Shifting Realities part 3
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Seiko sat in the cement room beneath her Sanctuary, watching the blood rinse away down the center drain. She had avoided coming into the structure for over a week, however she knew she could no longer hide. She wrapped the thin cotton robe around her and sat on the cold metal table, lost in thought for such a long time she could not decipher it.
Wearily, she slipped onto her feet and up the iron, spiral stairway to lift the trapdoor and tatami. Emerging, she quietly went from rice lamp to rice lamp in order to illuminate the room. Once done. She sat in the center and closed her eyes, murmuring the soft mantras until she fell again into meditation...
....
Kaatje sat at her piano, playing a familiar concerto. Seiko sat across the room, her fingers tapping out the rhythm in time. Kaatje'd offered to teach her the instrument to greater proficiency, however Seiko preferred to watch and listen. She closed her eyes, her fingers continuously tapping on the arms of the chair.
A missed note.
Seiko frowned and continued the tapping of her fingers, as if to encourage the pace of the music. The music continued on, smoothly with determined elegance.
A moan.
Seiko's eyes cracked open and she peered through her lashes.
"What's wrong, Kaatje?"
Her voice was weak, "I can't play anymore. Please...let me stop."
Seiko's eyes opened wider, the room shimmered. The most delicate of silk trembled. They trembled at Seiko's motions. Staring down at herself in growing horror, she saw thousands of gleaming silk threads extending from her body in all directions. Seiko tried to move her hands to tear at the threads but pain flooded her senses and a scream filled the room.
But the scream was not hers.
Her eyes fastened onto those of her sire, who sat in a bloodied mass. Seiko tried to see if she could just wiggle her fingers, and the tinkling of piano keys met her efforts.
"What's wrong, Seiko?"
Seiko frowned at the weak voice slipping from between Kaatje's lips, "You wanted to join the Danse. You threw yourself into the web. And now you are as trapped as we all are. You have stood upon your mountain watching the people play their parts, but now you are a pawn as well. Welcome to the Night, Daughter."
Seiko watched Kaatje, her fear slowly dissolving into the welcoming rush of hate, the familiar stranger that had never abandoned her. The Beast smiled from behind dark eyes.
Seiko braced herself, took a deep, unneeded breath and made fists of both of her hands. The wrenching sensation rocked her, her eyes widening from the sheer agony the gestures evoked even as she watched Kaate's head fall from her shoulders, bounce unto the keys for one final requiem, before becoming a fine grey powder.
....
Seiko stared up at the night's sky from the Garden. She laid her hand gently on the crushed grass beside her reading the story of events from between the blades with her fingertips. She felt the tickle of lillies at her feet. She laid back and let the summer breeze surround her bringing with it the beauty of the Night.
She looked at her hands, bereft of jewelry, dead flesh animated by will and mysterious divinity alone. She closed her eyes and remembered warmth. Remembered the deafening sound of heartbeats. Of breath and life.
Her hands fell to her sides and she looked at the indifferent heavens above. She had offended the core of herself. She dared to defy that which she had always embraced. It wanted to remind her of who she was. It wanted to show her who she could be. It was always there, waiting. Reveling in the darkest of impulses. Feeding on the deranging notions at the edges of her conciousness. Calmly and patiently spinning it's reslove into those few, choice bastions that anchored her soul to it's form.
The strings that kept her in place were fragile, nearly insubstantial. The slightest weakening could unravel the whole. To continue on her path would be to climb the most insufferable of elevations with bared feet and useless hands. Absolute discipline and concentration were her only allies.
The softest of scratches on the tatami met her ears followed by the senuous rustling of grass. Seiko's gaze could not follow the source but she knew to stay still. She trusted her instincts. She trusted herself.
The fox approached slowly, fearfully. It had never been so close to such a creature before. It knew that it was a creature unlike anything it had ever seen. This strange creature of two legs was a solitary predator. The fox knew this. But the fox also knew that this creature understood pack. Many a time this creature would provide for the fox and her den. The fox moved until she could meet Seiko's eyes. She approached with more caution yet curiousity outdid fear and the fox tasted of the creature's flesh and froze.
Seiko smiled a genuine smile, careful to keep her teeth from view.
The fox, smelling no danger, sensing no tension nudged Seiko with her nose before finally turning and padding away, content with the strange creature's scent on her nose.
Seiko could still feel the melancholy pull at her. Could feel the vague projections of ferocity at the back of her mind. But at the moment, the cooling sensation of the fox's tongue and nose steadied her. Without the Beast, she could not commune with the fox. Without the humanity within her, she could not appreciate the fox's beauty nor it's tender welcome.
There is always a balance that needs to be maintained.
The Beast would not be so fierce if the Heart were not as strong.
Balance.
Seiko stood up and ran her fingers through hair, dislodging crushed flora and leaves.
The Beast having feasted on a day of satisfactory violence, drew itself into a lazy slumber. Preparing for the next time it could take advantage of weakening sentiment.
