The Collector

THE COLLECTOR
By Jonathan Reay

         Time is everything, time consumes society, and time can be rewound. There is more than one evil entity, we just have to wake up to reality, that life is not balanced by Satan (bad) and God (good). Humans can be evil too. Christmas Eve held another dark secret for the town of Charlottesville; secrets always come back to haunt their victims.

         It was the morning of Christmas Eve, and Charlottesville, was full of joyous Christmas cheer. The angelic chanting of the carolers could be heard through all of Charlottesville, soothing even the darkest of souls. The town was decorated with a lush arrangement of items, from coloured lights and tinsel, to sacred Angels that rests their wings on every Christmas tree. The towns people where all involved in the spirit of giving, the happiness was so overwhelming.

         Alice was another soul of Charlottesville that was filled with joyful Christmas spirit, yet the towns people could not see that, her gothic appearance was not welcome in this town, for individuality was subdued in this town. The towns’ folk refused to identify her as one of them for she is believed to have played with the black arts, for she is the devil’s whore in the eyes of the biased town.

         Alice brushed her silky black hair away from her smooth, slender face. Her face was covered in white blush, and her lips covered in black, drawing everyone’s focus to her safire blue eyes. Her body was dressed in a tight black leather dress that gave her body warmth, and showed off her nice supple breasts. Seduction was her gift. Alice strolled down the street, ignoring all the idiotic towns people who find her too alternative, observing the snow flakes that fall upon the town, and thinking of how every individual flake is different from the next, they have their own individuality, yet they are all classed as snow flakes. She wished that for herself as well, she just wanted to be accepted without having to change the way she looked, she liked her appearance, she just longed for acceptance. She just wished that she could become one of them but that was not to be. She screamed with rage, as her body was over come with pain, her head throbbing with hurt, only two towns folk in the street paid notice to her, but they just continued on ignoring her thinking she would steal there soul and destroy Christmas. Alice’s mind blacked out as she plummeted to the ground, she awoke in the falling snow with a minor gash to her forehead, she noticed something had changed something was new to the street, or was her mind still recovering from its insanity of the fall. Alice looked across the street her eyes dashed past stores varying from electrical goods to candy. At the end of the street she noticed a new building that she had never seen before, yet ironically the building was quite old and tacky. The rust stained sign read “Sphere of Craft”, although Alice felt suspicious about the store so she decided to check the store out and maybe someone in the store will give her assistance in tending to the gash on her forehead. As Alice arrived at the storefront she peered through the window to see an arrangement on old books and incense everywhere, and a cabinet full of bizarre objects. Her hand pushed the glass panel door, which opened, and she entered the shop.

         An unusual scent was released by the burning incense, which tingled Alice’s nose. She slowly walked to the counter as she was amazed by this shop which, she had never seen before. The counter was empty and was covered with books, and a cash register. A bronze counter bell lay upon one of the books, which she pressed to receive service. A noise from out back gave Alice comfort that someone had been alerted. Slowly a dark shadow was cast upon the doorway as an old lady slowly made her way through the door. Her face and body was aged dramatically, by decomposition of her cells and the harsh sunlight that slowly wrinkled, her once smooth, lustrous skin. Her gray hair was long, draping down past her shoulders, yet her hair was poorly maintained, scruffy and dirty. It was as if she had given up on untangling her web of hair. The old lady slowly got to the counter lifting up her face startling Alice, the old lady had two eye colours, the left a beautiful light blue and the right a dark hazel but appeared more red to Alice.
         “Oh hello, Oh my what has happened to your head? We must get that fixed up immediately”, the old lady said with a screechy and withered voice.
         “Ah, ah I don’t know, I can’t remember, I think I passed out”, Alice said disoriented.
         “ Follow me Deary out back, and I will fix that up for you” the old lady replied.
         “Thannnk Yoooouuu” Alice said slowly, while trying to subdue her blurry vision.
         Alice followed her into the back room in a slow pace, ignoring all her surroundings until she reached a wooden chair where the old lady asked her to sit, while she went to the retrieve something to help treat the wound. The old lady slowly waddled her old thighs back to Alice, in her wrinkly hands she had a bowl filled with some kind of paste which had a dull green colour, and a damp rag in her other hand. The old lady placed the cool damp rag against Alice’s face wiping away all the make-up and blood that was still oozing from the gash, slowly the make-up ran off her face and most of it onto her clothes.
         “Who did this to you?” the old lady said startled.
         “I told you I past out and cut my head” Alice said timidly.
         “No not the abrasion, your black eye” she replied.
         The old lady stared at Alice’s bruised face, suspecting something had been done to this poor girl.
         “I told you, no one” Alice said defensively
         “That’s why you wear that make-up you hide these bruises, you’re protecting yourself, you don’t want anyone to know. Who did this to you?
         “ I said no one, now leave it!” Alice’s eyes filled with uneasy discomfort.
         “I’m sorry my child, who ever or whatever did this to you I hope you make them pay”, the old lady said with a dry throat.
“Thank you for everything, not many people are excepting of me”, Alice said with an inner meaning.
The old lady opened her mouth, to speak with sincerity “Close your eyes child, I will remove your pain”.

         Alice closed her eyes, with complete trust in the old lady, and relaxed her tense body. The old lady touched Alice’s face and slowly massaging it, Alice could feel a cream of some sort entering the pours of her skin. It must be the green paste Alice thought to herself. The old lady placed both of her palms on Alice’s smooth skin that was tarnished by the bruises and abrasions. “Eu trago para a frente a energia do quatro esferas , Loucura , Lust, Alma , e Carácter , por favor levar esta criança dor, dentro e ausente. Existência não é ser cheio de dor , por favor Eu suplico de você faz esta criança puro mais uma vez”, the old lady spoke aloud with and alien tongue.

         Alice had never heard this language before but her mind translated it into words she could comprehend. Alice began to speak in English what the old lady was gibbering about, “I bring forth the power of the four spheres, Insanity, Lust, Spirit, and Nature, please take away this child’s pain, inside and out. Life is not to be full of pain, please I beg of you make this child pure once again”. The paste on Alice’s face started to get warmer, quickly getting hotter and hotter until Alice screamed with pain. Alice opened her eyes. No pain, no nothing, the paste had vanished all that remained on Alice’s face was the old lady’s wither hands, which the old women slowly removed. Alice felt clean and pure, something she had not felt for a long time, her body oozed with excitement and joy as if something had touched her spiritually.
“Your soul and body have been cleansed my dear, you will have no more pain”, the old lady said peacefully.

         Alice placed her hand on her face feeling where she had cut her head, no blood no wound; Alice was stunned it was if she was in a dreamland.
         “How… how did you do this?” Alice said bedazzled.
         “ If I tell you, you must keep it a secret, no-one must know”, the old lady said with deep entrustment.
         “I promise, I will not tell a sole”, Alice said this as she griped the old women’s wrinkly hands as a sign of trust and acceptance. Alice had never placed so much trust in a soul that asked her for it, there was something strange and mystical about this old woman and her mind, she intrigued Alice’s curiosity.
         “Please follow me out front child”, the old women said confidently.

         Alice stood up and felt the mystical power running through her pulsating and veins, she felt confident and proud and happy something she never really got to experience often. For the first time Alice noticed the room she was sitting in, it was small, dark and dank. A few shelves with some old texts covered with timeless dust and on the back wall a small glass cupboard full of unusually odd chemicals and biological material Alice had never seen before.
         “Come on hurry up child, ignore that disgustingly filth ridden room”, the old lady said quickly as if trying to use the speed of her voice to speed up Alice.

         Alice quickly followed and entered the storefront, the old lady hobbled along to a glass top cabinet. Alice soon followed. Alice’s eyes glared with wonder as she was baffled by five sphere shape objects each reflecting a refined reverse image of the store, Alice, and the elderly women.
         “What are these? They look so spectacular”, Alice said as her eyes glistened with interest.
         “These my Child, are the spheres of the ancient craft. Four Spheres representing life”, the old lady paused to take a long breath and to think of a way to simplify what the spheres represent.
         “ Nature is represented by the green sphere, this allows you to let Mother Nature do her work, this is the sphere of power which I used to cure your pain inside and out. The second sphere, is that of Lust, which is gold in colour, that sphere can for fill any of your erotic needs it can even make and man or women ravish you in sexual desire”. Alice chuckled with laugher, partly due to the old lady saying this.
         The Old lady continued, “The third sphere represented by the red metallic orb, is that of Insanity, this is a very dark magic full of trickery and seduction, this can drive anyone to insanity with just a touch. The fourth and final sphere is spirit. This allows you to get intouch with your sprit, the sprits of others and even the sprits of the dead. This sphere is represented by a lustrous pearl appearance”, the old lady’s voice was fading, for talking that long tires her old and withered throat.
         “What about that fifth, that lay upon the cabinet”, Alice said with interest.
         “Oh sorry I missed that, my old age is getting to me, these days I don’t notice things right under my nose”, giggled the old women.
         “That is the sphere or neutralization, it allows you to tap into any four sphere magic’s, the sphere changes colour representing what magic that is being used, amazing isn’t it?” the old women said waiting for Alice to reply.
         “I don’t believe you. Does this actually work? Or are you just having me for one massive joke. I‘m not stupid you know, if your trying to prove that I am a witch you are wrong, I don’t believe in that shit. Hell I don’t even believe in god”, Alice said in spontaneous anger.
         “Where did that sudden eruption of anger come from my child? Is your life so torn you cannot let anyone get close to you. Child you must learn to trust people, to be defensive all the time is meaning that you let your body succumb to the darkness that surrounds you. You must find the beauty in evil for once you discover that goodness will prevail. Never let your anger cloud your judgement or you are no good than the ones that inflicted your pain”, the old lady paused to brush her wrinkled and withered hand through her hair and to moisten her dry mouth with saliva.
         “I’m sorry for being rude I did not mean to offend you… It’s just I can not believe things until I have proo…” Alice suddenly cut off by the old women’s voice.
         “I will show you my child because you intrigue me. You have many layers, and they are often dark, I believe you need someone to trust, and I will give you that trust”, the old lady said as she reached for the door attached to the glass cabinet opening it. She placed her hand around the sphere of neutralization. As she touched the sphere it emitted a flash of light, mixed from, green, red, gold, pearl colours. Each colour formed its own sphere; each contained in the sphere of neutralization.

         “See my child, I will show you what is life. No god controls us; we are controlled by elements of life, which can be anything from animosity to the air we breathe. Everything around us makes us who we are, no “god” is our creator, earth is our creator, that’s what we should care about in life. So far we have only been able to tap into the four energies I show to you in the spheres. There are an incomprehensible number of magic’s that could be harnessed. Unfortunately no human has had the mental capacity to contain and control these energies of life. Four humans gave their lives to contain this magic, it’s believed they did this during the transition from life to death…”, the old lady had to take a deep breathe for she had not spoken this many words in a long time, her mouth became dry from the constant inhalation of air. Her saliva glands quickly oozed out saliva throughout her mouth as she continued her explanation. “Now where am I at hmmm, curse my old mind”, the women said in confusion.
         “You where talking about the transition from life to death”, Alice reminded her.
         “Oh that’s right, thank you. Instead of sacrificing their bodies to our mother earth to replenish her soil, they transferred their bodies into the four elements. It’s believed their souls live in the spheres for eternity, they have succeeded in achieving eternal life, and each person suffered or loved their element before their passing. They turned into their obsession. Th…” The old lady was interrupted by Alice’s soft voice.
         “There are Five Spheres, how was the sphere of Neutralization created”, Alice ask inquisitively.
         “I was just about to get onto that. The Sphere of Neutralization was created with great tragedy, there once lived a queen, and her king was out fighting a long war and believed dead. As time went by she began to fall in love with a commoner. They both where very passionate about there love for one another, the queen fell pregnant. A child began to develop in her whom, the palace workers believed it must have been the king’s dead soul that impregnated her body. A few months past and a miracle occurred the King returned to the palace they had won the war, it was a time of celebration, I high point in the society, but every high has it’s lows. The King greeted his wife in great fashion. He had been away for four years, as his eyes fell upon her body he fell to his knees in anger and disgust. “How?” he shouted. The doctor was called as soon as the queen went into labor, as the child glimpsed it’s first light of day, the doctor placed his hand over the newborns face and suffocated it to death. As the child decomposed, Earth gave the child a second chance, not re-animating it but to rather make it the controller of the four spirits, its soul became the sphere of Neutralization”. The old lady had a tear welt upon her eyelid that slowly fell down her cheek.
         Alice was overcome with silence. She didn’t know how to respond. She just placed her hand upon the old women’s shoulder and griped it with comfort. “It’s time”, the old women said spontaneously.
         “For what?” Alice hastily replied .

         The Old Women placed her frail hand over the sphere of Neutralization, and held it before Alice’s eyes. The women’s dry lips did not move, yet Alice could hear her speak “Eu chamo os poders de quatro transporto-nos à terra da areia”. Alice’s mind strangely again was able to translate this odd tongue into what she could comprehend “I summon the powers of four, transport us to the land of sand”. Alice quickly replied “wha…” but she stopped as a bright light that emitted from the sphere blinded her. This light sent a strange sensation through Alice’s body, she could not feel anything, it was as if she was not a life force anymore but something else, the joy and beauty she felt was indescribable. Slowly the light faded and Alice felt as though her body was being reconstituted, it was as if she was whole again.

         “Beautiful isn’t it”, the old lady said.
Alice opened her eyelids, and was overcome with amazement of visually beautiful sand dunes that surrounded them. The strong contrasted colours overpowered the mystical aura of the desert, the sand was as orange as the sun, but ironically the sun cast a dark shadow over the sides of every dune that surrounded Alice and the old women. This was a visual spectacle and the sheer force of the desert sent a shiver down Alice’s spine. Alice looked upon her body and realised her clothing had changed she was no longer wearing her dark gothic leather outfit, but in a white silk dress. She felt proud of this newfound appearance. She felt normal…

         “Where are we?” Alice asked bedazzled.
         “The sands of Egypt, they are amazingly beautiful aren’t they”, the women said in an uplifted voice.
         “I never re… realised how wonderful this world and its life are. My life has been full of darkness. This has changed my perspectives on life. Nature is beauty. I have never shown respect until now. I have been too self-centered. I am so ignorant.” Alice replied in a soft yet determined tone.
         “Why did you bring me here, is this to show me beauty?” Alice asked inquisitively.
         “No more talk my child, I brought you here to show you the power of beauty. Just observe and be prepared to be spellbound.” Replied the old women as she lifted the Sphere of Neutralization out in front of herself.
         Once again bizarre language rolled across the old women’s tongue “a areia é beleza, mim chama o poder da natureza, fazer mesmo mais assim esta terra”. Alice loved this foreign tongue and was even more amazed by the way she could translate it, “sand is beauty, I summon the power of nature, to make this land even more so”. Alice observed the sphere and noticed it shimmered in colour until it finally changed to a green that appeared to look like a liquid wax which was molding and changing shape as it drifted through the sphere. Alice shifted her gaze to the desert, and noticed a slight breeze which disturbed the solemn stillness of the warm sand, and then an unusual sound alerted her, the sand in the distance, began to turn into a river as water rose from beneath the sand. As the banks of the river formed, grass and trees began to form instantly. A sanctuary of life was formed by the river’s edge. Alice fell to her knees in shock and amazement, as such an unbelievable spectacle was occurring before her eyes. The reality of the beauty was so overwhelming. Coconut trees began to form, creating the final touch to a stereotypical tropical paradise.
         “It’s magic isn’t it”, the old lady said with a sense of irony.
         “This power is… It’s indescribable, the power is incomprehensible” Alice said still in shock.
“          retorno!”, the old women said suddenly. The sphere released another blinding flash of light.

         Alice opened her eyes and noticed they had returned back to the store.
         “Why are you showing me this power?” Alice said inquisitively.
         “You are so torn child, I see you have inner pain, I show you these things, because you have pain that needs to be healed. This is why you must inherit this power. The Sphere of Neutralization is yours for now, until, your pain is no more. Once your pain is gone it must be returned.” The old lady replied.
         “I cannt…. I can’t take this, no. Please keep it” Alice said trying to reject the offer.
         “Here is a book, it will help you find your path, the sphere can be dark it can be light, trickery is its game only you choose your destiny, I give this to you, and I warn you. Please be careful. Its power can be dark, you sprite must be pure if you are to use it skillfully.” Said the old women trying to get Alice to accept this gift.
         “If you ever feel the pain, remember the sphere can make it better, it is beauty, but must be used wisely, if anything is to go wrong here is an incantation that will summon me to your assistance.” She said this as she passed the incantation to Alice.
         “It’s safe my child, remember I have the other four spheres, so I can always revert everything to the way it was before. I trust you, and you must be faithful. This must sound very strange to you, but I know more about you than you know. Make your life beautiful never let your pain cloud your mind, you need to be free.” The old lady said in a trustworthy voice.

         All Alice could say was “thank you”. She couldn’t perceive any of this as reality, but rather as a dream, which she has no control over.
         “Goodbye, Alice. I will see you when your pain is no more”, the old women said.

         Alice was confused how the old women knew her name. During this confused state Alice placed the incantation into the book. Alice’s eyes gazed upon the spell book it was wonderfully designed and written, each letter was meticulously hand draw. The book was art. Alice smiled at the old lady, no words were exchanged, she just placed her hands on the sphere and the book and left the store, Alice knew that she would see this old women again one day.

         Alice stood out front and began her journey home, she left the pavement and began treading on the soft white snow that was still falling from the sky, each foot print she made compacted the soft snow, as she slowly walked down the main street. The sun was about to go into the earth for a night of slumber Christmas would arrive soon. Christmas Eve was such a spiritual night for the people of Charlottesville and the world. The towns folk where still gathering their final gifts, no one noticed Alice, her appearance had changed she felt better. She realised that she didn’t want to hide behind her gothic appearance, for so long she felt she needed to be different, to hide her pain. In actual fact she needed to fit in, feel needed. Alice observed the stores down her town’s main street, most of the buildings where from the 1930’s era; they were constantly being painted to disguise how old they have become.

         Alice observed a man in a clothing store obviously begging the cashier for his money back on an item he is not happy with, she wondered what it would like to be in his head, how does he think? How does he feel? What does he see? Minds are amazing things, Alice peered down at the Sphere of Neutralization in her hand, and thought about using it to see what that mans mind was like, but decided to listen to the Old women’s advice and only use it to heal her pain. Alice continued to walk and just before an intersection she turned left into a side alley, she loved short cuts for some strange reason. Oddly Alice began sing, as she started to become cold and felt alone in this quite and uneasy atmosphere the alley created. Her voice hummed as she continued the song, loosing all memory of what the words are supposed to be. Snow flakes were making her face and body numb, because she was inappropriately dressed, Alice laughed and wished the Old lady had taken her to Antarctica at least she would be wearing something warm right now. Alice thought about the irony in that because she was wearing something completely inappropriate to the weather conditions before she met the old women. As the Sky became darker the temperature dropped, Alice was partially happy to be home soon.

         Slowly she arrived at her street and soon after that she arrived at her home, she paused at the gate as if feeling hesitant about going inside. She looked at her house; to see it was worn down, the paint was withering, and the picket fence was dying. The front porch was covered in snow it must have blown in Alice thought. She opened her gate, and slowly walked across the ice path towards her house. She reached her porch and placed the spell book and the sphere on a table. Quickly Alice knelt down to place her hand into the snow that had been blown onto the porch. Her hand searched for a key that was somewhere on the porch under a snow-covered mat. Finally her hand grasped it, and she pulled her hand from the freezing ice. Alice placed the key and hastily opened the door, the warmth and comfort of her house was reassuring yet dark at the same time. Her mother standing in the narrow hallway greeted Alice in a worried tone “Alice where have you been? I was so nervous, I thought you might have gotten into trouble, you, you know your father will be home soon… Why do you do this to me? You know I need you”.
         “I’m, I’m sorry mum, I meet this wonderful women today, she helped me when I cut my head”, Alice replied worried.
         “Don’t lie to me, do you think I am stupid. There is no cut on your head” Alice’s mother shouted.

         Silence entered the hallway, Alice had to break eye contact, it felt as though her mother could peer inside her soul and read what’s inside, she observed the worn floral wall paper, it made the hallway look narrower than it is, but wholesome at the same time.
         “I’m sorry dear, you just had me so worried”, her mother timidly said as she walked up to give Alice a hug.
         “You look beautiful, but, but how could you afford this dress, you know your father is tight with money this Christmas, you don’t want make him, angry do you?” her mother said still embracing Alice.
         “The old women who helped me out, gave me this as a gift, she said she felt sorry for me when I fainted and cut my head, she owns a clothing store on the main street”, Alice smoothly said.

         Alice slowly pulled away from her mother arms, and she gazed at her mother’s appearance. Her mother, was beginning to show signs of age, her blue eyes which once needed to squint to show wrinkles were now surrounded by fine predominate flaws. Her face was so thin yet gentle, every inch of nervousness could be seen in the glint of her eyes, her dark brunette hair draped slightly over her shoulders. Her outer beauty was fading and she knew it, she also knew her aging was caused by the death of her inner beauty. Her face was tormented.
         Her mother’s lips opened “you can’t keep this Alice you need to return it after Christmas, it’s to expensive. Please go get changed before your Father gets home”.
         “I will, I promise” Alice replied.

         Alice wondered why her Mother didn’t comment on the Sphere and the book, Alice gathered her mother didn’t notice them, she must have been too worried to care. Alice walked to her room to get dressed before her father got home. As Alice walked past the kitchen she halted, she could smell aromas of food that was to be served for dinner it smelt so desirable.

         Alice continued to walk towards her room, through the hallway. She noticed her door was open, and slowly walked in. This was Alice’s sanctuary, her private domain of solitude. She placed the sphere and spell book on her bed. It was queen size, covered in a nice warm black blanket, and black silk sheets were hidden underneath, she loved to curl her body into the warmth of her bed. Her walls were cream coloured, and were covered in pages from her diary, she loved to write and draw. For her, each writing had to have a visual counterpart. It’s what she loved to do. She walked over to her tall red wood wardrobe and grabbed the only clothing she had that wasn’t black and changed. Alice picked up the white dress she was just wearing and hung it up in the wardrobe. Strangely Alice turned around to notice the Sphere of neutralization was emitting a dim glow of light, Alice quickly touched it and the glowing ceased instantaneously. Alice walked to her door and gently shut it. She began admire and laugh at a poster on the back of her door that was a parody on the parental advisory stickers you get on music, it read “Warning this may contain strong sexual content and language”, behind the sticker was an album cover for the Teletubies. Alice believed this matched her personality, it was something that could make her laugh no matter how emotionally distressed she was, also she thought she may have been the only person who actually finds it hysterical. Alice decided to have a look at the spell book, and experiment with the sphere’s power. She seated herself upon the floor with the book and the sphere spread apart on the floor. Her gentle hand slowly opened the book onto a random page, unusually she never noticed the first time she looked at the book but each page that contained a spell that was divided up into four rectangles, each rectangle was colour coded representing the four powers of the spheres. Alice licked the tip of her index finger and slowly turned over a few pages. The text was in a foreign language, but when Alice’s eyes visualised the text, she could comprehend every word that lay written on the old decomposing paper. Her eyes slowly reached a spell that intrigued her; it read “the art of levitation”. She began to read through the incantation, it appeared simple and the levitation effect could be stopped with one simple word. Alice placed her palm over the sphere and lifted it to chest height and began to read the incantation. Her mouth began to pour out the unusual language shocking Alice. “Eu chamo o poder da esfera, flutuo e rasgo-me…”, she stopped instantly during her incantation, and dropped the sphere to the floor. The front door of her home had been slammed. He was home… A cold chill entered Alice’s spine, causing minor spasms throughout her body, Alice knew it was her Father, her mind registered the sound of his impatient feet trampling throughout the house. Alice placed her body into a fetal position and covered her ears. Utopia never lasts forever. Alice could hear his deep voice shouting his infernal problems. She didn’t want this to happen not again, it’s as if her father is empty, almost soulless when he is in this agitated state. Alice slowly moved her hands away from her ears, as if making herself hear these ramblings which she knew would be derogatory. “Why the hell, isn’t dinner ready yet? Why the hell did I marry you? For Christ sakes I work hard all day and come home expecting my god-damn meal to be ready, it that so hard!” Her father screamed in anger.
“Honey… your… your… drunk, please calm down, please. I’m sorry I have been just so busy all day, Alice was late home, I got worried I’m sorry, please calm down”, Alice’s mother said in a distressed state.
“That’s it Alice has gone to far this time how dare she do this, that disgusting child. We have done everything for her and she can’t show any respect. You know what my friends at work said today, that our daughter was a witch, she has been messing with Satan. You do nothing to stop your devilish child. It’s your fault. You disgust me.” He replied as the deepness in his voice was getting darker.
His mind was so overcome with rage that it must have all seemed like a dream through his eyes as though he was just observing himself. Suddenly with spontaneous rage, he placed his hands around his wife’s slender waist, and threw her light and feeble body into the wall of the narrow hallway. The impact left an indentation slightly tearing the floral wallpaper. Alice’s mother fell to her knees in tears of pain, her mouth muttered out whispers, “please god, not again. Alice and me have been so good. I have been a good girl, I’m a good girl”.
Alice could hear her father’s footsteps. Tears began to fall down her check following the contours of her face, in panic she placed the Sphere and the book underneath her bed. Each impending footstep of her Father was getting louder and closer, with every footstep Alice’s heart raced even more. Alice’s body didn’t know how to react or to prepare her for her father’s confrontation, she felt as if she was in a surreal environment. She stood up as her Father pushed her door open. Alice looked at her Father’s figure, his face was hidden beneath his charcoal black beard. His dark brown eyes where engrossed with rage, as if he was feeding of his family’s suffering. His plump body was covered with a heavy coat, with many layers of clothing underneath. Alice’s body began to tremble with fear her mind was catatonic, she knew he dominated her.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” He yelled with a disturbing force.
Alice couldn’t reply, her mind was in too much distress.
“You are Satan, child. I know what you have been doing. When you leave this house you put on your witches outfit, your nothing but a dirty lesbian. You’re not my daughter. How do you think I should punish you?” His voice was filled with so much malevolence. He slowly shut the door behind him. “Ah I know, how to get rid of those unholy thoughts in your dirty mind”, His tone was so evil.
“No…. No… Don’t, please not again” Alice knew what he was about to do. “Please don’t, please. I’m sorry I promise to be good, just please no”, her weakness disgusted her, she was defenseless.
He raised his fist, and hit her face with so much force; she fell to the ground as she phased out of reality and into her mind. Her mind began to dream as her body was knocked out. The distortion of her dream was bizarre; Alice stood in a field of grass, the wind was making the grass sway creating motion blur, slowly a Locust emerged out of the green, it jumped onto Alice’s shoulder. She admired its green appearance, she wished she could hide like the locust amongst the grass. The wind ceased as the Locust began to speak “You know the price of potato’s are ridiculously expensive”. The Locust finished his sentence, and Alice awoke from her slumber, she tried to lift her head but it was overcome with pain and dizziness. The room began to stop spinning and she peered down at her body, to find that she was naked on her bed. Adrenaline instantly rushed throughout her body, she found her dress torn to shreds on the ground. Alice began to cry as she realised what was done. Her inner thighs began to throb with slight discomfort. She forced herself to get up, she grabbed the white dress the old lady gave her from her wardrobe and covered her body, then rushed for the shower. Alice turned the water on and, began to shower she grabbed the bar of soap and rubbed and lathered her body until she felt clean, she felt so dirty. She grabbed the pumice and began vigorously tearing off the top layer of her skin, shedding it to feel pure. She turned the taps off, and slowly got changed, she looked in the mirror to see the bruising had formed on her face, it was disgusting to her. Her reflection made her realise how much she needs to stop this pain.
Alice returned to her room, she heard the television on down in the living room, she hoped her Father had calmed down. She quietly shut her door and locked it. It was time. She grabbed the Sphere of Neutralisation and the spell book, her mind was so overpowered with revenged it became her soul. She placed the sphere between her two hands, “Spheres of power show me the way to cure this pain” the sphere glowed and blew the spell book open, pages began to flicker. The sphere lost its glow and slowly the book stopped on a page. Alice looked at the page, like the others it was divided up into four sections she decided to stick with green, because it was what the old women was using, nature will be able to heal her. She needed this to be over, she grasped the Sphere with both hands, and began to speak the Incantation “As esferas removem minha dor, para heal a dor que eu devo causar a dor, fazem-me insano para curar-me”. With and unusual slow pace her mind translated the spell she had just cast “Spheres remove my pain. To heal the pain, I must cause pain, make me insane to cure me”.
“What have I done?” Alice said in disbelief. The Sphere went black, and the spell book’s pages began to flip over. It arrived on the first page, Alice read it “Magic is full of trickery, so this book represents trickery. This book has changed the colours, for minds that are to clouded with emotions will pay the price. The colour changes are as follows: - The Spiritual sphere is represented by gold, Lust is represented by pearl, nature is represented in red and green represents insanity. Please remember confusion will lead to destruction”.
The Sphere shifted colour from black to red, it appeared as though red liquid gel was being injected into the sphere. Alice’s mind was full of disbelief, the magic had tricked her. Her mind was so clouded she didn’t know what to think. Suddenly the sphere began to turn liquid; its thick reddish appearance made it look very similar to coagulated blood. Slowly the liquid began to absorb into Alice’s pale skin. The Sphere had invoked her, her mind left the world of sanity, and entered the realm of insanity. Her eye’s shifted colour to maroon, her feelings still existed but her rationality was no more. Her mouth opened as she began to speak, her angelic voice was no more but became a rather harsh demonic tone “They are going to pay. Yes just… just… just… like those potatoes, to expensive they must be stopped, Santa Claus loves me”, Alice began to stutter with animosity. This was not what she wanted, her mind was over taken with insane ramblings. She just wanted to be free. Her judgement had been misled, she felt so betrayed. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.
Spontaneously she left her room rambling “evil rabbits, they cannot eat carrots”, The sphere fed her body and mind with these insane ideas. Alice walked to the back door of her house snickering malevolence. Alice’s soul still existed underneath her newly found insanity, she tried to fight the power, but just like her Father, she let it dominate her. Alice rapped her hand around the door handle and began to laugh as the harsh winter storm blew snow into the house. Alice started to dance, and exited the house. As she pranced around the freezing ice, her nerves began to lose sensation from the cold snow. Alice reached a woodpile that had been freshly chopped in preparation for a cold Christmas. The smell of the lumber was strange, Alice liked it. Her eyes glistened with excitement and she began to sing “It’s here, It’s here, we are off to chop we go”, this was a pun on the snow white and the seven dwarfs film which was a film she adored so much. Alice placed her hands around an axe that caused her eyes to be overcome with excitement. She lifted it from the ground, she noticed some snow, on the metallic blade. She moved the axe head towards her mouth and began to lick the blade’s surface, “mmmm… snow cone, tasty” Alice said as she continued licking off all the snow.
Still holding the axe Alice rolled a piece of wood onto the ground, and began hacking at it with fury, her force and accuracy was amazing. “Practice time is over. Time, pain, time, hmm, you love me don’t you. I love you, It’s time” her gibberish was incomprehensible. Alice began pace quickly and entered the house; She couldn’t feel the warmth of the house she could only feel anger, hatred, and resentment. “Don’t melt the cheese”, Alice’s insanity oozed from her mind. She reached the living room of her house. Alice could see her father sitting on the couch watching the television attracted to the light, like a moth.
“You disgust me. Your narrow mindedness is putrid I want be sick, no beast like you could be my father” Alice preached the first comprehensible sentence since she was invoked by the Sphere.
“What the…” the Father said baffled.
Alice’s father turned to face Alice. Alice just laughed and swung the axe at her father, her creator. She taunted him as he begged for his life. Alice continued to strike him with the axe, creating wound after wound. As the blood leached from his fatal abrasions, his life force faded. He was no more. Alice’s dress was covered in her father’s blood, Alice just laughed, but her pain still existed. Her mind was not free from the wrath of the incantation. Alice screamed hysterically then shouted for her Mother, “Mother come quick, Santa granted our wish”.
Her mother strolled in, her eyes where fixated on a novel the cover read “Fountain Society”. Her mother shifted her view from the novel to Alice. Her scream was horrific, Alice gathered her mother must be pleased.
“What have you done?” her mother shouted in fear.
“We are free, no more pain”, Alice said in a bizarre joy.
“You… You killed him… He was right, you are… are… a witch. How could you?” Alice’s mother reached for the phone, and began to dial emergency services. Her body was trembling with fear as tears of sorrow and loss rolled down her cheeks. “Hello, I would like to report a murd…”, Alice’s mother was stopped as Alice drove the axe into her mother’s back, Her mother cried in pain, but went silent when her body entered shock.
“Hello… This is emergency services… Oh my god… We have dispatched a police and ambulance unit and should arrive shortly please leave the house until it is safe…” The operator heard the cries of the Mother, distress rushed through her body.
Alice looked at her surroundings. She began to cry blood, her soul was crying out the Sphere of Neutralisation. Her body began to reflect on what she has done. Alice fell to her knees, into a pool of blood.
Alice began to whisper to herself “What have I done, What have I done”, she looked upon the ground before her, and the Sphere began for form into its original state. Alice grabbed it with anger and threw it against the wall, it rolled to the corner of the room. Alice picked herself up and began to walk out of the room, she felt so nauseated. She reached the hallway and looked at the roof, she noticed the manhole to the attic. Alice proceeded to the dinning room and returned to the hallway with an old wooden chair. She stepped on it and climbed into the attic. Her mind couldn’t think it could just act. She knew what she had to do. The attic of her house was dank and wet it was empty, she walked to the window. She peered out of it and could see the police were near. As she opened the window, she disturbed some dust that flew around the room. Alice breathed deeply and squeezed out of the window. She placed her feet upon the roof of her house, the tiles where brittle and covered with wet snow. Alice admired her town for what it was. Christmas changes people’s spirits uplifts them. Alice let one more tear go it turned to ice upon her cheekbone. Without out any words Alice threw herself off her family’s house. Her memories of her life did not flash before her eyes, but she felt betrayed and tricked by life. Her body hit the ground. Silence. A bright white light appeared before Alice’s eyes. She could hear someone calling her, everything was white, “Come to me, Alice. Come to me” the women’s voice was comforting. “It’s time for you to return to me, be me” the women’s voice continued.
“I cannot” Cried Alice, “I do not deserve this I have caused too much pain, I feel so much sorrow, my humanity is dead, I cannot return to you mother earth”. Alice said gracefully.
Alice felt something touch her, still no vision just, white light. “My Child, you know what will become of you if you turn my offer down, come with me” The women’s voice demanded.
“No, I cannot leave” replied Alice.
“Ok my child, remember I am always around you”, the voice said in comfort.
Alice felt many emotions. Her body was changing. Her pain was still evident. She could not leave her reality. She could not become earth. Alice’s self-punishment was sorrow. Her corpse was dragged into the earth, but what remand was Alice’s sole, she was now a sphere, the sphere of sorrow.
The Old women stood out front Alice’s house laughing with a dark malevolence, her eyes where no longer multi coloured just red. She knew what she had done. Her treachery was marvelous. She walked towards the sphere of sorrow and placed it in her palms “your mine now child” her dark laughter was haunting. The old women said an Incantation and the Sphere of Neutralisation flew towards her. She snickered and said “Another Sphere for my collection, another five thousand years of beauty”.
The police arrived, and no corpses were to be seen anywhere. Rumors flooded the town, that Alice had murdered her family and destroyed their bodies in some sort of ritual. Alice became nothing more than an Urban Legend.

Thanks for reading my story, sorry about some mistakes in there, but you opinions are welcomed so tell me what you think about it