Under the barrow, how fresh is fresh? A diary of an occult resolution assistant.
The corridor reduced in size and my head brushing the ceiling caused loose soil to fall in a shower onto the compacted earth floor but more annoyingly down the back of my neck; but it didn't last long and the walls opened up to a wider and taller passage that led into rooms that started to be furnished by old but well made tables, floors covered by worn but very serviceable carpets and upon the walls hung oil paintings in ornate frames, all of which grew in stature and quality as I neared the end of the passage and to a well made but heavily worn burgundy red door.
Well, I've come this far and there are no other ways to go so forward is the only option. I was still cautious and it took a second to build courage to open the door; in this time I could hear the wretched creatures voice conversing with another but this other had a richer more bodied voice.
After confirming with myself there really was no other solution, exit, path or escape route I held my clenched fist up to the door so my knuckles could knock the door but hell, why advertise my arrival and after all I am really pissed off.
The door slammed into a table inside the room casting the objects that rested upon it into the wall. I was pleased to see the creature jump physically into the air at the disturbance and, like a cat, swiftly hide behind a large wooden chair that it was stood by. The chair was not empty and housed the body that generated the other voice. It belonged to a blond haired man, full breaded and not yet middle aged. Blue eyes looked out over gold rimmed circles that were smaller than practical and gave the impression his nose had mouse ears. This person did not look at all disturbed by my hasty entrance and I was now stuck by nerves in the doorway. Shit, what do I do now?
I walked into the room, head held high and making full eye contact with the man who seemed to be highly amused by my actions. I manoeuvred around a chair opposite his and sat down. There was a hard object now stuck into my leg causing discomfort and the start of a numb bum but I ignored the sensation as I didn't want to go fidgeting around my arse in front of this pair of complete tossers who imprisoned me, gave me cruelly untrue family related dreams caused by who knows what hallucinogenic drugs or blackmagics and left me and my cell mate to our fates at the hand of that midget thing. I held the blonde's stare for a long period of time, I was thinking through possibilities of how to proceed but as I did I started to feel that my normal actions would soon lead to disappointment on my part. Then I thought about what I wanted, freedom being the top of my list and how I really wanted to see Xanthic one more time; it's impossible to love him, being in his company and seeing how he interacts with those close to him soon tells you that even plutonic love between Demons and man isn't possible for long - although a long history of demons, man-demons, demon-men, cross breeds and people that carry the blood of Demons clearly state that some kind of love had happened or at least another four letter L word either consensual between all parties of not, had occurred. The only thing that confirms the Demon blood in any body - to me anyway - is the music that it creates as it flows. From where the music comes from I do not know and if I get out of here I will do a great deal to find out and.......well seeing Xanthic again will help me greatly with this; I also missed his arrogant charm, but I would never tell him that.
"Ah, the strong silent type, and here was I believing you would crumble first." Said the man shifting in his seat so he could lean across the gap between us; I was deeply thankful there was a good six foot separating up.
"I thought we had conducted our business and the deal had been made."
"What deal?" I spat the question out before I could fully think it though and the man sat back looking more in command.
"I will say I am surprised about your strength little girl, no one in over two hundred years has woken up from their dreams here and even then it was a very powerful Mage who was as emaciated as he was emancipated." He laughed at what I assumed was a joke.
"But you took from me so I took my price and that is that. Fisher, my sword please."
The creature came out from behind the chair rubbing its clawed hands together and swaggering now it had power behind it once more.
"Yes Master." It said and skipped off on its errand.
"What is that thing?" I asked, I thought of keeping this Master talking, there maybe something I can use to help, after all I doubt I would be much good at defending myself from the size and strength of this man who sat opposite me and I couldn't trust my.......whatever it is protecting me from stopping a sword swing.
"Its a gnome; pitiful little things and completely unable to interact with others without trying to eat them or reproduce with them, but they have their uses once domesticated. I believe you humans worship them and erect statues of them in your gardens. No accounting for taste I guess. Do take some wine its vintage and worth it."
A glass filled with an interestingly deep shaded red wine was in my hand and I was about to take a sip to quench my dry throat but something screamed at me from within it and I was also so mad with this man and scared for my life that my stomach tied in a knot at the thought of digesting anything. I put the glass down on the table between us - when did that get there?
"Ah, you are not thirsty, maybe the first drink was enough."
Memories flooded over my eyes, my arrival here in this room after a fall through a door that wasn't there and the greeting by the gnome, only he was well dresses with red rosy cheeks and a disarming smile, he even had a pointed red hat.
