dearestboscuit

[dearestboscuit]

Swimming in Decayed Depths

Word Count: 1765 "Some waters are more diluted than others. Some are as opaque as an innocent soul. Either way, both can be consumed." - Lavelle Pallas.

Whenever I awoke from my bed, I always held the scent of peppermint around me. I never figured out why it was that way, but I had gotten used to it quickly. Education was only about 4 hours, which gave most of my time going to the theatres. It was delightful watching those tall people perform such impressive acts. Their voices in this terrain were enough to astonish the likes of the most respectable kings.

Whenever the theatres were closed, I would venture off into the Ballroom Observatory. A large ballroom, decorated with gold and lights. There were jewels around every polished archway leading up to the Grand ⎎⍜⍀⏚⟟⎅⎅⟒⋏ ⎎⍀⎍⟟⏁ ⎎⌰⍜⍙⟒⍀. It always smelled of delicate fruit, and gentle waltz music always played. The Ballroom Observatory was for grand parties and celebrations. The way the women's silk dresses waved through the dance floor gracefully and how each gentle dance was more caring than the next. It was a perfect representation of agape. I fell in love with that Ballroom quickly. Whenever I visited, the parties that would appear would vary through time. As exhilarating as the parties were, there was a part of the Ballroom that only I knew.

Whenever inside the Ballroom, on empty nights, the ⎎⍜⍀⏚⟟⎅⎅⟒⋏ ⎎⍀⎍⟟⏁ ⎎⌰⍜⍙⟒⍀ would bloom. It intensified the wondrous smells that sprinkled throughout the structure. And every time this ⎎⍜⍀⏚⟟⎅⎅⟒⋏ ⎎⍀⎍⟟⏁ ⎎⌰⍜⍙⟒⍀ would do so, a beautiful woman would come onto the dance floor. She would dance alone gracefully, having nothing but a simple dress accompanied by jewels embedded in her hair. Each time I saw her, the temptation to join her in their woeful dance arose.

The music she danced to was emotional. Compared to the delicate dances in the parties before, these dances had meaning. I assumed that she had been letting off steam, but the translations and feelings that had been showing through these movements were more comparable to a lonely war. Movements as silent as the teardrops expressed, pitiful and tragic imagery shown, sways and gentle swirls died down as if a person were saying their final words amid a painful sea. She never spoke when she entered and stayed that way when she left.

Right next to the Ballroom Observatory would be the ⌇⏁⏃⍀☊⌰⎍⌇⏁⟒⍀ Altar. Unlike many churches, this area was merely a large altar area for those wise enough to worship. This area is where people would communicate to the⌇⏁⏃⍀⌇that would often leave gifts for the ⌰⟒⎐⟟⏃⏁⊑⏃⋏⌇. Many came to the⌇⏁⏃⍀⌇for guidance in their grievances. Their assistance helps many often, and the people beneath them praise in return. This Altar was never alone. If someone appeared not to be there, a child would be sitting beside it, including myself. When a child reaches five years, they get to communicate with the⌇⏁⏃⍀⌇for the very first time. This interaction with such entities bid the child mercy from any judgment they receive.

It takes a lot for a child to be quiet the entire time throughout the visit. The⌇⏁⏃⍀⌇are indeed terrifying to the young, underdeveloped mind of a child. Nonetheless, the Altar was their home. And an indeed beautiful home.

One particular night, outside the Altar, arrived a General, scales showing on their arms that they showed off pridefully, wielding an amulet embedded into a large sword. Many gathered, the Minister confronting the trespassing mer-man, my mother holding me in a stern but gentle grasp. The mer-man General claimed that they were from a distant kingdom and to surrender immediately. A large grouping of military soldiers was prepared and watching from behind.

The Minister of our land sighed silently before awaiting. The Mer-man General turned a stern expression, and the blue-ish home around us turned dark. Others had difficulty breathing as the core of the amulet began to radiate, a tidal wave of horrific creatures all wearing a golden crest with a symbol appeared. The Minister looked ahead and saluted towards his heart. He nodded towards the General, going over to shake his hand, something quickly latching onto the General's leg, pulling him onto the ground.

More creatures began to latch onto the General, him bringing the sword quickly to the things on his body as the core of the amulet let out a shockwave, the creatures behind the General hissing loudly, reacting as decayed matter that spread through spiraled out of control. They began rushing over, trying to fight against the sources that produced the toxic vile. Mother had brought me back home, where hopefully both of us would be able to breathe. I don't remember vividly what happened that night, but nobody slept well in the house. The most I remember is the sudden shaking of the ground as if something were erupting from the earth's core and a horrific screech that hurt my ears to an extent. Loud and powerful bashes from afar, and everything went quiet. A few moments after, I hear the breaking down of bones and a distorted screech while others began to call out the ⊑⍜⋏⍜⍀⏃⍀⊬ ⊑⍜⍙⌰ for those who had fallen.

Many fell ill afterward, some succumbing to the unrelenting decay that spread through our town temporarily.

Mother hadn't let me go out for some time, not until she had recovered, when they were no longer infected with the strange disease. It's called ⌇⊑⍀⟟⎐⟒⌰⟟⋏☌ ⎅⟟⌇⍜⍀⎅⟒⍀ for the churning and disorderly feeling that would develop in the lungs.

