𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐍𝑰𝑺𝑻

“Forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive those who have trespassed against us.

Give us this day our daily bread,

Daily bread, daily bread...

In cello et in terra fiat voluntas tua.

Gloria Spiritui Sancto.

What language do you speak?

If you speak at all...”

These words whispered eerily from Tené’s out-of-service, old-world cellular device, as though a binding spell for what was to come. It was an old song, which were few and far between nowadays. Just as most cellular devices were a thing of the past. That was unless one had the means to come by one. Not Tené, while hers still worked all the same, as a sort of burner device, should she need it ever. Today, though, Tené’s blood boiled. She was not the type to be out for it, so to speak, but amends would be made.

If she had been under any kind of spell prior to this moment, she certainly was not by the end of the day. If anything, the song playing was the opposite of that, serving as breaker of another’s curse against her; so it was. And so all this would set her on a path to unravel the web of secrets that intended to keep her entrapped as though a mere spider.

The following is Tenébris’ account of what happened between—redacted: re: timeframes unknown. But still, let it be known, through her lens...

•••

I found out at about 6:46 PM. Time is a funny thing. It means nothing if nothing is happening out of the ordinary, and everything, when something breaks you out of your day-to-day routine. Even if you don't have one, like me, that in which is still one, more or less.

I found out at 6:46 on a Tuesday evening—but everything that followed became mashed together for the rest of the week. I went more insane than I had ever known, so, in turn, questioned if my sanity could be trusted at all. If what I was seeing was true at all. The one thing we can count on: our eyes. Or can we? Our minds. Can we? Our instincts? I had to.

I guess we should fast forward. I began my day with Shakira playing on my otherwise useless and broken, old touch screen device. Mine was intact still, no cracks, while most people had upgraded to holographic devices when that was still an everyday luxury. Now, only the top 1% of the 1% had useable, perhaps even high-quality versions of those. And, of course, those that you might call rebels. Those part of a movement, or rather, “activism” in this day and age, and that was a dangerous thing. Done in hiding.

Which cause were any of them fighting for, was the question. That is the only significance in my bringing this up and my choice of song to begin my day as I would set out do what I always did: race against my own time, whatever was left of it. Finding jobs and money was almost obsolete as well. You had to be smart and creative, only just, and I had about enough of both to survive.

That's not important, really, for now. After all, someone was watching me. All this time? I could not know for certain; searching for these answers could end me up dead or worse. What I did know was that I was no believer in a god or otherwise. However, someone said once ago, as I recall—and I'll paraphrase here—that no one believes in God until they've got a gun pointed at their head. Call it a gun or a camera lens, so call me cornered. What do you do with this kind of information? What can you do? Join them, ignore them—are they trying to conjoin?

My song of the day I’d use as a chant to get me through. To hear the words play over and over was some kind of magic. Some effect it had on those I came in contact with and myself, after all. I'd replay it throughout the day if I had enough juice to do so. I am a peculiar and very particular kind of person, so, as I said before, everyday was a race against time. I would let my device die down, as the sun did, and hoped it would not die entirely.

Now, I did say I would speed up to later that evening—was it October 10th or 11th? I couldn't be too sure. Was I blocking something out? Well, it was just a typical day, so I thought. I had done my deeds to make ends meet; eaten my meals; actually had time to spare for fitness... Now, pause.

Someone was watching me. It was too obvious, and there I was, in a sort of vulnerable state: working out, sweating. A blue light blinked from my computer screen. Yes, those we still had. Very outdated. The fold-up kind for me, a laptop, as it was called. I had never seen this kind of blue light blink from my laptop. Wouldn't it be red? And how, if the lens was covered?

So I looked at it closer. It was not covered any longer. No electrical black tape over the lens now. That had been there since it was given to me by a relative now gone. When was the last time I checked it? Definitely the last time I used it, a few days ago, it was there. I know it. It had blinked more than once, too. No, I was not a hacker, but I knew a thing or two, and I had friends. Take that back—I had a friend. This friend I had never met, but I needed to meet them now.

With the information I did know about this sort of thing, somebody fucked up... Or they wanted their presence to be known, for me to know I was being watched by them. But why? Who am I? What did I possibly do to get noticed? I lived a quiet, pretty much normal life for these times. Everyone was hustling for a dime, and none of mine were considered a crime, as far as I knew.

