right now?
“I believe you.” He said. “What kind of knowledge?”
What…kind? I focused my eyes upon him, sorting thoughts into words.
“All knowledge. I wish to understand the world.”
“Just the world?”
“This is foolish. Why else would I be here now? I wish to understand everything. Not just this world. I need it. I cannot stand the uncertainty. I cannot stand the ignorance.”
“Is the knowledge of this world not enough?”
“Of course it isn’t. The “Knowledge” of this world is the knowledge of those who inhabit it. They are cattle, Gabriel. They do not see like we do.”
“What do we see that they do not?”
“Everything! They plod this profane earth with bumbling steps, do you not see it?! They see only the dirt beneath their feet! Do not liken us to the cattle, you are better than that. We are here because we see beyond, Gabriel. We have gazed into the river, and we cannot turn away! We shall not! Not until we understand it! Not until we control it!”
“And what will we do with the cattle once we control the river, Miss Daldien?”
I stopped. I felt a coldness in my heart and my hands were burning. I was shaking. Sweat beaded on my brow and my breathing faltered. I looked at my hands and found that I had dug my fingernails into my palms. Warm, metallic blood seeped from pale skin.
“We will control them, too. We will use them to create a higher world. We will stand on their faces, digging them into the ground, and we will reach into the heavens and wrench the gods themselves from it, and we will replace them.”
Gabriel had at some point revealed the small orb from his hands, and it was seeping a darkness from it. Tears welled in my eyes as my gaze was pulled into it—as I lost myself in its depths, I fell forward, through the floor and into the black. I tried to scream but my mouth filled with darkness and I choked on it. It stuffed itself into my throat and I retched and pulled away from it, freeing myself. My screams were silent. Before me was eternity, and it pushed my mind apart. Blackness swirled with dim color and my screams became form around me. I saw something before my eyes burned into blindness. I saw a city without dimension. I saw a tower at the center, extending into nothingness. I thrashed against the pressure, but the blackness pushed through me and my body was destroyed.
“We will meet again, Miss Daldien. You will find your way, as I have through you.”
Epilogue
I awoke in a white room. I was sitting against a wall with my arms around my knees. I breathed lightly and struggled to construct a coherent thought. I was alive.
That was a start.
I began to feel myself, wiggling my fingers and toes, and tilting my head slightly. I swallowed, the saliva slowly crawling down my dry throat, and I bit my lip. It hurt.
I cannot say how long I lingered there, without clothing or sense. Time does not seem to pass, here, nor do I feel the effects of it; no hunger, nor weariness.
Eventually, I stood up. I felt cold, but there was no wind. I could not feel the floor with my feet, but stand I did, regardless. I gazed at the space around me, and shuddered, covering myself for warmth. “Why is it white?” I thought. At this, the walls began to darken and swirl with color. Some I recognized, but some were different. Entirely new. I picked one, and the walls began to color themselves.
I looked down at myself and I saw that I was clothed. I had always been clothed. I walked, and my feet sunk into the cool mud of the lakeshore. I sat next to my fishing pole, which sat anchored in the mud, line cast into the still water. I stared at it expectantly for some time until I pulled out my journal, and began to write.
As I did, the pole beside me began to twitch, and I steadied it.
###
Thank you for reading my short story. If you enjoyed it, I'd love to hear from you. Happy readers make my world spin, but it also lets me know that I'm doing a good job. I'd also love a good review, whether it be on your retailer site or via word-of-mouth. Remember, this one's on me, so share all you want!
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-Jeff
About J. Jeffrey Parker
J. Jeffrey Parker is an independent author from the Philadelphia area of Pennsylvania. His journey started long ago, with the launch of a fantasy computer game, and was set with the roll of his first twenty-sided die. Whether on a screen, a tabletop, or in print, he strives to create vivid characters and vibrant settings in which to kill-I mean develop them.
Upcoming Titles by J. Jeffrey Parker
The God's Eye (River of Souls, Book II)
The Forgotten One (River of Souls, Book III)
Without a Shadow
Dragon's Song
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A Rude Awakening
Time had certainly passed since his crossing-over. It was impossible to tell how much. From the point of entry, time became nonlinear. He was used to the concept, of course; but there’s a difference between concept and experience. He had stepped from one three-dimensional plane to another, raising himself to the fourth in the process. Upon passage, some time was undoubtedly lost. Perhaps five minutes.
Perhaps not.
A bell-tower in the distance seemed to acquiesce in his curiosity. Rising to his bare feet in what felt to be a pool of something sticky, he stood quietly, counting the tolls. He counted seven. He kept a mental note of the number.
He blinked several times as he focused himself. He felt cold. A draft of night air whisked through the window to his left, passing through the ghostly white curtains to caress his pale skin. He looked down to his feet. He was nude. Disappointing, but expected.
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