Night’s call

I awake to a calling.

A wordless sound that echoes within me. I lay on my bed with shafts of light streaming through the blinds. Stretching out a hand and reaching for my phone, which sits on my side table, I check the time – 3:30am. These are the Silent Hours, when the world slumbers.

Sitting up, I rub the sleep and tension from my eyes; I feel strange, out of equilibrium. A sensation of vulnerability flows through me. The calling continues. It seems as if someone or something is physically tugging at my mind.

Grabbing a dagger from my glass cabinet, the dragon-pommel one with a ruby set in its eye socket (coloured glass of course), I leave my room and wander through the house. The blade feels reassuring in my hand. I had bought it years ago, from a gypsy lady at one of those Mardi Gras that was prevalent at the time. Stalking through the house I discover nothing out of place; I am alone.

With a wavering resolve I decide to go outside and investigate further.

The spring air is chill upon my skin and the clouded sky looks down at me angrily. The stray cat, that has somehow made itself at home in my yard, stalks towards me. She stops before me and waits expectantly. I reach out and scratch behind her ear; she purrs approvingly. I guess she is not a stray anymore. Unexpectedly she turns and hisses…I sense the unease as well.

The chronic calling intensifies.

We move to the back of the house in the direction of the pool. The shifting waters reflecting blackness. It takes me the space of three heartbeats to discern what is imprecise about what I am seeing – the pool should be empty. Advancing to the fringe, where water meets paving, I peer into the liquid. Behind me, the cat growls fiercely. Seeing a great expanse of nothing; I chastise myself for my delusions and decide to go back to bed.

A broken voice halts my steps.

“Do not…want…return…life…embraace!” Bewitched by these words, I find myself standing at the lip of the pool rocking on the balls of my feet. “Light…drink…fall…hunger…sou-” I tilt forward and fall! The water rises to welcome me. Misery bubbles within my body as I pass through the wetness.

Enclosed by an abyss.

Something materializes in front of me - the source of the calling. In the deepness, I can only see a visage as all else is forged of darkness. The “face” or lack thereof, has a leathery covering over its eyes and nose. It is devoid of ears and hair; only a circular mouth is present. Suddenly I feel an intense pressure on the sides of my head, as if powerful hands are holding me in place. I do not see anything in my peripheral vision though. The head inches closer.

A breath away from me now; it parts its lips and I comprehend a vantablackness that is somehow darker than my surroundings. I am paralysed, either from fear or some supernatural force I do not know. My body begins to go cold as a stream of silver essence escapes my mouth and is sucked into the creatures.

Through numb senses I realize that my life is being leached away. Bleakness spreads across my body; the thing continues its feast. My vision is becoming hazy now and I experience an unexpected warmth originating in my hand. It’s the dagger! A subtle light is being emitted by the metal and the ruby eye is glowing softly. With a burst of energy, I arch the blade and sever my invisible bonds. The head backs away slightly and I regain some life. Fuelled by despair, I stab out violently, puncturing the beast five times in quick succession.

There is no blood! There is nothing.

The remnants of the creature have melted and fused with the darkness. Drifting, curled up in a fetal position with the shining knife floating within my reach. My focus is on the eye of the dragon; watching and waiting for something to happen (something that I know will happen). Time passes; how long, I do not know…I maintain my vigil. My observance pays off when the eye blinks three times.

I grab the hilt and brandished the weapon. Instinctively I slash two vertical lines and one horizontal line in the space before me. A distorted opening materialises along the path that I have cut. I inhale and move through it. 

I am lying on the grass, looking up at an overcast sky, empty pool silent next to me. My body is soaked with water and the night does not seem so sombre as before. My cat walks up to me and proceeds to lick my cheek. Tilting my head, I notice that a rectangular portion of the air above me does not quite fit. I estimate that this “window” it is the correct size for someone to pass through.

The dragon-blade pulses upon my hand. 

~

Noir óneiro