Of course, there were dangerous people and organizations out there—who did watch us, and that was known. At the very least, suspected. Perhaps an antiquated thing when governments had more power and money to do whatever they so pleased. Not all of them had made it to the 1% at this point in time. Not all of them were survivors, alas, without their towers and high horses. So what happened with all of that data—maybe if you are reading this in the past, perhaps the future, depending on the year—when the wrong hands got ahold of it? How much would it cost someone for such a thing like our livelihood, or likeness? Something like it. To watch one live their life, though? Some sick compulsion... And how many would ever even know it?

Maybe you don't care. Well, I do. It was all I had, it seemed. Privacy and my damn life, to live it in peace, however I could. When you find something out like this, you go mad. The fearful kind. The kind that has you sick and shaking and crying and angry, and finally, when the dust settles after a few days of disassociation and holing up inside, the pit in your stomach wanes a bit. But it's there now, perhaps forever. You've got to pull yourself out of it; accept the reality of things, pretend you never saw it; continue on with life... Knowing someone is watching you? No, I had to know why.

A dangerous game. It would not end well for both parties, or maybe it would. For one only? I was not stupid, though. I was going to have to go about this a tricky way, and for as long as I could, quietly. And then pretend to go about life normally. All devices now appeared as the enemy. If they were watching through one screen, why not all of them? And if you're wondering, yes, I put some tape back on the lens. Did that matter, though?

Technology was much more advanced than that—I was sure there were other ways. And what had set the nail in the coffin for me was seeing a bright white flash that came from inside my apartment. It was behind me. I could not see from where, but it was just days after the blue ones. This was alarming, to see it from my peripheral. Coincidences? I think not. And then another white flash, just days later in the same room as the first. What kind of game was this? They were dangling it in my face. Fine. I’ll play. Let them think so anyway.

•••

It was a Thursday, over a week later. Song: ‘Private Eyes.’ I was meeting up with my friend, the hacker. Details were none, really, to keep things conspicuous. But if what I was dealing with were also hackers, then they knew already to some degree. It didn't matter that I kept it hush-hush. They knew in my changed behaviors, tiptoeing around my own self in my own space, supposedly all alone. They were watching.

My friend, the hacker, knew that I would never reach out for help unless absolutely dire. So my friend agreed to meet up with me, and this meant taking a train. We had to meet in public, somewhere kind of quiet, kind of not. A back corner of a busy outdoor-ish café. Food was cheap these days. Who thought that would ever be the case? Still, it was a luxury. Meaning, few ate out. But as the old world was, and remained, you had to pay for a seat at the table, so we ate.

Those details aren't so important—just what was found out. So I could not sleep for days and days, but on the eve of finding out about C.V.N., the group of people watching, or rather, cyber stalking me, I slept a little better. And as each day came closer to unraveling the truth, I slept more peacefully. Sort of. Perhaps it was that my hacker friend, who will not be named, was staying near me. Better they weren't necessarily in my vicinity. Although, if C.V.N. knew, then they knew. It was not outright apparent just how advanced or not this group was.

What my friend could say was that that they were not exactly here to hunt or even hurt me. We believed they had sought me, seeking something greater than. Something not of this world or even this time. Who was I to give them this? Questions I had to back-burner. And their strange org name that, naturally, we referred to as “the Coven,” was just that. Evil or good, however, was the question left hanging in the air, and what my friend intended on finding out.

•••

My friend had their friends, as the web works. See, though, therein lies the issue, because who could be trusted when dealing with people on something like the same side? I did not know why my friend agreed to help me, other than that they knew something more than they were leading on. The look in their eyes when I explained everything and showed them what I could as “proof” said as much, though this friend of mine was not so generous with words. Their strengths were, as we know, through keyboards and codes.

And they seemed to be working up a storm as we spoke that first day. Nervous energy to cancel one another out with the noisy bustle of life surrounding. My friend told me that they would be cooped up for a few days wherever they were staying, but that if I needed them, to reach out. It was easier for them to say the word, so I was asked to hang tight and follow along with life as normal. That was the hardest part.

