As Above, So Below
Wolf Sherman
- SynopsisSometimes,
- there
- is
- an
- obscured
- disconnect
- between
- what
- we
- imagine,
- and
- what
- we
- feel.
- And
- sometimes
- what
- we
- feel,
- is
- a
- ponderous
- part
- of
- the
- illusion
- —
- of
- things
- we'd
- love
- to
- be
- real...
- And
- so
- we
- live,
- alternating
- our
- improvised
- happiness
- at
- will,
- between
- the
- things
- known,
- the
- things
- we
- feel,
- and
- those
- we'd
- love
- to
- be
- real...How
- it
- happened.If
- anyone
- had
- bothered,
- or
- rather
- if
- it
- was
- still
- possible
- to
- announce
- what
- had
- happened
- that
- morning
- at
- first
- light,
- it
- would
- be
- that
- in
- the
- conservative
- farming
- town
- just
- a
- stone's
- throw
- outside
- town,
- God
- looked
- away.
- It
- seemed
- that
- even
- the
- printing
- press
- at
- the
- local
- newspaper
- had
- been
- gathering
- dust
- for
- week
- already
- -
- before
- it
- all
- came
- together
- in
- an
- unholy
- fashion.
Up
- to
- fifteen
- minutes
- before,
- the
- old
- world
- was
- still
- there,
- somewhat,
- on
- the
- surface.
- A
- familiar
- normal
- place
- both
- inside
- and
- outside
- of
- town.
- Then,
- whoever
- was
- in
- charge
- of
- life,
- flipped
- the
- switch...
What
- was
- at
- the
- outset
- during
- sunrise
- just
- a
- dot
- on
- the
- horizon;
- a
- spec
- on
- the
- lens
- of
- the
- glowing
- eastern
- sky,
- started
- to
- expanded
- and
- grew
- with
- intense
- purpose.
- Soon
- enough
- smaller
- dots
- from
- everywhere
- joined
- and
- the
- shadow
- grew
- into
- a
- dense
- mesh
- that
- hungrily
- ate
- away
- at
- the
- handful
- of
- rays
- of
- light
- that
- attempted
- claiming
- a
- new
- day;
- bravely
- daring
- over
- the
- jagged
- top
- of
- the
- mountain.
- Suddenly
- the
- dark
- mass
- let
- go
- and
- the
- rays
- were
- back
- -
- as
- the
- apparition
- moved
- again;
- out
- of
- sight.
- This
- time
- from
- the
- view
- of
- the
- old
- farmhouse,
- had
- anyone
- noticed,
- the
- new
- arrivals
- remained
- lower
- just
- under
- the
- very
- edge
- of
- the
- top
- of
- the
- mountain's
- bourne
- while
- remaining
- seemingly
- deliberately
- undetected
- from
- the
- eagerly
- rushing
- morning
- light
- and
- the
- farmstead.
- It
- wasn't
- the
- first
- time
- and
- the
- maneuver
- was
- already
- perfected
- -
- each
- time,
- just
- barely
- before
- the
- new
- days
- in
- the
- recent
- past
- emerged
- from
- the
- blackness.
- But
- that
- morning
- it
- was
- different,
- and
- the
- children
- inside
- at
- least
- one
- farm
- house
- would've
- no
- doubt
- agreed
- that
- it
- was
- the
- end
- of
- days
- when
- prayers
- were
- answered.
Outside,
- high
- above
- a
- nearby
- farm
- where
- death
- already
- struck,
- the
- dark
- swinging
- mass
- now
- attempted
- moving
- at
- breakneck-speed
- and
- from
- a
- further
- distance
- appeared
- as
- a
- swirling
- magic
- carpet
- meandering
- as
- it
- gravitated
- towards
- the
- ground.
- Woven
- tight,
- not
- a
- single
- one
- dared
- moving
- out
- of
- formation.
- Then,
- the
- hungry
- persistent
- screams
- started;
- distorted
- occasionally
- only
- by
- the
- sound
- of
- wind
- rushing
- past
- them
- and
- the
- mad
- flapping
- that
- had
- started
- after
- the
- last
- of
- them
- followed
- -
- swooping
- down
- from
- the
- mountain.
- There
- were
- no
- accidents
- and
- all
- kept
- course
- just
- as
- their
- creator
- fashioned
- them;
- perfect
- for
- this
- environment.
- All
- four-thousand
- strong
- darting
- beaks
- were
- searching
- for
- local
- life
- in
- flight,
- and
- finally
- found
- it.
- As
- usual
- since
- the
- start
- of
- the
- experiment,
- none
- were
- in
- need
- for
- water,
- and
- the
- creatures
- were
- impervious
- to
- the
- freeze
- that
- had
- come
- to
- clamp
- down
- the
- farming
- district
- just
- south-east
- from
- town.
- All
- boasted
- long
- jet-black
- necks
- that
- seem
- to
- have
- tapered
- almost
- elegantly
- from
- their
- muscled
- velvety
- blue
- wings
- that
- reflected
- emerald-green
- in
- the
- morning
- light.
- Folding
- back
- their
- wings
- a
- fraction
- after
- they'd
- ascended
- high
- above
- their
- target,
- they
- stared
- down
- indifferently
- as
- they
- awaited
- their
- instructions.
- Inside
- a
- nearby
- large
- panel;
- that
- slowed
- down
- and
- pulled
- off
- to
- the
- shoulder
- of
- the
- dirt
- farm
- road
- -
- obscured
- by
- a
- cloud
- of
- fine
- dust
- -
- the
- countdown
- started
- and
- the
- switch
- was
- flipped
- once more.
pro-mbooks3 : libris
