Today’s
Snippet From Chapter 13 of Cosmogonic
Marbles
Available on
Amazon
Everything changed. And when I say everything … I mean
EVERYTHING. The weather became warm and
sunny and in an instant became every kind of weather imaginable, some that
Philip could never have imagined (even if he sat down for the rest of his life
and thought solely about weather). The
environment changed, altering from a familiar Soho back street to some alien
hive city made entirely of the sounds of echoing screams rendered solid, and
everything possible in-between.
Philip felt
himself change; for a moment he became Uncle Bulgaria, he understood the nature
of the universe, he comprehended the subtleties of the thin strands of reality
that held it together and by which life clung to existence, he conceived the
truth that time itself was an illusion. At
the same moment he was Doris, he knew what it was to be an essence without
shape or sex or species. Also at the
same instant he saw his life, not just a flash, but relived before his eyes,
every moment like a year but equally like a micro-second.
“I really
should have been a better brother to James,” he said. But his words were lost in the shock of what
stood before him now in place of the little snowman and Christmas tree.
It was beyond immense, it was as if
he were standing in front of a giant supernova, it didn’t just take up the
skyline. It was the sky. It was flat like a mirror, yet under its
surface ripples formed and spread outwards at impossible angles, rebounding off
one another and sinking into their point of origin.
“Oh …. my
…” said Philip slowly.
“Yes,” said
Uncle Bulgaria, “it’s always had that effect on me, no matter how many times
I’ve seen it. Are you going to be
alright Philip Philips?”
“I don’t
know. I don’t think I’m really ready to be a saviour of the world. If it’s ok with you I think I’ll give it a
miss.”
As Philip
began to back away, his eyes firmly fixed on the wonder of the Orphen Gate, he
bumped into something behind him. There
was the sinking feeling again, joining in, for fun he presumed, with all the
other shock-overload emotions. His left
hand reached behind and felt the rubbery skin of some horrid beast pulsating
behind him.
“Is that
you Doris?” he cried.
“YES.”
“I was
afraid so.”
“You see,”
said Uncle Bulgaria, “this is a matter of destiny, and sacrifice.”
“I don’t
even have to ask, it’s my sacrifice isn’t it!” Philip was now actually crying.
“And your
destiny,” replied Uncle Bulgaria, “but, if you choose at this point not to
co-operate …”
“Doris?”
“Yes Doris.
She’s not just a pretty face you know,” Uncle Bulgaria had natural sarcasm too.
“Can’t you
just wipe my memory or something?” asked Philip.
“Please
Mister Philips, don’t go into the realms of science-fiction, this isn’t Star
Trek. If you are not willing to fulfil
the purpose the Universe has chosen you for then I’m afraid we must kill
you. To keep the balance you understand,
the human race isn’t equipped to know of the existence of such things as
this. That’s why we invented mythology.”
“I see.”
“Do you see
Philip?” asked the voice of Doris the monster.
“Believe me,
I see. Well, that’s it then, I’m off to an alternate dimension,” began Philip.
“A twin
universe,” added Uncle Bulgaria.
“To fight a
set of mythical beings.”
“Real Gods
and Heroes.”
“To walk
through another gate to short-circuit it and end the link-way between these two
worlds.”
“It’s not
worth wasting the time explaining it again Philip Philips,” said Uncle Bulgaria
as he pushed him into and through the mirrored surface.
“We have
arranged for someone to meet you at the other side,” were the last words Philip
Philips heard in his own Universe.