When I heard back from my friend, finally, it was when I least expected it. I was riding my bike to begin my tasks for the day, which seemed like so, so many days later. Song: ‘Angel.’ These tasks are technically what once would be considered work, though not really that at all. And so, I almost knocked myself off the bike as I was turning a corner, when a person in dark clothes and a black baseball cap said my name in the monotone yet echo-y way they did.

“T.” That was what my friend called me. I called them A, by the way, as they signed messages with.

A stopped the bike before I could fall. “Thanks. You could warn me before you do that.”

“Where would be the fun in that?” An actual glimmer of lightheartedness, gone in a flash, as they kept their gaze both on me but also not with their eyes largely covered by the cap shading half their face.

“Right,” was all I could say, as I stepped off my bike, standing next to it, hand clutching the seat to hold it up.

“Walk with me,” A said, as they began slowly walking ahead. I said nothing, just began strolling my bike along to catch up to them.

“Don’t let me stop you,” they said, not really looking back at me.

So I hopped back on my bike, caught up, and pedaled slowly alongside A. “What’ve you got?”

“A lot. Movement. T, there is at least one person who is attempting to make contact with you...or more.”

“Which is it, one or more?” I was confused taking the information in.

“One or more, but definitely one.” There was no humor behind this answer, but it was just that. Absurd.

“Okay, when will they contact me—how?”

“That is the question. They feel like they already have contacted you... The flashes and other things you showed me. But they want to do better than that. However...”

There was silence, which I had to fill in due to my anticipation. “‘However,’ what?”

“However, someone is stopping them. This is what I mean by one or more...parties. And it is very hard to know whether one or more is a threat when they all seem to operate as one. One... There is one that favors your wellbeing, T. I do not know about the others. Third parties...” A was lost in thought. They walked calmly, hands crossed behind their back.

“Huh? Where are you getting this information?” I had to know.

“You know what I do, T. Finding out this information was not without cost.”

“What do you mean? I didn’t pay you. I didn’t ask—”

A gave a very quiet and short laugh, one of exhaust being released. “You don’t have to pay anything, T. There are two options here. I already know which one you will choose because we know one another too well, despite having only met for the first time days ago. I will give them both to you, though.

“We can forget about this. You can, but I never will. As your friend, I’ll make sure no harm comes your way. We all have our jobs, T. This is one of mine. I feel like this new path is leading you to yours, no matter the pain it has caused. So you can go on and try to forget it, but fate is fate; paths will always cross at some point, as you know.” A weighed on this, or let me for a moment.

“And the other option?” I finally said after minutes of hot, smoky wind beating my bare arms. The only body part uncovered in today’s odd weather.

“Yes. The option most ‘you’ of all. To do something about it. As a protector of the shadow world, the one where people hide behind screens and prey on the naïve—forgive me, I don’t take you for that, but your spirit is wild like that of a child, while your mind an ancient, rusted cage to protect it in moments—but that can sometimes be your enemy. You know that...”

“A, why are you telling me all this? What is my second option?”

“Let me finish. While those in the shadows prey on the innocent, not necessarily daft, I come in and do my job. This is not without risk; and your risk was in the ask, in reaching out at all. I admire your courage. I feel we are connected for that reason, though we are so different. T, I will seek these people out. Absolutely, behind the thin veil of the web, but it is thin, and it must be lifted. If you choose option two, harm may come, though not to you if it is up to me. And there are others involved now. I have my friends too. If you choose this option, you may not hear from me but for the usual ways we once communicated, and for certain, you may never see me again.”

I stopped pedaling my bike on that last sentence. A said it so matter-of-fact and so removed, like, they had made up their mind. They were okay with it. “A, why would you say that?”

A stopped with me, even looked at me. I barely caught a glimpse of their shadowed face, and now the sun was hiding, so it was even more blurry than before. I dropped both feet to the ground, still seated on the bike, hands gripping the handlebars, turning them white. A faced their body toward me now.

They spoke, and I could not complain, as this was the most they ever had between the time we first met up and now. “What is your choice, T?”

I disregarded that they could not answer me. It was rhetorical, I knew. “I choose the one you knew I would. Option two. I don’t want you to get hurt, though. Is there not another way?”

