Deustarmer

(A lone nautilus gets swept away by the perpetual deep-water current and a blinding dream is born.)

Bright, white, like floating in the great embrace of something grand. What had happened? Where? Fleeting through a grand incomprehensible tune, had the angels come for me already? No, this is but a dream enforced by the lights of the abyss.

"Are you tiered Chrys?" Where? Nowhere? Everywhere?

"Just sleep and dream a sweet dream" No "I can't just dream and ignore the putrid state of this world", "Oh but this world is pure, so pure, just let the dream wash in", No I will not heed to the wishes of this thing, ancient, deceitful, dark and flowing, one that has eaten away at humanity's peaceful dream.

"I know who you are, you are ancient, you have been here since the dawn of man, screwing with us", the song was more distant than the voice now, the voice, it was beside me, no, it's inside my head, "Ah you still don't know do you? Let us play a little game before you drift off to everlasting paradise". "Don't Screw with me Deustarmer!"

"HA HA HA, no, you are all wrong, I will give you some hints. A stained room, a quarry so dead, remember my voice remember my head, remember my gaze and hands so tender protecting you from a steel pipes splendor, guess my name, guess my purpose and let us sing the answer in chorus", What? What's it talking about? A stained room? Quarry? Steel pipes, it all seems so familiar, it is something there, but it's a shadow there too, hanging across the walls of my memories.

Movements? Above or was it below? A red shadow swimming over this blank canvas, and beside it, jet black tendrils, sucking the light out of this blinding sky, the choir that before was distant was now so close that you could hear the screams in between the beautiful tunes, a touch and it would all be over, all just one touch and I would be released, faded into calming nothingness, would I like that I wonder? So close... Their screams were pleasing, wait no, a faint touch of warm hands? A throb in my chest? No, I cannot let it end now, fuck it.

Enough dreaming!

The energy is erupting, burning away this canvas, this pretend, this dream. There is not a choir singing anymore, but the screams of a thousand beaks as the red flame burns away their woven blinding world. A moment passes then two and the screams seem to fade a bit, I can see the silhouettes of two other people, would I be able to do it? The flames burn brighter and the silhouettes grow darker and more focused, yes! Just a little bit mo... *Flash*.

My eyes spring open, I'm in the church ain't I? Where are the others, no, they're gone, June? Straid? No, where could they be? Didn't we just get back together? Why are they not here? Why is the room empty... Wait empty? Why are there no police markers?

"Guess my name Chrys, guess my purpose"

Why why why why, why is it still here! WHY?!

"Don't you have any idea Chrys?"

No no no, it cannot be, why is he in front of me? There, sitting on the edge of the other-ways humble preacher table. No...

"Why are you here? Am I still dreaming?"

Oh, the preacher's table is on fire now... Why is he not gone yet?

"You will know in time, and ah one fun thing... Wait for it... You are not dreaming, haha"

That laughter is painful... Wait no dream? What the fuck...

"Call upon me when you figure that out Chrys, we will have so many fun things to talk about",

Like a faint whisper of flames burning he was gone, left me all alone with a scorching fire spreading from the preacher's domain like a plague, smokes getting heavy, why am I still here?

The drapery and decoration are falling from their places because of the raging red blaze, a holy sanctuary falling, falling to be claimed by the abyss and its ancient lights. I'm dizzy, I should get out but is it any point to it, a feeling created by tender touch and a rose-red face with glossy eyes? Maybe, if she were not here I would have to find her elsewhere, the wooden rafters creaked heavily like an old man carrying his secret burden on his deathbed, getting out seems like a good idea.

Burning sensations and smoke thick seemed to elongate the time, the seconds it took to reach the main door of the Church from across the assembly hall, sweet air fills my lungs, I could almost describe it as a breath of life, everything else except my intentions would be inconsequential in face of such bliss. Now, where can they be... No, this can't be, oh why am I still surprised considering the situation, I am out, I am in the garden in the middle of the otherwise bustling city now overcome with an otherworldly silence, no wind blowing either, it is all so hauntingly still, no rustling leaves, no birds chirping they're cherry morning tune or their drab and dark song of night, no squirrels running, no cats hunting, no other footsteps grazing this earth but mine, and a ghostly fog washing out any other sound or distant details, leaving me robbed of any sensation of normality, ha like I knew what normal was. Then there was the sky, bright as chalk bathing the surroundings in a blinding unnatural light.

Well if this was no dream then what was it? Pocket dimension? Parallel universe? The apocalypse? Had the putrid movement of Deustarmer ended the human condition? If so to hell with it, I will find a way out, I will find June, and I will find Straid, the old ones can go to hell, I will right this by ending them, and no matter what I have to face I will be prepared and I will bring about a world unstained by this hell.

"Watch me. I'm coming, your curses, your hell, bring it! In time you will be nothing but remains of what will never be again!".