The Little Apostrophe

"We're sorry," the little apostrophe was told by the big letter. "There just isn't a place for you anymore."

The apostrophe shuffled his little feet. "I don't understand," he said. "There are apostrophes everywhere. Why me?"

"I know," P said. "I didn't ask for the promotion. I was just a letter. I mean, when T took a sabbatical, along with l and the e's, I wasn't expecting to get asked to be a capital."

"But I'd been doing the work well," the little apostrophe said. "That's why I was brought in. To do their work while they weren't around."

"And we all appreciate the work. You've done all the other apostrophes proud."

The little apostrophe wasn't sure about that. Why hadn't he partnered up with someone and found work in speech? There was so much work in speech. But no, he'd had to go for something modern and cutting edge. Communication. That was where the future was.

"Perhaps..." he faltered. "Perhaps we could try to remind people? That it should be a longer word?"

"People don't like to be reminded of it," P said. "They say it's old fashioned. It's just a Phone now."

"I see."

"Look, you'll find something else." P said, glancing around at h,o, n and e. "We all know that. Find something that isn't as silent this time. Take the credit you deserve."

The little apostrophe nodded, but his heart wasn't in it. The market was saturated for what he did, and he knew it.

"We're really sorry," P said.

The little apostrophe found a spot on the floor and stared at it. Maybe if he looked at it for long enough, all of this would just go away. "I understand."

He didn't, really, but he couldn't find much to say.

Apostrophes were generally silent, after all.

Magic Falls Part 24

Maria looks at the being in the fire.

“You said the…child of the demon…”

The words continue to form in our ears, our brains translating it as close as they can to concepts that we can understand. It’s eyes seem to focus on me, but when Maria looks at it, I can feel it looking at her, even though the eyes still burn in my vision.

YES/NOT QUITE

“Are you the demon? Are you the Devil?”

It stays silent for a while, until it begins to make a noise repeatedly. It is both low and reverberating and high pitched and screeching. You feel the deepness of it in your stomach while the height of it claws at your ears and brain.

At first I think it is chanting, but then I realise what it is doing.

It is laughing.

“What are you then?”

It eventually stops laughing and begins to communicate again. The being outside slithers around the circle again, and I realise that the slithering is how it breathes.

I/WE ARE MUCH OLDER/GREATER THAN YOUR DEMON/DEVIL

I take a moment and think through what it has said, and am about to reply, but Maria cuts me off.

“So what are you, then? Are you evil?”

IN WHOSE EYES/VIEW, LITTLE WOMAN/GIRL?

She is now glaring at it angrily. She stands, blood still streaming down her face, and for a moment she looks like one of the furies.

“You are in my circle. You hijacked my casting. If you have your…thing out there keeping us in the circle, than you are in my circle. I created it, I cast it, and you will answer my bloody question!”

The flame exploded in anger. It rushed past both of our heads, and the heat was scorching. And then it retracts back into itself, continuing to burn angrily.

WHO ARE YOU TO COMMAND ME/US LITTLE WOMAN/GIRL?

Maria doesn’t back down. If anything, she squares up closer to the flame.

“You came to my circle in my home,” she repeats. “You are my guest. I am not yours.”

YOU/YE SUMMONED ME/US

“No, we didn’t. That was beyond our control, but I’m betting it wasn’t beyond yours. What was it? Did you just want to meet the bloody man prince boy king, dragon bloody god slayer? Did you just want to gawp? Was that it?”

For a moment, the flame falls silent. The fire swirls different colours, as I can see it thinking.

I try not to think about the thing outside the circle, which is hissing now.

I/WE CANNOT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION/PRAYER… EVIL IS NOT A CONCEPT/PLACE THAT WE RECOGNISE/CREATED

“So what are you?”

I/WE ARE THE FEAR YOU/YE CREATED/REMEMBERED

“What does that mean?” She asks.

“It means that we don’t know if we created them or remembered them,” I say. “And they don’t know either. It may not matter.”

“What are they?”

“They’re fear,” I say. “Ancient fears, that we either created or we remembered. Aren’t you?”

YES

“You say that I am the….killer of all.”

YES

Maria looks at me, unsure.

“Is this something I can avoid?”

YES/NO….IT IS….NOT SET/CARVED IN STONE BUT IT IS NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN AVOID

“Can I save Nina, if nothing else?” I ask. “I came back for that. Is it possible?”

I/WE CANNOT SEE ALL

“Theoretically, then.” I snap at it.

It laughs again.

OF ALL THE THINGS I/WE LOVE/CREATED ABOUT YOU/YE/HUMANITY…THE WAY YOU CREATE/DELIVER THOUGHTS/IDEAS IS THE ONE I/WE LOVE/CREATE MOST

“Please.” I say. “Please, tell me. Straight.”

IT IS POSSIBLE. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE. YOU HAVE CHANGED/CREATED TOO MUCH BY LIVING/RETURNING. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL

“Right,” I say. “I’m taking that as possible. But that leads to another question…”

I/WE ARE BEGINNING/STARTING TO TIRE OF THIS/YOU

“Hear me out… you can’t tell me where she is. You can’t tell me whether I can save her. We’ve upset you by summoning you and yet we’re somehow still alive. So, my question is this – why are you here?”

Maria looks down behind me as I talk, and she flinches. Her eyes are now focused on that spot with an intensity and fear, even taking this situation into account.

I look down.

The slender arm of the thing wrapped around the chalk, that was kept outside or was keeping us in.... has now crossed the circle and is edging closer to me. And then it’s fingers begin to unfurl.

TO TELL/GIFT/TEACH  YOU A LESSON/PARABLE/WARNING