Danse Macabre

His eyes shone like the stars on the African night skies as the inferno which had been burning with so much intensity receded to a trickle. So dangerously close to the fire he had stood weeping as traces of his past and present burned into oblivion. Now all that was left which bore evidence to the heinous act that had occurred here was the faint stench of the burning flesh and the lingering memory in the air of the terror that his victims had felt.
  
He is Mali and he has forever been cast away by one who dwells in the light.


 With the way he shivered and hugged himself, one would think him chilled to the bones.  But alas, he was the chill itself, a cold blooded monster by proxy with a heart frozen beyond time. His face is set at a rigid angle, yet he managed to stand noble and magnificent amidst all this chaos and destruction. And as he looked regrettably beyond, another like a thief in the night stole into his presence snickering in mockery.

In complete contrast to his dark and vile endeavors, the newcomer was dressed in a spotless white robe as commonly worn by the Muslims in this region. He also had on a white turban which concealed his horns but did little to conceal the locks of his fiery red hair that burned like the eastern sunset.
This newcomer reeked of madness, radiated an evil cadence that would have made the strongest of men crumbled to the floor and his eyes which were burrowed so deep inside their sockets shone like they were portals to the pits of hell. He looked ageless, untouched by time and also filled with fiendish energy.

He is Shaitan and he is one who dwells in the dark.

Cursed be thee who neglects the potency of darkness for in it evil seek solace, so let’s jig for the night is but young and yet everlasting, Shaitan says to Mali. Let the harps be strung and the flutes be blown for we reign supreme in this hopeless lands. And so he began to sing and jig in a scintillating manner only a ballerina could relate with, his legs as slim as those of an athlete moved like they were one with the ground and his sweet melodic voice would have tamed the wildest of shrews.
 Shaitan calls out to Mali again, “let’s jig in honor of the million souls we have brought to their ruins, lets jig for the taste of blood is way invigorating and intoxicating than a jar of vinegar, lets jig for we live for all eternity while this mere mortals waste away in disease and penury.”
Mali finally spoke with so much hatred and malice that you could almost taste it. “Answering to your name Shaitan isn’t what hurts me he said, even the grave silence from the light bearer doesn’t hurt so much as it used to. What hurts me is the sheer disdain and disgust shown to me by the other dark-ling. What am I? Where do I belong? Where is my destination?”  And when he got no answer, he gave out a sorrowful cry which echoed all over the mountain side.  
“Today I defiled another right in front of his family. He couldn’t see me but he could feel me in him. Some people in his house could see me. Those who’ve got the spirits in their heads could see me and they were all terrified that they ran outside screaming Huyo!” Which means the “Popobawa” is here.
“He cried out in pain when I crushed his shoulder blades because of my inhuman grip, he cried out in pain as I forceful violated him but I didn’t stop for I was already so far gone in bliss. Even though I immensely enjoyed myself I couldn’t help but feel guilty after I had been sated. I felt so guilty that in death I was bringing so much pain to people through my actions. This same action which was my one singular vice while I was alive, this same actions which brought pleasure to me and lover, this same action which was the cause of the untimely demise of I and my lover, this same action which led to me making a pact with you Shaitan as I cradled my dead lovers head while the life sipped out of my dying body.”

“Shaitan you promised to give me the power to avenge my death and my lover’s, you promised me unimaginable pleasure, and you promised me eternal life. All these you promised if I bowed down to you, answered to your name only and forever shunned the light in which I was conceived in. Because of the anger and sadness in my heart I quickly agreed and I avenged those that did me wrong by doing to them exactly the same thing that made them attack me and my handsome lover. I have eternal life but I can’t stop myself from hurting other innocent people through my now insatiable appetite for my carnal habits. I have no happiness because I am shunned by the light and darkness alike. My fellow dark-ling see me as a spiritual anomaly, an abomination and one that shouldn’t be associated with because I fit not into anywhere.”

“Shaitan! Is it fair that I was unacceptable alive and still remain that way even in death?” Screamed Mali as he went down on his knees crying

In reply, Shaitan half cart walked and half glided towards Mali then whispered seductively to him;

“Even eternity will not be enough for you to seek the answers to your questions, ask no more. You have been cast away, forever doomed to maraud in this darkness, enjoy it. Appreciate your powers for because of you humans run to their God, revel in it. You are the epitome of fear Mali, you reek of it. No one can maltreat you like you were treated alive because you are stronger, abuse it. You are free Mali, live it.”

Then Shaitan looked up towards the starless dark clouds and asked again, “jig with me Mali for tonight we bring death to not just the few people you have killed and burned in this village because of guilt and anger but to a nation. Jig with me for the night is ours to do with, jig with me for I am Shaitan your master and I command you to do so.”
Mali I can already see men falling to the dust and burning to ashes, let’s move for the scavengers and agents of death are already gathering. If only men knew what lay ahead they would appreciate the life the have lived. I am not the cause of the war for I cannot directly affect the course of mankind but I stay at the background pulling my invincible string. Jig with me for the blood of men has started enriching the earth, I can smell it from here and I can taste it.  He who dwells in the light has cursed these minute mortals to return to the very dust of which they were made and so shall it be.”
Jig with me for it’s our right to claim the spoils of the war.” And thus Mali got cut up in the frenzy, forgot his sadness and disappeared into the coming darkness with Shaitan whose triumphant and fiendish note of laughter echoed on as they disappeared into the night.

 


 
 


4 responses to “Danse Macabre”

  1. I LOVE THIS!!! Beautifully weird!

  2. Am glad you love it

  3.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Hmmm… Interesting yet poignant.couldn't help but notice a lil “error” in the last sentence “…And thus Mali got cut up in the frenzy, forgot his sadness…” I'm guessing you wanted to say CAUGHT UP…no? Anyways, a beautiful read with its usual dose of Mystical, Mythical scenarios. Love it!Dame Valuta.

  4. Thanks for the correction ma'am

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