The meeting with the Master who invited me to sit and was interested in my story of how I got there.
The package, wrapped in thin cloth put on the table and terms of a deal spoken and agreed - one thing from him for one thing from me.
My Clara, who took my hand and walked me home to where Mathew my loving husband was putting logs onto the open fire and embraced me.
The birth of my grand children and their childhood..................
...........I snapped out of it, it was hard but I knew it was not real and I didn't want to go back to the happiness because it hurt so much to give it up and be in the real world.
The Master looked perplexed, he was weaving some kind of spell over me and I had to concentrate not to fall under it. The wine glass had been replaced by my memory box which was open and the letters were fanned out over hanging the lip. I hated them being out in the open in his company and reached forward to push them back in and gently close the lid. I stopped, hand hovering in the air a slim distance away from the yellowing paper.
"No." One small word but spoken largely. I did not touch the offered dream and pulled my hand away. The Master was furious and stood erect from his chair in a second.
"You do not turn away my offers little girl, you do not go back on a deal. You are mine, freely given after you freely took. I am Master here and all things are mine here. Take the box, its as real as anything in my domain and it will make you happy for all the breaths you have left which is the best offer you are ever going to be made. You took the wine offered when you came and that is the deal you made; one thing from me and one thing from you and I took you; you are mine!" His eyes and face turned red with the effort of producing his words as loud as they grew. "And I will keep you. No one can take from here that is pure and if there is a devil inside you you cannot enter the gates to my realm. How dare you be here, your presence is an affront to me and you disgust me child."
"I am no man's thing." I screamed, it was all I could do. "And I will never be. I do not know or care of what you offer or deal, I am here to get something for my employer and I will get it if its the last thing I do and I dare you to kill me here or anywhere because if you were going to you should have done it while I dreamed because you sure as hell won't get a chance while I am awake." The ground shook, soil fell from the high ceiling and the ornaments around the chamber rattled, one picture fell from its housing on the wall beside me.
"I am Valentine, I am a Witch and I have power and I will use it to curse you and your 'Here' with everything I have. I do not care for you either but I have come for one thing and I will take that thing; then I will leave and you and your gnome can go back to whatever evils you decide to do with yourselves."
A wind had generated within that chamber and my hair was whipping around, I had pins and needles travelling from my heart down my arms and legs, static building up within my body and I could feel it wanting to fly out of me and demonstrate my anger in a fist punch at this wicked man.
The gnome appeared beside his Master with a sword as large as I and as broad as my arm. The Master lifted it effortlessly and held it in two hands pointing to the ceiling at head height so I could just make out one red eye either side of the thick, heavy but more importantly sharp blade.
"You dare to challenge the Master of this house?" He bellowed. "You come here into my everything, take of my hospitality and then you beat my servant, break my possessions; the wine glass and picture frame were smashed upon the floor, and you defy my will in my chamber?"
The sword was swung slowly to his side in a stance I knew he could, if wished and in a second, bring it back around in a stroke that would cleave me in two.
"Hastings. Bring me the box." The Master called and I saw the pitiful man, still chained but able to move slowly and painfully drag himself up the corridor and into the room holding a wrapped box. He tripped unable to lift his own weight and his package tumbled out of his grasp and rolled along the floor. It looked small, like a present given to a child or a book carefully wrapped, but it also looked large enough to carry within it any number of wonders as if it were the size of a house but rolling end over end in the distance.
"What have you done you fool!" Demanded the Master and he moved the sword to cover the man who I now knew was called Hastings. "I will punish you terminally when this is over." The slight movement of the sword in the Master's hands demonstrated his intentions to all within the room. Hastings whimpered and tried to back away but the chains fastened to him had anchored themselves into the ground and he was unable to do more than bend into a crawl. He could vocalise no sounds but he was pleading for his life with his eyes.
"Take it." The Master said looking at the box on the floor. "You Master will be expecting you. TAKE IT!"
"And then what? Will I go free or be forced into a dream again?" I asked trying to sound braver than I felt.
"I make you this one deal. And I make it you you here for one time and never again. Take one thing from me and leave unmolested from my realm, but you must never return here again. NEVER, under any circumstances or your life and futures will be forfeit." He said. The gnome giggled a safe distance away from us.
"I can have one thing and then leave. I have your word on it?" I stated, trying to be as careful with my words as I could so no misunderstanding could be made - I have read genie books before, I knew how a simple wish if left undefined could turn to tragedy.
"Yes girl, choose one thing from me and go."
