The wind and water fall still.
Everyone’s heads begin throbbing.
They can hear only the quiet.
This small collective
of families has gathered for a church picnic at the reservoir.
A high laugh comes from one of the fathers, a stocky man grilling meat.
When his laugh becomes a choke, the rest throw desperate looks.
Thoughts of a
demon or a divine visitor arise in them, but the silence is neither.
Can you guess what has caused this beating in their brains?
Perhaps you’ve felt it before.
