell I can only describe as smoky, iron, a bit like blood. Could it be coming from the river? Was there a factory nearby? As we made our way on to the bridge with its grandiose green steel arches we came upon bones. Bones scattered about on the bridge. Big ones, small ones, broken ones. You would think we would run back, but no we kept walking across the bridge. The smell would get more powerful as we inched closer. There on the other side of the bridge was an animal carcass. Flies and bugs devouring whatever was left of it. The lifeless animal carcass was a scene for sore eyes. We ran past it as fast as we could and although the hairs on my arms raised, we continued on until we came into a field big enough to fly a kite. Across that field were hills of all sizes with what looked like holes in them. As we went to take a closer look, we felt this place was more than just a forest preserve. I could feel the history deep in my soul, it felt heavy and haunting. I began to get dizzy, dazed and confused. My head was pounding with pain.  I had heard about witchcraft stories in the woods when I was in high school, but I never believed in them. And yet as I gazed down into those holes full of feathers, animal bones and aged fire stains I couldn’t help but think maybe they weren’t lying. Maybe, it was true, maybe witches are living among us.

           It was getting late and the last thing I wanted was to stay there in the dark. I had reserved the camera for the following day so we made plans to meet at the green bridge tomorrow early afternoon. Something inside me told me to just go to another location but I was running out of time and only had one day with the 16mm camera to film my story. My headache cleared as we neared my car, but my thoughts were racing with anxiety. Was I doing the right thing by coming back? Or was I just over thinking like I always do? I needed this done. I had no time. I chose to be the filmmaker I had always admired and take the risk. What could possibly go wrong?

           It had rained all night and I only had a couple of hours before the rain started again. My helpers were running late as usual so I decided to go and set up my tripod and camera and have everything ready to go. The faster we filmed the faster we could leave this crazy beautiful place. As I walked down the bridge, I noticed the carcass was cleared of flesh; it was now all bones. The meat, skin, fur that was just there yesterday was gone. It was odd of course but at least the smell was less profound. I kept walking to the field of hills. As I started to set up my equipment, my headache came back. Determined to get my project done, I ignored the vertigo in my head.  My head felt like exploding into tiny pieces and I was all alone. I was dazed as I realized I had forgotten the kite in the car.  I had forgotten the main protagonist of my love story. It was the object that symbolized freedom, time, breathe and space. It was the love of enjoying a small moment from our busy lives. A moment to breath in life. As I walked back to retrieve the kite, I felt you. I felt your dark shadowy presence get closer. Your presence was unlike anything I had ever felt before.  Tears fell from my eyes and the fear I had worked so hard to let go of was instilled back into my body.

           It was gone. That moment I was so striving to have, that I was so wanting to capture for everyone else, it was gone. I had run so fast my lungs ached. The woods were muddy and dark. The rain started up again and I felt the rush of adrenaline rushing through my veins as I crushed puddles of water beneath my feet. The cracking noise of branches breaking was all I heard. My wet hair like tentacles swayed back and forth entangling my face, as to keep me hidden from you.

           You came from the trees. You leaped like an animal free and alive roaming his home. Your pace was not human, but you looked like me. Your skin cut and bloody. Scars layered your body. Your teeth so sharp you could bite right through bone. You ran with conviction, with knowledge, with hunger. I saw the light. I saw my escape. I would not let myself drown in your hands. But what I didn’t realize is that I had run into your safe space, your dungeon of all things evil. Your cage.

           Those walls would witness a sinister act, my agony to escape, my tears of desperation and they would witness my untimely end. My body in your domain, you would satisfy your hunger that night and feel your full power glow. My time in this universe was up and I would soon become a smoky bloody smell, a carcass on the ground, and bones clean of flesh. It would all be a fading moment in time like a man flying a kite on a windy soulless day.  

The End