It was a simple choice, made within a heartbeat and as I touched my one thing the Master swept the sword across the room and it cut the very air in two. I was back in the world above, standing by the mound in a beautiful morning sunrise. Birds were singing tunes of wonder and beginnings in the air and I looked down at my prize, the thing I had dared all to bring back.
"Thank you," Said Hastings. "Thank you for freeing me."
Well, I've come this far and there are no other ways to go so forward is the only option. I was still cautious and it took a second to build courage to open the door; in this time I could hear the wretched creatures voice conversing with another but this other had a richer more bodied voice.
After confirming with myself there really was no other solution, exit, path or escape route I held my clenched fist up to the door so my knuckles could knock the door but hell, why advertise my arrival and after all I am really pissed off.
The door slammed into a table inside the room casting the objects that rested upon it into the wall. I was pleased to see the creature jump physically into the air at the disturbance and, like a cat, swiftly hide behind a large wooden chair that it was stood by. The chair was not empty and housed the body that generated the other voice. It belonged to a blond haired man, full breaded and not yet middle aged. Blue eyes looked out over gold rimmed circles that were smaller than practical and gave the impression his nose had mouse ears. This person did not look at all disturbed by my hasty entrance and I was now stuck by nerves in the doorway. Shit, what do I do now?
I walked into the room, head held high and making full eye contact with the man who seemed to be highly amused by my actions. I manoeuvred around a chair opposite his and sat down. There was a hard object now stuck into my leg causing discomfort and the start of a numb bum but I ignored the sensation as I didn't want to go fidgeting around my arse in front of this pair of complete tossers who imprisoned me, gave me cruelly untrue family related dreams caused by who knows what hallucinogenic drugs or blackmagics and left me and my cell mate to our fates at the hand of that midget thing. I held the blonde's stare for a long period of time, I was thinking through possibilities of how to proceed but as I did I started to feel that my normal actions would soon lead to disappointment on my part. Then I thought about what I wanted, freedom being the top of my list and how I really wanted to see Xanthic one more time; it's impossible to love him, being in his company and seeing how he interacts with those close to him soon tells you that even plutonic love between Demons and man isn't possible for long - although a long history of demons, man-demons, demon-men, cross breeds and people that carry the blood of Demons clearly state that some kind of love had happened or at least another four letter L word either consensual between all parties of not, had occurred. The only thing that confirms the Demon blood in any body - to me anyway - is the music that it creates as it flows. From where the music comes from I do not know and if I get out of here I will do a great deal to find out and.......well seeing Xanthic again will help me greatly with this; I also missed his arrogant charm, but I would never tell him that.
"Ah, the strong silent type, and here was I believing you would crumble first." Said the man shifting in his seat so he could lean across the gap between us; I was deeply thankful there was a good six foot separating up.
"I thought we had conducted our business and the deal had been made."
"What deal?" I spat the question out before I could fully think it though and the man sat back looking more in command.
"I will say I am surprised about your strength little girl, no one in over two hundred years has woken up from their dreams here and even then it was a very powerful Mage who was as emaciated as he was emancipated." He laughed at what I assumed was a joke.
"But you took from me so I took my price and that is that. Fisher, my sword please."
The creature came out from behind the chair rubbing its clawed hands together and swaggering now it had power behind it once more.
"Yes Master." It said and skipped off on its errand.
"What is that thing?" I asked, I thought of keeping this Master talking, there maybe something I can use to help, after all I doubt I would be much good at defending myself from the size and strength of this man who sat opposite me and I couldn't trust my.......whatever it is protecting me from stopping a sword swing.
"Its a gnome; pitiful little things and completely unable to interact with others without trying to eat them or reproduce with them, but they have their uses once domesticated. I believe you humans worship them and erect statues of them in your gardens. No accounting for taste I guess. Do take some wine its vintage and worth it."
A glass filled with an interestingly deep shaded red wine was in my hand and I was about to take a sip to quench my dry throat but something screamed at me from within it and I was also so mad with this man and scared for my life that my stomach tied in a knot at the thought of digesting anything. I put the glass down on the table between us - when did that get there?
"Ah, you are not thirsty, maybe the first drink was enough."
Memories flooded over my eyes, my arrival here in this room after a fall through a door that wasn't there and the greeting by the gnome, only he was well dresses with red rosy cheeks and a disarming smile, he even had a pointed red hat.
The meeting with the Master who invited me to sit and was interested in my story of how I got there.
The package, wrapped in thin cloth put on the table and terms of a deal spoken and agreed - one thing from him for one thing from me.
My Clara, who took my hand and walked me home to where Mathew my loving husband was putting logs onto the open fire and embraced me.
