The sorcerer (II)

I don’t know how long I had slept when the sorcerer woke me up rubbing one of his dragon amulets against my cheeks. He recited a litany of incomprehensible words as I felt pleasantly drowsy. He dug in his pocket and offered me a tiny black bottle in the shape of a heart.

- I think we’re not late yet. Drink from here. You will recover your memories in a few hours. –he whispered-
- What is this? In plain English, please –I asked-
- An elixir to make you remember. –he said, shaking the bottle before my eyes-
- What’s in this concoction? –I asked-
- The magic that will bring your memories back. Drink it up.
- Hehehe, let me see if it’s marked ‘poison’ first.
- It’s not poison, gel! Drink it up in one gulp. –said the sorcerer, impatiently-
- What if it makes me shrink or grow larger?- It wouldn’t hurt you to grow a bit, but you’re not Alice in Wonderland. Drink. It. Up. Now.

Whe sorcerer realised I didn’t trust him and was reluctant to drink from the bottle. He turned to Ed and said:

- The gel must be willing to drink the potion or it won’t work.
- I’ll take care of this. –said Ed-

Ed took the small bottle in his hand and kneeled down beside me.

- Sweety, please drink it up. I promise it won’t do you any harm. I’ll stay beside you watching your sleep. It’s your last chance.–he said, stroking my cheeks-
- Yeah, ok, but what if he’s another paranormal creature from Hell? This could be poison and I could be dead in a few minutes. –I said, very nervous-.
- It’s not poison. This guy is reliable. He was very famous in my days and I’ve known him in Burdishland.
- My mother always told me not to accept candy from strangers. Least of all would I accept a black bottle of … who knows what this thing is.

He kept silent.

- I’m gonna tell you a funny story: A 500-year old weirdo that I have never seen in my whole life wants me to drink a black concoction that he calls “a magic potion”, to bring back to my mind supposedly deleted memories, that I’m not even sure I have lost. Don’t misunderstand me, dude. What would you do if you were in my shoes? He gives me the shivers! –I said-
- I understand your uncertainty and have no rational explanation for that. But sometimes in our lives, we have to believe and not ask. All I want you to do is trust me. Have faith. –said Ed-

I sighed deep.

- Ok, dude. Don’t ask me why I do it, but I’ll do it.
- Good girl.
- And then, sleep long and deep. As the poet said… what thou seest when thou dost wake, do it for thy true-love take… -said the sorcerer-

I didn’t feel any better after hearing him pronounce that Shakesperian quote from “Midsummer night’s dream” that pictured Titania, the magical beautiful Queen of the fairies, waking up and madly falling in love with a donkey under the effects of an enchantment. That was not very encouraging. And yet I drank the brew. It tasted deliciously sweet and I soon started noticing the effects: I felt terribly drowsy.

- Adieu, my good lady. –whispered the sorcerer-

I was too tired to say anything, so I just waved weakly, fighting off the urge to sleep.

- Mylord, the gel now needs to sleep for at least two days in a warm and cosy bed. Make sure she does. Then, she will regain normalcy.
- From your lips to God’s ears. You will be largely rewarded after she comes back to her normal self.
- Grammarcy, Mylord. May I ask ye something?
- Belike, if I can answer your question …
- Have ye noticed that this woman hath the scent of life about her? Her aura is spectacular and she is allured by irresistible magnetism.
- Yes, Master. I know her very well.
- She’s a lovely kid, but she can be a bit of a handful; nevertheless, I recommend you let her make light in your dark. Ye know what I mean.
- I absolutely know what you mean.- Then, good luck and be well, Mylord. I remain at thy disposal. It’s time for me to go back to my dominions.
- Safe paths, Master.

When the sorcerer left the room, I could hardly keep my eyes open, but I could hear their conversation.

I had fallen in such a state of sluggishness that I could no longer move. Ed carried me in his arms and took me to one of the rooms in his suite. He carefully removed my clothes, put me to bed, covered me with a warm blanket and sat on the edge of the bed.

The rain was drumming on the porthole pane. I felt how the ship moved and remembered a lullaby that my mother used to sing to me at bedtime:

Under the pale reflection of the moon,
In the pirate ship where I was born,
The waves rocked my cradle.
I leaned listening to my mother
Long live the sea, long live the sea.

The song lines repeated over and over in my brain. I curled up in fetal position and fell into deep, restful sleep.

That night I had dreams about dark oceans of blood; people dying and falling in the blood; being pulled into the blood by evil children pretending they were drowning, but in reality trying to make me drown.

Then I saw a big animal jumping on my bed. It had a horrible human face and human arms that grabbed me. I ran outside with this creature on my back.

In my escape, I was hit by a car. The ambulance came, and a medic tried to stick a thin wire into my fingertips and force it through my veins to my heart. I managed to escape but there was nothing but dense fog before me…

But in the morning of the second day, the nightmares ceased as though chased off by the comforting presence in the room of my protector.

I woke up. I opened my eyes and Ed was there, sleeping on an armchair, right in front of me.



"Ripples" (Genesis)