Spiritonth

Spiritonth

1870

I am possessed by devils, ceaseless vampires that torture my soul until I satisfy their hunger. The devil has me at the tip of a cup and I am a party within minutes. Just one turns in to two that turns in to ten that turns to blackness then questions then regret. Slowly and surely the mind begins to clear but the devil within and its temptations are always near. 1 Corinthians 10:21 Ye cannot drink from the cup of the lord and the cup of devils” Tonight I drink from the cup of the devil within me, that stirs from its ill slumber at this late hour and wants its medicine.

This night our dark negotiation begins.

One week ago, I received a parcel from a colleague of the university who has been working on residency overseas, a rare obsidian spirit bowl.

The bowl came with a note that simply said, “look within”.

I set the bowl at an alter I had crudely assembled inside the vanity cabinet of my room. It consisted of a mirror, several candles, an embroidered cloth and a bell hanging above the bowl, which was placed at the centre. I poured water into the bowl ceremoniously wiping my hands on the embroidered cloth. Nervous, I sit and wait for the water to be still. I stared deeply into water listening to the sound of my own breathing. The water suddenly rippled, and the bell above my alter gave out a single chime.

I spoke out loud staring into the dark water of the bowl.

“Speak oh, spirit”

A faint voice, far off, like a whisper, somewhere inside, replied,

“Can you see me?”

“No”, I could not see anyone,

I heard the voice again. “What do you see?”

I replied, “I see nothing”

The voice whispered, “Look deeper”

Looking deep into the bowl I spoke aloud what I saw.

“I, see, I see fire on water. I see rivers of light. I see a vast ocean of stars. I see, I see a thousand eyes staring back at me through the darkness. I see nothing”.

A cacophony of whispers swarmed my mind, when the bell above my alter chimed again. Awaking from my bizarre trance I looked around my room for any person or apparition, all the while feeling as if I were transported by unseen magics and no time has passed. Drying my hands, I was startled by the haunting hoot of an owl just outside my window. Opening the curtains only lightly, I peered out. I looked down to the street, there were no people, when the owl called again. Looking ahead across the street, atop a lamppost was the owl, with one red eye. You send the darkness, and it becomes night, when all the forest animals prowl about, Psalm 104:20. I felt mesmerized by this unique creature of the night, and just when I felt the owl was staring right back at me, with purpose, it flew up into the sky. As it flitted off into the night my gaze followed it and I saw the sky was pitch black. No wind, no clouds, no moon, no stars. Nothing. Visions of another world? Or some vulgar fantasy. A suggestion that has ages. I sat back at my alter and looked to the bowl once more.

“Oh, spirit, I pray speak to me again, your way is infectious to time. Give me the power to see beyond dreams”.

The spirit did quickly speak, “I see you”

I did desperately reply, “Sweet spirit, a tricky deep spell with delusion have I”

An unexpected, warm sense of comfort came over me as the spirit gently uttered, “My darling teacher, approach me, I am here wearing my jewellery”

“Where are you?” I asked

It replied, “beyond, join us”.

“How?” I asked

It was then I heard it again, the call of the owl from outside my window. I walked over to the window and quickly opened it, and there sat upon the lamppost, again was the owl. I stared down at the street with fear in my heart that my vital judgment had come as the words the voice had spoken echoed around my mind with infinite horizons.

“Join us”

I became dizzy, feint and a giddy mood took me as I laughed and decried to the owl, “Come in! come, we shall become friends you and I, or shall come out and join you in the sky?”.

Crazy, yes? Crazy people aren’t ill, they just don’t care. Do you know the difference between insanity and madness? The insane are poor helpless creatures that have no idea that they are quite insane, whereas the mad have absolutely no idea how to ride a unicorn.

“Oh, the delirium of dreams” I screamed.

Just as my hysteria reached it’s peak, as I was clambering out of the window, the owl flew passed me knocking back through the window into my room where I landed on my back, knocking the wind clear out of me. I rolled around on the floor gasping for air as the owl flailed and flapped, thrashing around my room. My breath once more returning me somewhat to my senses, I looked around my room and saw I was alone. I sat back at my alter and splashed my face with the waters of the bowl, It was then the bell chimed again for the last time. I looked into the mirror and saw nothing but rising behind me the figure of a man, with one red eye. A shadow looming closer, fangs bearing blood. It uttered it’s words again.

“Join us”

Not everyone is the hero of their own story .