Jealousy has been rearing its vicious head for the first time, unmasked. A hideous smile so wide and deeply sunk, the rest of its face disappeared behind it. Only the piercing, malevolent eyes stand firmly above, so to penetrate my gaze. He sees me and I see him. A rigged staring contest in which the conqueror is already set takes place. To my great demise, it is not me. I am vanquished. Stranded in its potent glare, I feel disarmed, naked, exposed. 

In the shadows, Time elapses in unmeasured ways. Like a partial adjudicator, it does nothing to mediate but instigate the feud instead, enjoying the sombre spectacle I became. As it moves the weighty hands of its clocks, the tick-tock becomes unsteady. I wait, eager for the end. Time passes by, stops in its stride, and softly melts into a Dali pocket watch. The clicking once matching the beat of the day fades away. Becoming a thing of the past. Maybe. The then and now blends into one, lost without the surveillance of Time. 

The end of this interlude breaks the illusion of a momentary distraction. In the blink of an eye, here it is again all mighty, looking fixedly at me, Jealousy. It tilts its head, eyes never leaving my sight, bearing witness to my plight. I blink once. I see before me the same sorry debacle, only clearer. I blink twice. Eyes closed but I can see the gloating smile turning into a peal of hysterical laughter. Eyes open, here it is. Again. That unwavering stare blazes so brightly it bores a hole in my soul, soaking up the juices of my defeated body. Wait. The corners of its lips start flickering. The once lambent smile ripens into a smirk, revealing, at last, the rest of a less deformed face. The mask drops. My weakened eyes are in disbelief. Awakened from an enchantment. I blink once, twice, and again.  The spectre that defied me with such a force and vigour was not Jealousy, it was me.