Hiding from the Moon's Lake

I am only afraid of the dark because of you. You always change your size and the way you look. Even your smile is a sham. The stars are faraway suns. I want the Sun. I do not want you. The Sun is warm and very hot. You are always cold and full of holes. You are like perpetual acne. I refuse to look at you. At least I can easily avoid you when the Sun is shining. But I know that you are still there, waiting like a COVID patient, like death incarnate.

I know that many if not most humans love you. Why? Is it because they were taught to? Do they find anything appealing about your countenance? You are a dead satellite orbiting Earth unable to escape given Earth’s stronger gravity. Yes, you help with the ebbs and tides, perhaps the only worthwhile reason for Earth keeping you close by, like a dog that will not stop following its master. But it is surely not love. It is mere habit and submission to the stronger one. Earth is the alpha. You are only the Moon.

We even went to visit you to collect rocks and dust. We did not find any cheese; not even the holes that mean some bacteria are at play. I do not hate you if that is the impression you perceive. I simply dislike everything about you. I actually pity you. You are not a planet and surely not a star. Some humans are even thinking of settling on you to mine you for gold and whatnot. I am sure they will find iron at your core; cold like the steel they will use to perforate you further. You will finally have some life on your surface and under your skin all the way to your belly.

Perhaps you are hiding some ancient civilization or the remnants of lost aliens who crashed on you and died alone and cold. You reek of despair however you look. I close the curtains to avoid your cold light. I doubt that Earth even likes you, probably considering you a nuisance more than anything else. But who am I? you may be wondering. I am M, which also stands for moonlight.

Yet this story is not about the Moon but its lake here on Earth. Those ebbs and tides, which the Moon is so fond of and that Earth appreciates at the right time, do not affect each body of water in the same degree per its size and or location. The Moon's lake, or Lake Moon, though the first label is more appropriate, never ebbs or tides, yet is full of life, but only plants, with the occasional birds that fly nearby but never over it, perhaps avoiding the Moon's perpetual gaze.

I erred. I lied. I miswrote. I was afraid. There was one other living creature in the Moon's lake; the biggest creature that has ever lived, as far as we know, in the entire Universe, perhaps even beyond it if there is such a possibility. I am scared just writing about it. I could be struck dead. Literarily, of course! I am just the narrator. M is taking a break. He is occupied with his Anthi. What a lucky dog! I mean cat. He dislikes dogs because of their barks and subservient attitude. Cats are independent and take care of their own excrements. Two pluses over dogs. A man's best friend. Give me a break! Men have no friends. There are exceptions, of course, like for most so-called truths.

I should stop here. I cannot go on. It is dangerous, I think. I like Anthi; you know; M's wife. They even got married on Medium last month, or was it on Vocal. I can always ask on Quora. They were married in Athens by none other than Goddess Athena. The wedding lasted over 25 hours, literally. I digressed. It is M's fault. He always goes on a tangent. It is as if he wants to get away from the story for some time. I do not blame him in this one. I am already crazy and insane to have written this far. The story so far will not do for the contest. It is still missing some fogginess. I have to think.

...

What are you writing, Narrator? Did you lose your Self?

I am sorry, M.

But I cannot stop now, unless I do not publish it. I cannot. There are a few readers I want to impress, literarily. One is even called Anthi like my Anthi, or is it the other way around. The story must go on, with some music or a song.

There is nothing like some Greek music to put, at least me, in a good mood. My disposition has actually been grand since I met Anthi. I feel like a changed man. I am in many ways; even Patrick agrees. You must be confused if you have not read all the previous related stories. Life is always unfair if we do not accept everything at the same face value.

The lake was dark like the eyes of a shark, but there is no shark. It looked like the image that we have grown accustomed to of a black hole; only this one was rather small and visible during the day. It does not look promising for any creature that wishes to remain unknown or even unknowable. In a way, the creature was bigger than the lake, but it could adapt to any size. It was a space-shifter. It is a little like my Anthi when she looks at me straight in the eyes. I usually shrink in my mind and expand in my chest. It is not easy. Love is heavy, but luckily it walks on two lovely legs.

I wonder if you can guess the identity of the creature living within the Moon's lake. I will give you a hint. It is not Lucifer. This creature also has many names but is mostly recognized by one, and it is not Robbie, the dog. It is God. Yes! God lives in a lake, or on it if you prefer. Both! God is connected to the Moon. It must have been and still is one of His/Her homes. The lake is the place where God connects to Earth. To us, I suppose, in mysterious ways.

The lake must be some sort of divine antenna, absorbing everything under the Sun, I mean on Earth, and storing it in molecules of water. The Moon's lake must be a water computer using quantum processing, playing God with each H₂ and O atom. Is God playing with His/Her Self. I remember playing chess with myself and always winning. But then I played with my Self and lost. I was happy to finally lose. Winning all the time does not mean anything if losing is not a possible outcome. But does this notion apply to everything? Apparently not to God, unless the following song holds some truth.

CDB (Chris de Burgh) is such a kidder; CBD too but in a good way. I can imagine at least one of you wondering: "Where is the horror?" Are you kidding too? Is God living in the Moon's lake not sufficiently horrific for you? Should have I also mentioned His/Her entourage? I am scared stiff and an atheist at the same time, though I believe in my Anthi, both literarily and literally. I should stop here but not before adding one last piece of data; I mean a datum.

Do not reveal it, M! It is dangerous.

I will do as you say, my Anthi. You will always be right, my Anthoula. But there is one thing I will never change my mind about.

What, my M?

The sky has to be blue, and even at night when I close my eyes.