he wondered if . . . if. when he fell asleep . that maybe his body wasnt inhabitedhe woke  found  albeit . . superficial . wounds  punctures   scrapes  long catlike scratches  his blood staining the bed linens

his wounds didnt comport with the dreams he had

he wouldnt be . . wouldnt . be adverse to whiling in his dreams suffering if he provoked it or joined into a melee he was willing to accept those wounds or punishments at least hed know from where they came when inflicted who he had offended

his life offended others why wouldnt his dreaming

seemed possibly a curious balance 

                                       a toy teeter totter

but if he were inhabited just to be taken like a used car for a careless run around the block hed have issue with that

he wokehe could still feel cool water on his skin his hair feeling heavy and matted 

it was a shallow pool filledfed with salt seawater

its submerged mosaic-tiled apron littered with happy sea creatures and seashells ran out towards the sea from three curved steps continuous like a surfs wash they provided entry into the pool

a twist of thick long seaweed undulated in the pool one end pointing to the soft waves entering through the breakwater

the seaweed curled up on itself formed a languid S

maybe high tide was sent to gather it but it failed  the seaweed turned and rolled in the shallow blue water quaked by the tide

         it shifted listlessly

he was compelledit wasnt his idea into the receding water to aid the tide and to drag the weed to the break where he would release it back into its elements help the sea reclaim it

dragging it it was heavier than he thoughthe hadnt bother to gather or bunch it its length worked against him

when he went to regrasp it part of it got hung up on his hand  tendrils wrapped his wrist yanking free of them they snappedPopped! at a sudden the weed quivered spasmed  it was alive  an eel a worm two red eyes appeared in rents and fluttered it twisted and shook in his hold its violence began to unravel the weedyness hidden inside the long vegetation was tangled dark hair  emerging it came off in ugly scabs clots clumps the beast shiveredreared like a snake and rising shaking its skull emerged from the falling weedweed like putrefying flesh  its skull white brilliantwhite shookwrithed violently and tall in the water defying physics its jaws openedhe thought to scream but they came unhinged as its long skull split in halves and fell away and from within as it began to fallfalling limply an astonishing small red eyed automaton emerged from the split skull a ribbed metal thing falling it tickled the air with thin insectlike appendages

he was horrified

                but he caught it by an appendage in midair and hurtled it at a pillar which held up part of a pink stone colonnade that arced before the pool 

his aim was true

it smashed against the stone and fell to the sand 

it twitched

he hoped it momentarily was stunned

                                        and splashing out of the shallow pool on a dead run he lifted a rock used to sit on above his head and smashed it  again  crushed it  again  pulverized it  again  again    again

                                                                                                        he was shotthrough with adrenaline he didnt stop smashing it until it broke into dozens of pieces pieces that no longer articulated or trembled insensate 

its red eyes were crushedwent out with the first blow

he was wounded

                        but he knew how

     

Twosday morning,  7  4. 20 

1109,  Reggae Friday,  26  6. 20