The Reflection of Black Water

What if I told you, I was use to it. What is “it” you maybe asking…? maybe not, okay so it is this….” He looks around floating in the darkness, his eyes jolting from side to side trying to think “it is my mind, the plane of existence I go to” his words interrupted by the whispers of voices. First, they were subtle almost as if whispering, he turns around to nothingness the whispering voices growing to subtle inside voice, calm, eloquent, eerie in fact. When they came they brought a cold presents with them, “He seems fixated”, “you okay”, “He’s sinking” three of them each distinct; they speak in a three person pattern with the first being dragged almost snake like tongue when it spoke, the second was mocking the voice of a child, while the last was aggressive, haunting, the monster some days. “I’m fine” he says moving his limbs in a motion of swimming or would it qualify as flying in a place of emptiness. “What do you want?” he says with a stench of agitation “you seem un-pleased today”, “you sure you’re okay”, “ less un-pleased and more like he is drowning, he feels it, that weight baring down on him once again, don’t you?” they sit quiet waiting for his response but he says nothing only just looks upward floating towards the small angel of light “what are you doing”, “you know that light doesn’t exist right?”, “moving away doesn’t make us leave you know that”.  Continuing upward “I’m not moving away, I’m just moving with the flow” he says as he turns over his body moving in the same motion to a laying on the surface of a lake, “what flow, this place of emptiness?”, “ he does have that sinking feeling”, “how deep will it drag you this time?”. He scuffs “What do you want? I’d like to get back to being left alone” he closes his eyes letting his body just float and even as he does, he can feel their intense gaze upon him just beyond the veil…just beyond the darkness “I guess you didn’t want anything after all”. The silence of his mind only broken by the bass thumbing echoing throw his ears as he focused on his painting outside in the real world.

“You know music doesn’t drown us out”, “I think he already knows that”, “ ……” as his body floats about the hair on his body begins to stand up. The surface of his skin becomes cold, he lefts open one eye before closing it back “I was curious when you when you’d speak again”. “I think you have our relationship confused”, “or rather he has gotten too comfortable”, “When you’re done with this painting what’s the next step?” he doesn’t respond to them, at least not in a timely manner they fine suitable “Terrence!”, “Terrence!”, “Terrence!”  they carry on for a few more minutes trying to battle against the music that is echoing through his head. As the music comes to a faded end, “We feel that…just so you know. That deep rage you’re hold on to”, “ I smell a shallow happiness, fragile”, “ tsk tsk poor, poor ….Terrence never happy” he re-positions to sitting cross-legged “Why are you straw manning me? Never mind…. I’d be better if we were back in unison” he says with his hand on his chin “what you hate hearing about your negative qualities?” Terrence  interjects before any of the other voices could get a word in “ no, it’s you’ve been at this for a few days and I’m too tired for this”, “That issue is not our problem now is it?”, “Well you’re in here with me” the emptiness grows making the silence even more punctual than before.

The only think breaking him out was a gradual pressure around his neck, “Hey…..be” it wasn’t to clear as he focuses back in front of him, his paint brush still on the canvas “Hey babe?” she says “uh, hey”, “ You’ve been back here painting all day, you about ready to go?” Terrence looks up at her face, the color of fudge and German chocolate, absorbs the light making her skin look flawless and beautiful.  “To Lake lure, silly to get a break away from all of this”. He smiles “awe, how cute…love”, “he’s trying to be romantic”, “Yeah…trying being the key word here”.