The struggle continues.
Seiko sat in the cement room beneath her Sanctuary, watching the blood rinse away down the center drain. She had avoided coming into the structure for over a week, however she knew she could no longer hide. She wrapped the thin cotton robe around her and sat on the cold metal table, lost in thought for such a long time she could not decipher it.
Wearily, she slipped onto her feet and up the iron, spiral stairway to lift the trapdoor and tatami. Emerging, she quietly went from rice lamp to rice lamp in order to illuminate the room. Once done. She sat in the center and closed her eyes, murmuring the soft mantras until she fell again into meditation...
....
Kaatje sat at her piano, playing a familiar concerto. Seiko sat across the room, her fingers tapping out the rhythm in time. Kaatje'd offered to teach her the instrument to greater proficiency, however Seiko preferred to watch and listen. She closed her eyes, her fingers continuously tapping on the arms of the chair.
A missed note.
Seiko frowned and continued the tapping of her fingers, as if to encourage the pace of the music. The music continued on, smoothly with determined elegance.
A moan.
Seiko's eyes cracked open and she peered through her lashes.
"What's wrong, Kaatje?"
Her voice was weak, "I can't play anymore. Please...let me stop."
Seiko's eyes opened wider, the room shimmered. The most delicate of silk trembled. They trembled at Seiko's motions. Staring down at herself in growing horror, she saw thousands of gleaming silk threads extending from her body in all directions. Seiko tried to move her hands to tear at the threads but pain flooded her senses and a scream filled the room.
But the scream was not hers.
Her eyes fastened onto those of her sire, who sat in a bloodied mass. Seiko tried to see if she could just wiggle her fingers, and the tinkling of piano keys met her efforts.
"What's wrong, Seiko?"
Seiko frowned at the weak voice slipping from between Kaatje's lips, "You wanted to join the Danse. You threw yourself into the web. And now you are as trapped as we all are. You have stood upon your mountain watching the people play their parts, but now you are a pawn as well. Welcome to the Night, Daughter."
Seiko watched Kaatje, her fear slowly dissolving into the welcoming rush of hate, the familiar stranger that had never abandoned her. The Beast smiled from behind dark eyes.
Seiko braced herself, took a deep, unneeded breath and made fists of both of her hands. The wrenching sensation rocked her, her eyes widening from the sheer agony the gestures evoked even as she watched Kaate's head fall from her shoulders, bounce unto the keys for one final requiem, before becoming a fine grey powder.
....
Seiko stared up at the night's sky from the Garden. She laid her hand gently on the crushed grass beside her reading the story of events from between the blades with her fingertips. She felt the tickle of lillies at her feet. She laid back and let the summer breeze surround her bringing with it the beauty of the Night.
She looked at her hands, bereft of jewelry, dead flesh animated by will and mysterious divinity alone. She closed her eyes and remembered warmth. Remembered the deafening sound of heartbeats. Of breath and life.
Her hands fell to her sides and she looked at the indifferent heavens above. She had offended the core of herself. She dared to defy that which she had always embraced. It wanted to remind her of who she was. It wanted to show her who she could be. It was always there, waiting. Reveling in the darkest of impulses. Feeding on the deranging notions at the edges of her conciousness. Calmly and patiently spinning it's reslove into those few, choice bastions that anchored her soul to it's form.
The strings that kept her in place were fragile, nearly insubstantial. The slightest weakening could unravel the whole. To continue on her path would be to climb the most insufferable of elevations with bared feet and useless hands. Absolute discipline and concentration were her only allies.
The softest of scratches on the tatami met her ears followed by the senuous rustling of grass. Seiko's gaze could not follow the source but she knew to stay still. She trusted her instincts. She trusted herself.
The fox approached slowly, fearfully. It had never been so close to such a creature before. It knew that it was a creature unlike anything it had ever seen. This strange creature of two legs was a solitary predator. The fox knew this. But the fox also knew that this creature understood pack. Many a time this creature would provide for the fox and her den. The fox moved until she could meet Seiko's eyes. She approached with more caution yet curiousity outdid fear and the fox tasted of the creature's flesh and froze.
Seiko smiled a genuine smile, careful to keep her teeth from view.
The fox, smelling no danger, sensing no tension nudged Seiko with her nose before finally turning and padding away, content with the strange creature's scent on her nose.
Seiko could still feel the melancholy pull at her. Could feel the vague projections of ferocity at the back of her mind. But at the moment, the cooling sensation of the fox's tongue and nose steadied her. Without the Beast, she could not commune with the fox. Without the humanity within her, she could not appreciate the fox's beauty nor it's tender welcome.
There is always a balance that needs to be maintained.
The Beast would not be so fierce if the Heart were not as strong.
Balance.
Seiko stood up and ran her fingers through hair, dislodging crushed flora and leaves.
The Beast having feasted on a day of satisfactory violence, drew itself into a lazy slumber. Preparing for the next time it could take advantage of weakening sentiment.
The struggle continues.