Jan 27, 2009

The Bugs

1.
Golden and blue ornaments, a crowd of grey worhippers facing the high altar, they all were surrounding us. I went rightwards and entered a dim chamber. In the middle, there was an enormous throne ringed by rows of wooden benches. It was a kind of confession place with a giant woman being a confessor. She was listening to a man who, after purifying his conscience, mounted the throne to find consolation. I reached the throne and started my confession. Suddenly, I stopped and looked back. I saw my grandfather sitting right behind me. "Go away" I said. "I want to confess." He didn't move. I kept talking to the woman. Surprisingly, she wasn't kind at all. I looked back again. There was my mother standing behind me. I was terrified. "Go away!" I shouted. "I want to be alone!" She didn't care. She didnt hear me. I faced the woman. "Help me, please! Take me away from here! I beg you!" "I'm trying" she answered cooly. She asked me close my eyes.
I found myself in the desert. Lots of small black bugs were swarming under my feet. The image disappeared. The woman asked me to open my mouth. When I did so, she put something sharp between my front teeth. "Do you feel any pain?" I didn't. She stabbed me deeper. "What about now? You must feel the pain! The bugs won't leave you until you are honest with yourself."

2. (Bjork 'Hidden Place' playing in the background)
I found myself in Cracow. Together with my mother, I was walking along a lane and looking for some place. We stopped at a white tenement house. The door opened and we saw a church interior hidden underground. A monk dressed in white greeted us. They all had been waiting long for our arrival. They led us through countless passages, corridors and rooms, all full of golden and white altars, all worn down. One of the brethren suggested that it was not time that had been eating the temple away.
Then we entered another chamber. This one seemed to be bigger, darker and gloomier than the previous rooms. One could feel a secret hidden in there. We got to know that the place had been destroyed by some misterious red bugs which, according to the old prophecy, once exiled, invaded the place again. The chamber guarded the gate to the most important altar. The gate was locked and behind it, there were these misterious insects. As yet, only few.
I found myself at my grandparents' place. The living room was full of people, most of whom I didn't even know. I noticed a beetle sitting on the cupboard. When I came closer, I was pretty sure it was one of these destructive bugs. It looked like a red cockroach with wings. Instead of head, it had a nib. A woman came to see it. She was a stranger to me. She wanted to get rid of the insect but it wasn't affraid of the rag she was waving in front of it. The bug became even larger and uglier, showing us its wings and abdomen.
Suddenly, I understood what was the riddle! I ran out of the room and realised I was standing in my own living room. I started to shout: "Stop talking! I know the answer! Listen to me!" But nobody noticed me. "Grandpa, listen!" My mom gave me a reproachful look "So? What do you want?!" "Grandpa" I said, pulling his sleeve. "Grandpa, do you remember your red fountain pen? Whis without a nip? This is the reason for all what's happening! Look at this bug and think of your pen. They are identical!" I was perplexed. Nobody listened to me, nobody cared. I got the pen. I was right!
I looked at the table. My father was preparing food for the watchdog from his company. I didn't know why, he never does it. The meal was a glass full of water and oatmeal. I asked him to go with me to the kitchen (situated where there were my grandparents' living room a minute ago) to solve the riddle. In the kitchen there was to be the gate from the underground chamber. We stood in front of it. I was the only one who cared, the only one who could open the door ad the only one who knew the danger. I sticked to the gate and put my ear to it. Behind the door there was a enormous swarm of flying red bugs, destroying everything they come across. I couldn't do it. They wouldn't do any harm to me but they could infest everyone else, the whole world. I said it aloud. My dad, still having no idea about my tragedy, got back to the living room to prepare oatmeal for the dog.

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