Bwandungi Uses Prompts

On the Other Side

The bottom of my stomach flipped over as I fell. I've done this before, this falling down in front of people, or stumbling on some stone placed by some nefarious goblin to embarrass me. Each time it happens, I'm thinking to myself, "Shit, shit, shit, shit, this is gonna hurt."

The ground was moving fast, but not fast enough to stop the internal gasps at the beauty of the city skyline reflected in the water, and the absolute horror at the creatures that swam within it's muddy depths.

Hands sticking out, instinct on high alert, I closed my eyes to avoid the splash of the murky water into my eyes, carrying with it parasites that could make me blind. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, I swear. I just read this article once. Lesson was, don't play in muddy water with things swimming in it.

I opened my eyes when a tingle washed over me, starting at my outstretched palms and leaving an echo on my foot. I was in complete darkness.

"Careful now," someone said, and I felt my entire soul jump out of my body.

When I turned to run I was facing a rippling mirror with giant shoe soles stepping on it, giving a clear view up through trouser legs and skirts. I touched it hoping it'd lead me back to my embarrassment and away from the voice trying to be comforting.

"Don't worry," it said, voice dropping to base tones that sunk into the darkness and didn't bounce on anything. "You're safe here."

"What? Where am I? What is this place? Who are you?"

In my defence, things get very confusing when you can't see. Don't judge my questions and deem them stupid or me weak for not punching something. There was nothing to punch. Oops, I was going to end with that.

"Turn on the lights," it suggested. "You're in control."

"Of what?"

"Of this place. You made it."

I know what you're thinking, that I hit my head and had a hallucination and now this whole story is just... wait a second. Someone's calling from another puddle.

Anyway, like I was saying, I didn't hallucinate and you're not hallucinating now. Reach out and touch the water. Put your whole hand through.

See? It's apparent that you're having a real experience with someone who's on the other side.

I changed things around here, made myself a home away from home, so to speak. On this other side... I'm getting ahead of myself again.

My whole body trembled when the voice said I'd made this place. I had no memory of it, no understanding of the underlying science that determined how I could live in it, or even just turn the lights on.

"I'm going to touch you," the voice was right next to me, still invisible and not even illuminated by the light streaming in from the resized puddle. "Don't jump coz it means we'll scatter and you'll end up with some of me. I don't like that. You used to know that."

What gobbledegook was he spewing? 

"Okay," I said, and took long calming breaths meant to calm me down. Well, maybe not me. Maybe whoever that was.

I hadn't realized how cold my body had become until this smoke-like substance wafted over me, blotting out the light, but warming me from the inside. My fingers tingled with life.

"Let's try it again, Masaza. Close your eyes."

I whimpered. "Even while you're touching me?"

"How else are you going to see?"

In retrospect, I guess one could say I'm an easy mark. This has not always been the case.