“No,” they said instantly. No emotion to it, just truth. “It doesn’t mean I will get hurt. I am certain I won’t, but I am even more certain you won’t. It’s okay. We have today. I am grateful for your friendship and to see each other in person. I will let our friends know you’ve given the go.” A stood there, looking almost lifeless, though not defeated.

How could someone gives themselves over so easily for someone else? Again, why me? A’s stance was that of a seasoned warrior, one who knew this was the battle of all them, at least in their lifetime. There had to be more to it, as I said earlier. More that they were not willing to share with me, apparently for my protection. This was bigger than me, then. I had to accept that and the consequences of my decisions. But I could not go on without finding out the ‘why’ either.

Not after all this life, thinking it was all a simulation, all the while suspicion was there in the back of my mind. Someone was watching me, perhaps us all. For me, I could not leave this someone unattended any longer. Reveal yourselves, I thought. Why the game of cat and mouse? Wolf and sheep. Only I was not mouse nor sheep in this situation. See, when you turn the tables, that is what happens. When you go chasing something, it chases you back.

“So, now what?” I asked A.

“Now, the work begins. My things are packed and ready to go. I have another train to catch. I will see you on the other side, Tenébris. You will hear from me, at least once more. You may hear from others, too. Keep close. Keep watch. Keep on the path you are, my friend. You are braver than most. That means something.”

I let my eyes well up with tears. The other side? I couldn’t bring myself to ask what A meant by that. But I wanted to reach out to hug or even touch their hand. I knew they wouldn’t be so fond of that. “What about me? I do everything the same? Go on like nothing?”

“T, you’re already not doing anything the same. You go on the way you know how. And you’ll know what to do when the moment comes. You will hear from me, trust. Trust yourself, first and foremost.”

I could only repeat what A said to me back. “I will hear from you. Trust.”

A put on a crooked line for a grin, longer than a second this time, maybe twenty, and then it vanished. They put their hand out to shake, or so I thought.

The hand was faced downward, thumb tucked in, pressed against palm. I put mine atop theirs, but quickly sensed that I should put it underneath. In our eyes, the message was received—to do as A did, mirror their movements but in reverse. I saw the color of their eyes this time, but what would that matter now? It was between me and A.

As soon as I did, something fell into my hand ever so lightly. My senses betrayed me in the moment due to the vulnerability and secrecy of it all, so I moved quickly and thought not. I gripped it between my own thumb and palm, as we brushed ours, never to do so again, before A dropped their hand. I curled mine into a small fist, carefully, putting both hands in each pant pocket coolly.

I looked down, and by the time I looked up, A was gone. The gloom had gone with them, so the dusty wind in conjunction with the hot sun were one again. And here I was standing still with two feet on the ground, in between my bike, and my next move was to put those feet back on their respective pedals and keep going.

Keep going.

Life.

•••

I spent days going about life as normal as one could after one single ripple, caught in the air by chance or sheer will, would change the course of everything. How do you go on as normal? I mean, life happens, regardless of what is happening in the shadows. Still, I went on as a zombie, to be quite frank. I was mimicking these everyday movements, trying to will myself into being human, or just the one I was before. Moreover, I spent days ignoring the little thing in a pocket of my pants that stayed splayed out on a chair very strategically, so the item would not slip out.

I stared at the pants, and looked a fool doing it, so not for too long. They’re watching you. And then curiosity got the best of me, so I could no longer be mysterious, as my friend was being, simultaneously. No contact since they left me that day, practically disappeared. I knew they were getting on a train, but to where, and could they not let me know they had made it safely? Anyhow, I could not just grab the thing out of the pocket so casually either, all things considered.

I put the pants on my body and got dressed to go out on a weekend, which was out of the ordinary for me. Weekdays I was out working. Weekends I was indoors, recharging, as one might say. Well, life was already different now, A suggested. I had already chosen my path, so I must follow it, wherever it would lead. The truth is, I knew the ending. We all do. It’s the in-between that is unknown and frightful. Beginnings and endings are about the same.

Song: ‘Spitting Off the Edge of the World.’ I went to the café again. I bought a drink for a seat. Something sweet to make up for my salted wound. I sat in the same place A and I had. I took a few sips of my drink, felt in my pocket for the thing. Fingered it a bit before setting it on the table gently. It was a round sort of compact, very tiny. It was metallic gray, not really silver. I stared at it. I knew it was meant to be open, but what would be inside of it?

