(no subject)
I was frightened, I admit that. Nearly as scared as I was when we did the spell to get my memory back. More frightened, in some ways, because here it wasn’t my life on the line - it was Triffy’s.
Poor, sweet Triffy. I remembered her in the early days. How quiet she had been, how withdrawn, mourning the loss of her friend. She had begun to open up a little, even going out clubbing with Violet, but then that monster took her and stole her mind. I guess I felt for her particularly because of what had happened to me with Glory. Both of us were nearly destroyed by strong, mad women.
I, of course, was then saved by a strong, brave woman, but I couldn’t think about Willow and concentrate on the task at hand. Willow wasn’t here, and she might never be here again. I just had to hope that we all had enough magic to compensate.
I was a little comforted because Ieuan and Ethan would be there. They certainly knew their way around spells, and more importantly, the strength their love gave them made them formidable. But thinking of that made me sad again. Willow had stopped needing me to help her do magic a long time ago.
We had spent some time over the last few days preparing. Although our combined experience in magic was excellent, none of us had performed quite this kind of spell before, and we wanted to be thoroughly prepared. David had put Ieuan in charge of administering the group, and he did so with steely determination. Ieuan isn’t the kind of man to do things by halves, and he made us all work hard.
On the appointed day we met a little while before noon. In many spells, the incantation must begin at precisely midnight; this spell was a little different, as it was intended to shed light into dark places. So we would perform it at the brightest time of day. Accordingly, the library had been stripped of its curtains and much of its furniture, leaving a bright open space into which the winter sunlight could stream. I could feel my stomach churning, and Ethan gave me a sympathetic look that made me feel - momentarily at least - lighter.
Just before midday Triffy was brought into the room. She was quiet and blank-faced, as I had given her a herbal cordial an hour before. I didn’t like sedating her, but it was important that she stayed still during the ritual, and that her mind remained as tranquil as possible. We would link our mind with hers during the spell, and any violent brain activity could harm us.
We - Sean, Ethan, Ieuan and I - formed a circle around Triffy, or as much of a circle as four could make. I wished Violet were here, but I knew that her brief relationship with one of Triffy’s tormentors had created a tie that could prove damaging in this situation. Still, I would have been glad to have her here, although on the other hand at the moment I did find her presence a little… unsettling due to our kiss. So maybe it was for the best after all.
My thoughts were all over the place, and I knew I had to become still. At exactly noon we began, settling our minds, making ourselves calm. There was no chanting, only soft breathing as we tried to become attuned. It was easy for Ieuan and Ethan, as their minds naturally work together, but it was a little harder to get us all into the same rhythm. As we did this, Triffy lay still in the centre of the circle, eyes staring blindly. I felt a twinge of sympathy but had to quell it. No emotions, no thoughts. Just be.
Just be.
Just be.
Just be.
I can hardly describe what happened. It was like the deepest, most intense form of meditation; the world fell away and everything was white. I was aware of the four of us, linked, but between us lay a mass of darkness, tangling itself over a light. It was Triffy’s mind, tortured and diseased. We needed to infuse it with our strength, and we fell upon it.
I was lost for a long time. I had not realised just how deeply rooted Triffy’s madness was, how sick her mind. Her thoughts had become gnarled vines, choking what was left of her. I was nearly smothered by them. I think we all were, to a greater or lesser extent. But then we found each other again, and somehow…
There was light.
I can explain it no better than that; my mind and body is exhausted now. But there was a great brightness and then the room came rushing back, and I looked into the pale faces of my fellow spell casters and saw the same exhaustion upon them.
In the centre, Triffy lay still. So still I feared we had killed her, her eyes like glass.
But then she blinked, and after a little while began to cry. But it was a different kind of crying to her mad tears of before.
I think Lynn came and took her away after that. I felt too exhausted to question. Indeed, I didn’t even make it out of the room, instead curling up on a sofa that had been pushed to the far end, and there I fell asleep. And have now awoken in the early evening to find that someone has placed a blanket over me.