Once I got out, I traveled a bit. Not too far out, as I didn't have a map nor compass. But, far out enough where it was quiet. The Ballroom Observatory had gotten damaged during the attacks, so others helped get it repaired as quickly as possible. I heard many complain about the news.

During the 4th time I traveled, I had reached an area filled with nature all around. It was indeed beautiful, every color contrasted with the vague and light surroundings quite beautifully, and the reflection from the light gave away each detail in the plants. When I entered this area, the familiar scent of disease had appeared once more, drawing its auras towards me like a lure, capturing me in a gaze of which I could not withhold as I walked towards an empty and dead spot. Vines hung holding lights above the middle of the small wasteland, a hand subconsciously reaching out only to grasp onto the floor, a ragged gem protruding from the sandy soils. The minute I felt the texture, my skin felt oily and began to peel off as if scratched lightly with a blade.

My fingers felt tingly as I pulled my hand back as if having a slight allergic reaction. Despite the feeling, I pulled the gemstone from the ground and inspected it closely. It held golden outlining and appeared to be polished with few scratches seemingly from nearby rocks. The more I had it, the more it seemed that I was losing my sense of who I was. As if I were to be possessed or had my thoughts stolen away from me. Luckily, the feeling had forced its way back, raising the gemstone towards the light to get a better look. It sparkled nicely, and upon lightly pressing down on it, a hiss and shine emerged from the stone, letting out a shockwave. It hadn't affected me strangely, despite the effect it had previously on many. A pang of guilt had struck its way inside me, violently coursing through my body like a mighty stream. I lightly dropped the stone in front of me, curiosity and shame now settling in their new home as I buried it where it was previously.

I never told my mother about this..'stone.' It would've caused my mother much distress knowing I held a possibly (very much so) deadly weapon. And so, I arrived alone once more to the god-forsaken stone and stared intently. I carried a couple of tools along with me, including a sponge, a drill, and a piece of sandpaper. The area around the stone appeared more withered now, the vine that hung the small light source above the black stone hanging lowly. It ached my heart. Without much time in between, I took the sandpaper and roughly scraped the golden remains on the jewel. It looks damaged now. Alas, that had no importance. Maybe now people will mistake it for a rock! With a now sanded gemstone, the drill still needed to carve out more natural divots and ridges. Once the tool had done its job, the sponge put a shine and gloss on the jewel, how pretty.

The more I stared at this strange stone, the more anxiety developed. What do I do now? With enough time, the lights were beginning to dim around the scenery of my home. Quickly, I tore a bit of cloth from my dress to carefully wrap the jewel. I had brought it home sneakily.

While I brought it home, it pulsed lightly through the cloth. I slept weirdly soundly. As if e̸v̶e̷r̵y̷t̵h̶i̵n̶g̷ ̶̧̊w̶̆͜a̵̜̕s̸̼̎ ĩ̶̞̊͑n̸̫̖͙̈́͝ m̵̧͉͔̞̆̎̾̎͝ȳ̶͇̙̥̹̍̋̓̕̕ c̴̛̛̝̪͇̗̿̆̍̆̉̿͋̂͂͋͗͘o̸͔̳̼͔͔͈̠̝̰̥̫̬̱͆͐̀̿̈̈́̍̈́̋̇̚͜ṋ̶̢͖̹͚̈́̇t̵̟̀̀̂͜r̷̭̻̊̎͑̀́͑̆̔͊̈́ǫ̷̠̲͕̙̩͓̜̺͓͙̯͖́̐̈́͘͠͝l̶̬͈̪̤̤̱̫̗̉̈́̎̈́̚͠. I woke up yesterday and placed the jewel in a small black box, going off towards the plains and digging a large hole. It was about thirty-three ft in the ground. I looked around. Once I figured out I was alone, I opened the box. Inside the box, it had lost its color. My vision got incredibly blurry, losing my sense of reality as black essence began to swarm around me. Life drained from the ground beneath me, my eyes widening in shock as the black essence all had their shockwaves, all painfully inflicting scars on my upper arms. I quickly placed the gemstone back, skin beginning to peel off my face in thin layers.

Nothing had hurt, but it was all surprising. The gemstone was quickly placed back in the box and shoved down the hole as my mind swarmed with sudden thoughts that weren't present before. They all had one theme.

"☊⍜⋏⏁⍀⍜⌰ ⏃⌰⌰ ⎎⍜⍀ ⋔⟒ ⊬⍜⎍⋏☌⌰⟟⋏☌, ⊬⍜⎍ ⍙⟟⌰⌰ ⎎⟟⋏⎅ ⌿⟒⏃☊⟒ ⏃⋏⎅ ⍀⟒⌰⟟⟒⎎."

I quickly put it into the ground and walked away as swiftly as possible from the area, feeling my heart pulse rapidly. Never again do I want to see this thing, never again do I want to think like this thing, and never again do I want to mention it.

"Disrespect turns into Mortality. The more you respect others, the more they will respect you back. The more you will live. Because nothing will be threatening you." -Bernice Pallas.

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