The face looked back at him, a stranger’s face.

Eyes once strong and sincere, bold and blue.

Eyes that looked deep into you, not at you.

Eyes that once left you engaged, eager, expectant.

Eyes that made you want to know more, to reach out.

Those eyes, had become washed out and grey. Where was the sparkle, where was that singular smile that shone from inside.

The lines crawling from the corners of his eyes, trailing back away from his face. He wondered, were these the lines of laughter, or furrows of fear. From where had they come.

And how had he not seen until now.

He shuddered a little, as he recalled a time when those eyes were scrunched up, when fingers and fists had been screwed into them, the skin dry and hurting and still he rubbed and rubbed.

And it wouldn’t go away.

And still, deep inside those eyes, he saw a flicker, a not quite faded flame, fighting back.

The pupils dilated, blue growing stronger.

What was this.

He saw, inside, there was still light, flecks of grey swirled and shifted and blue blossomed once more.

The lines, those lines he once feared, those lines were friends.

They spoke of shared smiles, lessons learned, fears faced down.

Lines of life.

So, on reflection, as he looked in the mirror, and turned off the light, he decided, it had all been

a

character building experience.

(for wordpress writing 101 – day six)