((Open))
Poor, sweet Triffy. I remembered her in the early days. How quiet she had been, how withdrawn, mourning the loss of her friend. She had begun to open up a little, even going out clubbing with Violet, but then that monster took her and stole her mind. I guess I felt for her particularly because of what had happened to me with Glory. Both of us were nearly destroyed by strong, mad women.
I, of course, was then saved by a strong, brave woman, but I couldn’t think about Willow and concentrate on the task at hand. Willow wasn’t here, and she might never be here again. I just had to hope that we all had enough magic to compensate.
I was a little comforted because Ieuan and Ethan would be there. They certainly knew their way around spells, and more importantly, the strength their love gave them made them formidable. But thinking of that made me sad again. Willow had stopped needing me to help her do magic a long time ago.
We had spent some time over the last few days preparing. Although our combined experience in magic was excellent, none of us had performed quite this kind of spell before, and we wanted to be thoroughly prepared. David had put Ieuan in charge of administering the group, and he did so with steely determination. Ieuan isn’t the kind of man to do things by halves, and he made us all work hard.
On the appointed day we met a little while before noon. In many spells, the incantation must begin at precisely midnight; this spell was a little different, as it was intended to shed light into dark places. So we would perform it at the brightest time of day. Accordingly, the library had been stripped of its curtains and much of its furniture, leaving a bright open space into which the winter sunlight could stream. I could feel my stomach churning, and Ethan gave me a sympathetic look that made me feel - momentarily at least - lighter.
Just before midday Triffy was brought into the room. She was quiet and blank-faced, as I had given her a herbal cordial an hour before. I didn’t like sedating her, but it was important that she stayed still during the ritual, and that her mind remained as tranquil as possible. We would link our mind with hers during the spell, and any violent brain activity could harm us.
We - Sean, Ethan, Ieuan and I - formed a circle around Triffy, or as much of a circle as four could make. I wished Violet were here, but I knew that her brief relationship with one of Triffy’s tormentors had created a tie that could prove damaging in this situation. Still, I would have been glad to have her here, although on the other hand at the moment I did find her presence a little… unsettling due to our kiss. So maybe it was for the best after all.
My thoughts were all over the place, and I knew I had to become still. At exactly noon we began, settling our minds, making ourselves calm. There was no chanting, only soft breathing as we tried to become attuned. It was easy for Ieuan and Ethan, as their minds naturally work together, but it was a little harder to get us all into the same rhythm. As we did this, Triffy lay still in the centre of the circle, eyes staring blindly. I felt a twinge of sympathy but had to quell it. No emotions, no thoughts. Just be.
Just be.
Just be.
Just be.
I can hardly describe what happened. It was like the deepest, most intense form of meditation; the world fell away and everything was white. I was aware of the four of us, linked, but between us lay a mass of darkness, tangling itself over a light. It was Triffy’s mind, tortured and diseased. We needed to infuse it with our strength, and we fell upon it.
I was lost for a long time. I had not realised just how deeply rooted Triffy’s madness was, how sick her mind. Her thoughts had become gnarled vines, choking what was left of her. I was nearly smothered by them. I think we all were, to a greater or lesser extent. But then we found each other again, and somehow…
There was light.
I can explain it no better than that; my mind and body is exhausted now. But there was a great brightness and then the room came rushing back, and I looked into the pale faces of my fellow spell casters and saw the same exhaustion upon them.
In the centre, Triffy lay still. So still I feared we had killed her, her eyes like glass.
But then she blinked, and after a little while began to cry. But it was a different kind of crying to her mad tears of before.
I think Lynn came and took her away after that. I felt too exhausted to question. Indeed, I didn’t even make it out of the room, instead curling up on a sofa that had been pushed to the far end, and there I fell asleep. And have now awoken in the early evening to find that someone has placed a blanket over me.
((Open))