Topic: Tell me some secrets and tell me some lies

M. Wolf

Date: 2017-11-18 10:03 EST
"You are not my witness, nor are you my bane. I will not carry the punishment of another. I tolerate you because you are her castaway and thorn. I know your old tricks. I know you carry a false flame to illuminate the shadows. You corrupt them enough so they hear your voice. I make the choice to bury you in the moon's dust." Mira stood inside the dirt drawn dark-star pentagram with fingers dripping blood. The tips were her only tools, but after the first tear of skin, it was all numb.

The man with no face crouched on the outside of the dark star watching the witch. "You are wise beyond your years." The husk rattle of his voice chuckled. "I could feel you on my skin if you let me in. You know life must bring death. Will it be your deal with me now" Will you allow me to bring you to your knees" I can arrange the same deal for you as I did for her."

Slowly she moved around the circle, letting the blood trickle just inside the small rut of hardened earth. "You can crawl back into your hole where you belong. I have none to bore a hole in my heart that deep. No one to face folly and be a fool for."

Her words surprised him. "You do not believe the north man' Interesting."

Once she completed her circle. "I am singular, mechul."

Testing the circle, the shadows extended toward the girl inside the circle. "You're going to bury yourself?" The crinkle of robes caught fire. He was quick to put the fire out.

"I am not her, nor will I ever be her. I know the tricks you play. I know the tricks your master plays. I will let my bones break and flesh be torn before I make any deal with you. Damned, I am already, not a new master I need." Mira spit outside the circle in the direction of where a face should be.

"What if I tell his secrets." Slowly he stood.

"You know nothing. You have fragments of truth, fragments of what you hear. Nothing do you know. Tell-tell what you feel may slip. He will never hear you because you are tied to this in between. You always look for a way out, a flesh suit to wear. You are weak and broken."

A shadow hand reached through the dark star and caught fire, but he tried to reach out. Snatching her hand for a moment, she burned.

Mira let his hold remain as the flesh burned.

"Defiant bitch." The flame consumed him, but not enough to destroy the fragments. He'd be back.

When it was gone, the man with no face, she finally laid down in the middle of the dark star. Mira prayed, but she knew what she prayed for would not be possible.

M. Wolf

Date: 2017-11-19 11:36 EST
"You will not be the one to die." The voice shot through the darkness.

Mira sat straight up a dead sleep and said, "Who is it?"

"Dead is knocking at your door." The voice refused to answer who it was.

She sarcastically laughed. "Yes. Do you not bring me new news?"

"Dead is knocking at your door foolish thing."

"Yes. I heard you. I expect it to take me soon."

"For life to come, death must follow."

Mira stood up in the circle. "I will not make a deal for a life." Hers or another.

"You can leave it behind."

"No."

"Why' Are you selfish?"

"There is no promise for a heart. I will not trade one life for another."

"Not even your own?"

"I have no life to trade."

The voice growled. "Lies-lies."

"Ask Hannibal. Ask Boudica. Ask Emmanuel."

"You are smarter than they credit you for witch. Much smarter than the ones before you."

"I told you I will not barter one life for another. Even if my life was one to be traded, I would not trade one life for another."

"A truth will come soon. A lie will follow."

Mira closed her eyes. "I have seen the lie. I have seen the truth. It will not change." A promise given or a promise broken, it would not change what happened or the situation she is in. "Go. Ut in nomine Jesu omne genu flectatur coelestium, terrestrium et infernorum."

She waited for the demon to leave before she destroyed the dark star and returned to secret places. Mira did not bother to hide any evidence she was there. Soon she was lost in the great old oak grove.

The corvid queen sent word to Sky, his companion needed help.

M. Wolf

Date: 2017-11-25 13:55 EST
"The last thing I remember with certainty is seeing you in the pond, and speaking to you beside the fire..." he sighed a bit. "..I do not expect this to fix anything that was done before that promise was made, but you must believe I did not make it."

Mira could not look at him and said it, "I will not look at you." Stopping at the bottom of the stairs before saying another word, "You will not let it be will you? I said to leave me alone, so what does it matter?" More games, it had to be more games. This tug of war, this back and forth was upsetting to her. "I have no time to deal with this gam.." She turned around and stopped mid-sentence. It took her back when she saw the condition of the north man. Remember the games, this had to be a game. This had to be magic because he was not the same as two days ago.

"...I've been asleep for a lot longer than a few days, Mira".that is the truth.." he thought he pushed back earlier reared its head up. If she is sure he made a promise, someone or something used his form. He knew she was trying to understand how he was the way he was, and that she would probably be trying to explain it away with numerous scenarios. "...It isn't a trick, Mira," he added. "..I've no reason to trick you....I've no reason to break another promise to you," he said, fully acknowledging he left her those months ago. He knew she would still be scared of that fact, but he couldn't bear letting her think he made that promise to forever stay away. "I only ever want you near, Mira....I would never make a promise to keep you away from me. I cannot force you to be near, but I would never do anything meant to push you further from me."

It was part of this conversation she recalled more than the others. She sat on the edge of another's man bed watching through the window. The feelings of death numbed her. She should have been more prepared. It is one thing to remember and another to face what really happened.

"I have seen the lie." She did not see the truth, only the lie. The man with no face was wrong. First, it was a lie, then the truth will follow. Mira was blind to the truth until the end. Confronted with the word ACCEPT, how did she not have a choice"

It would not happen tomorrow, but it would come. Returning the fires was impossible now. At least for the foreseeable future.

M. Wolf

Date: 2017-12-08 08:57 EST
Sleeping deep rarely came, except when was truly two. Her soul split in two many times, in fact, every time the voices screamed inside their dark choir.

"Wasteful, Mirabella. You are the last and look what you've done."

"Another life gone."

"You should have never touched death of the north. A scourge has rooted in your soul."

So many voices she heard, over and over. The curse was passed from generation to generation, yet in the light slumber, she could defend herself.

The scourge of the north stole that peace from her. Hours later she woke to find him in the bed beside her. It was time for her to go. He stole silence for her, but it returned with a violent end. Normalcy tormented her.

The word accept burned across his forehead, his scars and his back. As she slipped out of the room, she shook her head. "No. I cannot." Cannot or will not'

Only time would tell.

M. Wolf

Date: 2018-02-23 14:48 EST
Sometimes, it is time, which heals wounds one thought cannot be healed. Days turned into weeks and weeks into a few months. She finally reached a decision to return to the fires. She was ready to go, ready to make it the last. Yet"

More time and an oath prevented her from accepting the fate they would have for her. "One more chance.?

He had one more chance to make amends and keep his promise.

She asked for space, he stepped aside. She asked to be alone, he left her room. He professed his love and closed the door giving her much to dwell on.

The voices screamed inside her head. It was hard not to talk back.

"Love is not the issue. I will not rescind the offer, I cannot go back upon my word. I do not know what is for the future, but I am not planning for more than a day. I cannot." So much loss already.