The Soothsayer's Curse
Jaden continued up the stone stairs that had been carved into the mountain a millenium ago. Exhausted, his footsteps dragged over the rock, taking him slowly closer to his goal. The wisest man in the land. The man who knows all, who has seen all since time itself began. The man who has seen the beginning and end of time. The soothsayer. He dragged himself into a dimly lit cave, nearly collapsing with the effort. He raised his head, barely able to make out the stony countenance in the firelight. A flicker of life. Emotion? Was that bemusement? "You have come a long way, young Jaden, and I do have that which you seek" the voice thundered throughout the cave. "Many have perished seeking my guidance, and many more have suffered in vain attempts at disproving my prophecies" he continued. Question after question raced through Jaden's mind, but he found himself unable to articulate a single one of them. "No need," interrupted the soothsayer. "The answer to all your questions lies directly to your right." Jaden glanced to his right, unable to make out anything in the darkness of the cave. "APPROACH IT!" bellowed the soothsayer, clearly losing patience. As he approached the wall of the cave, Jaden's fear was slowly replaced by confusion. Where he had expected to find some ancient rune, some glowing orb of pure knowledge, there sat only a mirror. As he turned gaze to meet the soothsayer's, Jaden was met with a toothy grin. "I can see in your face your confusion, dear man. You see only a mirror, correct?" Jaden nodded in affirmation, suddenly horrorstruck. "Look again, dear man. Look again" came the soothsayer's response. "The mirror is not real. For, you see, our eyes are not real." As Jaden stared in horror at the mirror, he watched his eyes slowly melt from their sockets as his vision was overcome with blackness, the soothsayer's cackles echoing through the cavern for what seemed to be an eternity. Then there was silence.
Originally uploaded on December 4, 2014
| Comments • 0 |
Loading comments...
|