Tainted Lenses Part 1

Chapter 3 - Story of Shadows

Everyone rushed upstairs to see shadows of a fire dancing along the walls outside the doorway, a crackling and voices heard from within the room. I stumbled over with them, shoving my way through to see what waited inside Wilmer's room, and froze in the doorway with everyone crowding around me, people hopping in the back to see what it was that had caused so much distress.

Wilmer sat, curled in on himself, weeping against a wall. In the center of the room sat his mysterious lamp, alight with the flames dancing inside. People were talking, and it took me a moment to realize just where the voice was coming from.

On the walls of the room were shadows. Shadows of humans.

One was standing above another, who was on the floor. They seemed to be trying to get back up, but failed as the other figure stooped down, and through the fire light it was almost as though something glinted on the wall.

Echoing voices, so soft it was hard to hear themit over the crackle of the small fire, they emanated from around the room.

"I'm sorry I have to kill you this way. There's no other chance."

The only thing we heard was a scream that seemed to last endlessly as the figure that lay on the floor began to thrash, eventually standing up and flinging all around the room.

The people in the room stared in awe as they turned their bodies wherever the shadow would appear next.

And then, with one last muffled and distant thud, the figure fell to the ground.

And the voices were suddenly discernible.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way."

"I feel it... the pain..."

"DO NOT SPEAK TO ME."

None of the sentences seemed to have any order as more and more words came.

"The people won't live much longer."

"There is no other way for you to die."

"But the twins?"

"The other gods wouldn't be too happy if I-"

Then the fire in the lamp went out and it was left only as the ever smoldering coal. The shadows were gone. All that was left was a room full of shocked people.

As to the nature of the lamp, no one was sure. But one thing that was obvious, it was not simply a lamp.

The day that seemed to never end finally came to a close and we were all ordered by Minka to get some rest. We all returned to our humble rooms to supposedly get a night's worth of sleep.

Again I found myself trapped in conversation with Hammond, something that was becoming more and more frequent.

"Well, what do you think was with that lamp?" I said.

"I don't know. How could I?"

"Well, that's the thing. Hardly any of us know anything about each other really, so you never truly know."

"Yeah. The only place I've heard about any sort of lamp was in that song. I feel like I may have heard a story or two once..."

"Oh? A story? Do you remember it?"

"No. It must've been years ago."

"Hmm that's a good point about the song. It was nothing special, just a golden lamp that he used to warm himself. Though... wasn't it also given to him by the gods?"

"But we know songs aren't really true. Just a catchy tune some drunkard or another came up with at some point surely."

"Yes, that's a good point..."