Matilda Jane and The Abysmal Road

Chapter 12

            When we think of villains, most people picture monsters, evil stepmothers, murderers, and demons. True evil though, and pure hatred, is something else entirely. The evils we know are just seeds that take root in vulnerable or distorted souls. The hollow the soul out and fill it with darkness, until all they are is a sapling of evil, feeding the source. Or at least that is how Celeste explained it to me. "The source, much like many religious texts and some fairytales suggest is as malevolent and all seeing as its counter." Irene adds, sipping her tea, " There is a natural balance to them, or there should be. But every so often the balance is shifted, chaos ensues- sometimes resulting in what legends tell as a holy war." Celeste and Irene were generally of a serene disposition, their auras calming to be in the presence of, but each time this holy war was mentioned the room seemed to fill with a turmoil and bitter taste. But there was something else, between the three of us, the resolve to at the very least not let the darkness they spoke of enter their own souls and hearts, lest their blessings turn to curses.

        "How do we know the balance is off? Or how to restore it?" I asked, still trying to process the revelations of the last several hours, and the way that her strings of fate lead her here. Finding myself answering my own question, as I again focused on the golden threads fraying from my soul, still waving and retracting in all directions. I saw threads connecting me to both Celeste and Irene, and those too twirled and severed in many ways. Feeling their focus shift to these threads also, we entered a simultaneous trance of sorts, following the strings of fate, forwards and backwards through possible and impossible timelines, into other realities sometimes- pausing when we encountered an untimely end or taste the bitter darkness nipping at the strings, carefully we followed it down and down, until we hit pure venom. There was a shield of sorts, burning cold and void of anything but anguish. Irene called out first, a hoarse gasp and then, "RETURN!" I felt my soul plummet back (Or up, rather) saw the Abysmal road as I fell, from So Below (As above) it was easy to see the vile darkness coiling, snaking its way into all realities, all souls. 

      I dreamt mostly in colors, light and vibrant, lightning and fire- deep rushing blues and passionate purples. Pitch black sometimes coiled in, seeping over me and causing my sleep to turn cold and sweaty. Still, I woke mostly rested and ate well in the morning before joining Celeste and Irene again in meditation. It was odd, preparing for my future in the same timeline as my younger self prepared to set out on it, but  I didn't see much of myself as after morning meditations Irene trained me on manifestation, shielding, and eventually some alchemy. After a few days they agreed Irene and I should return to our original timeline and reality, and Celeste would meet us either somewhere on The Road or in the next soul city they came across. Upon our return, I was able to witness how Irene was able to conjure her own little soul city. She lay face up, palms flat to the ground and seemed to hum with the rhythm of her heart and soul. From the ground at her feet it rose, at first just dirt, rocks, and grass taking on the shape of her soul, and then shifting- it was not identical to the one she had wandered into before but very similar. "We'll rest and train here a little more, and then set off."

       And so in a week they did just so, and I practiced in the evening constructing a soul camp of sorts, I couldn't quite make anything quite as extravagant as Irene yet, but so far I had managed a sizable tent that sported a make shift kitchen and two surprisingly comfortable hammocks. After another month on the road though, while I grew more confident in my abilities- Irene and I grew weary that Celest had not found us in the soul city we had just parted from. It was a desert city, with many excellent foods and even more wonderful souls. But she had sent no message, and we agreed there was no point in lingering, as Celeste should be able to track them down fairly easy- but that was assuming she was able. Another month passed, three cities, then six, and four months later I had constructed something more like a soul town- and there was still no sign of Celeste.