The birth of my grand children and their childhood..................
...........I snapped out of it, it was hard but I knew it was not real and I didn't want to go back to the happiness because it hurt so much to give it up and be in the real world.
The Master looked perplexed, he was weaving some kind of spell over me and I had to concentrate not to fall under it. The wine glass had been replaced by my memory box which was open and the letters were fanned out over hanging the lip. I hated them being out in the open in his company and reached forward to push them back in and gently close the lid. I stopped, hand hovering in the air a slim distance away from the yellowing paper.
"No." One small word but spoken largely. I did not touch the offered dream and pulled my hand away. The Master was furious and stood erect from his chair in a second.
"You do not turn away my offers little girl, you do not go back on a deal. You are mine, freely given after you freely took. I am Master here and all things are mine here. Take the box, its as real as anything in my domain and it will make you happy for all the breaths you have left which is the best offer you are ever going to be made. You took the wine offered when you came and that is the deal you made; one thing from me and one thing from you and I took you; you are mine!" His eyes and face turned red with the effort of producing his words as loud as they grew. "And I will keep you. No one can take from here that is pure and if there is a devil inside you you cannot enter the gates to my realm. How dare you be here, your presence is an affront to me and you disgust me child."
"I am no man's thing." I screamed, it was all I could do. "And I will never be. I do not know or care of what you offer or deal, I am here to get something for my employer and I will get it if its the last thing I do and I dare you to kill me here or anywhere because if you were going to you should have done it while I dreamed because you sure as hell won't get a chance while I am awake." The ground shook, soil fell from the high ceiling and the ornaments around the chamber rattled, one picture fell from its housing on the wall beside me.
"I am Valentine, I am a Witch and I have power and I will use it to curse you and your 'Here' with everything I have. I do not care for you either but I have come for one thing and I will take that thing; then I will leave and you and your gnome can go back to whatever evils you decide to do with yourselves."
A wind had generated within that chamber and my hair was whipping around, I had pins and needles travelling from my heart down my arms and legs, static building up within my body and I could feel it wanting to fly out of me and demonstrate my anger in a fist punch at this wicked man.
The gnome appeared beside his Master with a sword as large as I and as broad as my arm. The Master lifted it effortlessly and held it in two hands pointing to the ceiling at head height so I could just make out one red eye either side of the thick, heavy but more importantly sharp blade.
"You dare to challenge the Master of this house?" He bellowed. "You come here into my everything, take of my hospitality and then you beat my servant, break my possessions; the wine glass and picture frame were smashed upon the floor, and you defy my will in my chamber?"
The sword was swung slowly to his side in a stance I knew he could, if wished and in a second, bring it back around in a stroke that would cleave me in two.
"Hastings. Bring me the box." The Master called and I saw the pitiful man, still chained but able to move slowly and painfully drag himself up the corridor and into the room holding a wrapped box. He tripped unable to lift his own weight and his package tumbled out of his grasp and rolled along the floor. It looked small, like a present given to a child or a book carefully wrapped, but it also looked large enough to carry within it any number of wonders as if it were the size of a house but rolling end over end in the distance.
"What have you done you fool!" Demanded the Master and he moved the sword to cover the man who I now knew was called Hastings. "I will punish you terminally when this is over." The slight movement of the sword in the Master's hands demonstrated his intentions to all within the room. Hastings whimpered and tried to back away but the chains fastened to him had anchored themselves into the ground and he was unable to do more than bend into a crawl. He could vocalise no sounds but he was pleading for his life with his eyes.
"Take it." The Master said looking at the box on the floor. "You Master will be expecting you. TAKE IT!"
"And then what? Will I go free or be forced into a dream again?" I asked trying to sound braver than I felt.
"I make you this one deal. And I make it you you here for one time and never again. Take one thing from me and leave unmolested from my realm, but you must never return here again. NEVER, under any circumstances or your life and futures will be forfeit." He said. The gnome giggled a safe distance away from us.
"I can have one thing and then leave. I have your word on it?" I stated, trying to be as careful with my words as I could so no misunderstanding could be made - I have read genie books before, I knew how a simple wish if left undefined could turn to tragedy.
"Yes girl, choose one thing from me and go."
It was a simple choice, made within a heartbeat and as I touched my one thing the Master swept the sword across the room and it cut the very air in two. I was back in the world above, standing by the mound in a beautiful morning sunrise. Birds were singing tunes of wonder and beginnings in the air and I looked down at my prize, the thing I had dared all to bring back.
"Thank you," Said Hastings. "Thank you for freeing me."
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