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
