by James Bridges
The floor squirted off its sounds of worn years as I walked toward the door. I stepped outside and spat. The chair invited me to settle in. A nudge around my leg as a pitch black cat sat down.
I knew this cat knew that I had recently been experimenting with some things the instant he started speaking and I could understand.
The sleek creature started his tales. He told me of a tunnel. Then somehow he showed me.
We began walking through a dark hallway. There was no roof. Only the tallest stone-faced walls and the moon. I needed a torch at the next turn. I saw the darkest twists and turns that I never looked into for fear of what might be looking back.
Curiously I wandered on. We made it through a tiny opening at the end of the cave. It was at that point everything became a perfectly shaped pattern. I felt as if I were walking into a giant mandala. The stones were moving just a smidge as I approached the edge.
I glanced over at my feline friend. His expression told me he wasn’t impressed.
There was a female figure waving to me to come closer. I did.
She spoke. She told me of her desires and how much she has loved. She says she’s been thrown away to the wind and nothing but lies has made her misunderstood. She said she once had a vision. She knew what it was once to give. She’s alone.
She was happy as long as she never ever does the same thing again. She showed me her guidance and then I knew where she had been. She told me to follow her and she would give me my own.
Wrapped in white satin was this thing she held so dear. She lifted her hand and said, this will guide me through my journeys. But there is only one thing I must do. Never ever look into this thing that tells everything that is true.
It was a mirror. I looked at her with confusion and asked why.
She told me that she is trapped in the tunnels and that she was on her journey a long time ago. She told me to never do what she did. Somehow you have to restart and give it another go. She said to never judge guidance for it may stab you in the heart. What’s behind is behind. Never look back. Unless one day you find yourself wishing to fall apart.