Urasti's Book: Reminiscences of a Magician

Chapter V : Choices

Coughing and fumbling, Urasti stood. It was all so sudden, so real, and he no longer had sight!. The enormous amount of thoughts and feelings were overwhelming. So there he was, astonished, trying to understand, to figure how the whole set of events took place. For him, it was the first time he realized how important were his own perceptions of the world. His entire world vanished in front of him. Now, he was blind, on an unknown road, grabbing a stranger's shoulder.

Urasti, are you okay?-

His family, his friends, everything he once knew was gone. Where do I go when all I know is no longer real? He thought.

Hey, answer!

The yelling of the old man brought Urasti back to reality, still he remained silent.

I know all of this may seem unreal to you, but I need you to...-Started Hermes

What did you say before?- Urasti interrupted

I asked if you...- Hermes tried to answer.

Before! How did you call me!- yelled Urasti. It was impossible, he knew it, he just wanted to be sure.

Urasti- Said Hermes.

He knew it. But how? He could not understand. He could not even imagine how that old man he had only talk to for 5 minutes could know that. His mind was running too fast and yet he felt so slow, incapable to decipher the huge amount of data that was raining over him.

How- asked Urasti giving up

That's not important now- began Hermes- I'm wondering what your feelings are right now.

Seriously? Are you fucking seriously? You know! - Urasti was out of control- You know all of it, why do you pretend not knowing? My sight, my world! My NAME! Now answer me!

I'm afraid that's not possible- Said Hermes, with a calm voice- You well know that we're both standing in a street with two ends. You well knew we were coming here. I'm afraid I can't answer you, you'll have to figure it your own way, and now you will have to choose.

How could I know this was going to happen? What's with this crazy man? Urasti's thoughts reappeared.

Choose what? - He finally asked

In my view, there are only two chocies, either to come with me and try to resolve all of your doubts , with me as your eyes or, to wander around in solitude trying to reach by yourself the other end of the street-Concluded Hermes.

What's in the end of both sides of the street?

The same...... C'mon you should have realised that by now. If you were lost in the forest trying to reach your way home, having different kind of resources would change the final purpose?

Why should I trust you? - asked Urasti pacing off

Why shouldn't you? - replied Hermes hastily

In fact, why shouldn't he? Hermes seemed to be a little extravagant, sketchy, but in any way he seemed a bad person. In fact, he told him to run. Urasti meditated a little about the situation. He was on an unknown place, without his other senses developed so as to replace his sight. Little by little he realized he probably couldn't make it without Hermes' aid. In the end, Urasti justified the old man for he asked him to leave and he refused. The stone in his pocket was a sign that he was not imagining this, he had to choose, and he had to do it fast.

I'll go with you – Urasti said.

Fine – Hermes grabbed Urasti's arm again – Still, there's a thing you need to know before we continue. You've chosen to be here, and there's nothing that retains you in this situation until now. Before, you chose to chase me for the controversies we went through, but now I'll make you the same offering for the last time. Do you want to leave?

Once again Hermes was using tricky questions. But something did change on Urasti's mind; he could now read in between his words. If the two-sided street ended up at the same place, then the end had to be the same. It was not Hermes powers or knowledge what made him say those things, it was just reading the course of events. His choices did not change the outcome, but the way he perceived them.

If I'm to end at the same place, then why choose? Isn't it just the same? – Urasti asked

There are people that exist and people that live. Doing any of those activities require the same amount of resources. Existence is for everybody, but living...oooh, that's another story. Do you still think it's the same?

Then I.... – Urasti was calm yet surprised for the explanation- I choose to live

So be it – Hermes replied.

Suddenly, the floor started to tremble and fracture. Every piece feel into some kind of void Urasti could not explain since he was no longer seeing. Then, all out of a sudden he got captured into a whirlwind. Urasti could not breath, he was suffocating . After 3 or 5 seconds, the whirlwind scattered but then again he went into what seemed to be some kind of pool he could not escape. After the water vanished, he nearly fainted. It seemed to be all of it. He was lying in a very rocky floor. He tried to get on his feet but that was not possible. Before he even managed to recover his breath he felt an unbearable pain in every inch of his body. He was being burned alive.

This cannot be it – Urasti thought while losing control of every muscle, he could feel his body getting carbonized- For what purpose? Why?

Urasti's body cracked into millions of pieces, like sandstone cracked in every inch. He was dead.