Just do it, I thought. So I picked it up and opened it where the clasp was. Just as I suspected, it was a compact with two mirrors inside. One glued to each, but that was all. Now, this one was smaller than most I had seen. Bigger than a dollar coin, but not by much. I inspected it, feeling a bit letdown. A mirror, for what? Two mirrors, to what, see myself through? I did not need that. Was this a riddle about reflection? Seemed so unlike A to do. But that was all it was.

I was pretty annoyed, to be honest. I didn’t even finish my drink at the café. I picked it up and took it to go. I had walked there this time, wanting to also do things differently than usual. So I was pissed about that, too. Should have brought my bike. A storm was about to hit. You could see it. I tried walking as fast I could to get back home or somewhere warm. I wanted home, though. But suddenly, I did not want to go back there, to my place. How could that be home with someone watching? Are they watching now?

I felt paranoid, a blizzard of thoughts overtook me, so, of course, I crashed into another person, not paying any mind to much else. They said, “Watch it!”

I looked at them as though the enemy. Is it you? Is it me?

They were not mean, though, just being cautious, unlike me. They almost turned back around, but instead, reached out onto the cement underneath us. “You dropped something. Oh, no... I think it’s broken.”

The mirror! Now it mattered, after all was said and done. I reached for it, taking it from their hand a bit aggressively. “Sorry,” I said. “Uh, thanks—sorry.”

“All good. Might want to get to wherever you’re headed. About to rain,” the person said kindly.

“Yeah,” was all I replied.

As they turned away, I examined the mirror, which was now broken in two. “Damn,” I said to myself.

But when I looked even closer, I saw something white peeking out from it. A paper folded up. I pulled it out from behind one mirror. There was no time for stealth now. I unfolded it impatiently, looking up at the sky, hoping the rain would not come just yet. It was maybe half a page of paper. The writing was typed out, a double-sided message at that.

T: If you’re reading this, our ending has come. We will not see one another, but we both knew that. My ending will come, then. This thing could not be open so easily, I made sure. Only something like fate would will it to. I wonder how much time has passed between then and now... I wonder A lot of things. Who are you now? Where are you? We always have the other side.

This also means you will have new information awaiting you, from me, your friend. You’ll know what to do. First things first: They cannot be trusted but one, unless one is all them, then read the first four words again. They will come for you, unless you come for them, which your choice and mine have already set in motion. You are on the right path. A “coven” all the same when two or more come together. You are not alone, T. There are others watching out for you, as I did. I set that in motion. See you.

And that was it. That was all. How could that be? I didn’t even remember how much time had passed. Days, yes, but days make up weeks, months, years... I knew it could not be months or years, for certain. Could I? Question everything, even yourself. The double mirrors, one shattered. A.

I wanted to run back home, but I knew that whatever information was awaiting me would turn everything, truly, on its head. The rain came now. I felt it on my hands, watched it bleed the computer ink, turning the paper into a gray color. I let it fade. I let the paper slip from my hand. I turned the compact over a few times. I pulled the intact mirror out, and on the other side of it was no less than a spider stamped onto it. So tiny. Black. I almost gasped but opted for a wicked, quiet laugh instead.

I dropped the compact and mirror at once, stomping on it to shatter both mirrors and the whole damn thing, killing the spider. Tables were turned, as you recall. I was no longer the spider. I was the web. The paper lay there still. I turned my head, as I noticed something strange about it now. I crouched down to see. The rain was pouring, soaking me up, but I didn’t care too much about that.

I took a closer look at the writing. Only some words remained. I picked it up, still crouched. Six words on one side, seven on the other. Then the words vanished, leaving only letters:

M e et m e A t

m i d n i g h T.

I must have been losing my mind. I crumpled up the paper into a ball in my hand. I put it in my pocket, the other one this time. What kind of witchcraft was this? Whose game was it? A's? I realized one thing: the letters M, A and T were all capitalized. Who is M?

I pushed play on my cellular device, a new chant, for them this time:

“Holy water

Cannot help you now...”

•••

Track 7: