“There’s always something” I say.
“There’s always something?” he repeats in his usual questioning tone.
“Always something there.” I say.
“Something where?” he asks.
“Here.” I answer, “always something here to drag you in.”
“Drag you in where?”
“To the place you don’t want to be.”
“Where’s that?”
“The dark place. There’s always something here to drag you to the place you don’t want to be, the dark place.” I recap.
“What in the dark place?” he’s ever so patient.
“Dark creatures that speak dark words and have dark minds.”
“Sounds pretty dark.” It’s hard to tell if he’s joking, either way it doesn’t matter. I finally have something to tell him and no joking is allowed in the dark place. His face is serious again. “What kind of creatures?”
“Dark ones that speak dark words and have dark minds.” Was he listening?
“What do they look like?”
“They have no look. They have no face. Only names.”
“What’s some of their names?”
“Greed. Power. Destruction. War.” I choke a bit on the last one.
“Are those the something’s you talked about, the ones that drag you in?”
“No!” I growl at him “they’re the creatures!” does he hear me when I talk?
“I see…greed, power, destruction, and war,” he says the last one softly, like a cursed name, which it is “what do they do?”
“They kill and maim, mostly maim.”
“They kill and maim people?”
“No. spirit. There’s always something here to drag you into the place you don’t want to be; the dark place with dark words and dark creatures with no look; no face (like greed, power, destruction, and war) with dark minds who like to kill and maim (mostly maim) spirit.” All in one breath. Always one breath.
“Human spirit or super natural spirits?”
“Both. Mostly human.”
“Why do they do this?” is that a twinge of fear in his voice?
“Because they can. Because they have power and we have the illusion of it, because they have greed and we follow him, because they have the real destruction, the real…war” the word stings my mouth “and ours pales in comparison.”
“Are there other creatures?” he asks, scared. For once it’s not for my well-being. It’s working.
“Yes. So many others. And they don’t like to stop Maiming, so they won’t. Unless…”
“Unless?” I’ve given him hope.
“Unless we kill the somethings.”
“What are the somethings?”
“Temptations.” I take a deep breath and begin to talk fast “There’s always temptations here to drag you into the dark place with dark words and dark creatures with no look; no face (like greed, power, destruction, and war and so many others) with dark minds who like to kill and maim (mostly maim) both human and supernatural spirit (mostly human) because they can— because they have power and we have the illusion of it, because they have greed and we follow him, because they have the real destruction, the real war and ours pales in comparison—and they don’t like to stop so they won’t unless we kill the temptations.” One breath—just barely. Just one more time.
His eyes are glossed over. He is terrified now. And for good reason. He has one more question. I know it before he speaks it. “How do we kill them?” he speaks it in a whisper.
I smile for the first time since I was 5. “With need. Only need. Never want. Kill want and temptation will die” I answer in a whisper, “but you have to spread the word, one breath.”
He leans back in his chair. Waits a moment as his brain processes the information. Then remembers my diagnosis and shakes his head. He stands and goes for the button. The big button on the wall.
Temptation is rising, I won’t miss my shot. I won’t loose another believer to skitzo-temptation.
I take a deep breath and yell as fast as I can “There’s always temptations here to drag you into the dark place with dark words and dark creatures with no look; no face (like greed, power, destruction, and war and so many others) with dark minds who like to kill and maim (mostly maim) both human and supernatural spirit (mostly human) because they can— because they have power and we have the illusion of it, because they have greed and we follow him, because they have the real destruction, the real war and ours pales in comparison—and they don’t like to stop so they won’t unless we kill the temptations with need, only need, never want; if you kill want, temptation will die but you have to spread the word; ONE BREATH!” I’ve made it!
His hand hits the big red button, but his doom is sealed.
Two men in white lab coats enter. Temptations shoot up from the ground. The first is black and ugly as ever; it grabs the first man’s neck and snaps it. The first man falls. The second temptation turns puke green and grabs the second man’s heart. The second man falls to the ground, trembling in his last seconds of poisoned life. The third temptation is a dark blue. I have to save him; my first believer.
“I DON’T WANT YOU!” I yell as loud as I can.
The temptation swipes at his feet. He jumps. It missed. Temptation knows he won’t be stopped. It turns on me.
“You want something, you want someone to understand,” the voice of temptation sounds like death; squealing, screaming, wheezing, gunshots; death. “I can have you.”
It’s blood red now. I’m done for. I smile at him, my first believer, he will go on. Then temptation grabs me. It drags me through the floor where I meet the eyes of millions of dark creatures.
There’s always temptations here to drag you into the dark place with dark words and dark creatures with no look; no face (like greed, power, destruction, and war and so many others) with dark minds who like to kill and maim (mostly maim) both human and supernatural spirit (mostly human) because they can— because they have power and we have the illusion of it, because they have greed and we follow him, because they have the real destruction, the real war and ours pales in comparison—and they don’t like to stop so they won’t unless we kill the temptations with need, only need, never want; if you kill want, temptation will die but you have to spread the word; one breath.
My work is done. I close my eyes, never to open them again.

-----------------------------------

I have reached enlightenment, and so will he one day.

And so will everyone.

And so

Will

You.

Temptation is watching.