Day 26: Support Group XII
My thoughts are wide tonight, and I cannot sleep. I can see my world, the one we left, as an image wowen over the city we live in now. Birds have been singing to me. I have heard Crow's raw song, but also the trills of thounsands of blackbirds. I hear other things. The wind through the corn, the bleating of taxi cabs, and I feel at home with both.
Alaster and his friends have come for me. I sit next to an old man, white-bearded and quite drunk. He is a cruel man. Sorcerer and feeder ofmaggots under the earth. I can hear them too. Feeding on the dead and those without hope.
I can see Citraea's room, the place where we are going. The chairs are set out in a half-circle like usual, and people are drinking tea. This is where it will happen. Crow's shadow hangs heavy over the room, but I am not afraid like I thought I would be. Things will happen because they must.
“Michael, are you listening?”
“...no”.
Alaster sighs. He is nervous. Nervous about the old man sitting next to me. Nervous about Citraea standing in the shadow of Crow. Nervous about thedrive through the city. I see the lights from shops, the oracles standing along the road.
“I said that I saw your crow. It was in George's eye. You know, that man at the club”.
I nod, then realize that he probably can't see me, “Yes”.
“Did you know that?”
“Crow is in many places. I can't see all of them”.
I think I could though. If I wanted to. I think maybe I can see everything.
“I did not know. Crow is in many places”. Then I say the thing that is on my mind. “I think you can all get back. Home.”
Alaster turns and looks at me. “What do you mean?”
The old man speaks up. “Come now, Alaster. The boy is a true oracle. He has the voices of the gods in his head. Sees their images and their will. Asking for explanations would be impious”. He laughs. There are dark places in his laughter. Black obelisks and mouths like chasms.
“I'm not sure. I just think it will happen”.
“Here”, says the man who is driving. Haldorn. It is getting hard to keep everything in my mind. Soon there won't be enough room. Soon I will have to unfurl a pair of wings.
Alaster and his friends have come for me. I sit next to an old man, white-bearded and quite drunk. He is a cruel man. Sorcerer and feeder ofmaggots under the earth. I can hear them too. Feeding on the dead and those without hope.
I can see Citraea's room, the place where we are going. The chairs are set out in a half-circle like usual, and people are drinking tea. This is where it will happen. Crow's shadow hangs heavy over the room, but I am not afraid like I thought I would be. Things will happen because they must.
“Michael, are you listening?”
“...no”.
Alaster sighs. He is nervous. Nervous about the old man sitting next to me. Nervous about Citraea standing in the shadow of Crow. Nervous about thedrive through the city. I see the lights from shops, the oracles standing along the road.
“I said that I saw your crow. It was in George's eye. You know, that man at the club”.
I nod, then realize that he probably can't see me, “Yes”.
“Did you know that?”
“Crow is in many places. I can't see all of them”.
I think I could though. If I wanted to. I think maybe I can see everything.
“I did not know. Crow is in many places”. Then I say the thing that is on my mind. “I think you can all get back. Home.”
Alaster turns and looks at me. “What do you mean?”
The old man speaks up. “Come now, Alaster. The boy is a true oracle. He has the voices of the gods in his head. Sees their images and their will. Asking for explanations would be impious”. He laughs. There are dark places in his laughter. Black obelisks and mouths like chasms.
“I'm not sure. I just think it will happen”.
“Here”, says the man who is driving. Haldorn. It is getting hard to keep everything in my mind. Soon there won't be enough room. Soon I will have to unfurl a pair of wings.