The Wizard – The Beach 2
The sound of soft sand crunching underfoot, the gentle murmur of the water to his left, and nothing but a wall on his right. And the rhythmic clang of wood as he used his staff to see what lay ahead.
“You look like a fool, you are aware of that,” the feminine voice inside his head said. “Like a total fool. It ran out of steam a while ago, though it didn’t stop it from trying its best to be annoying.”
“Look, you are going nowhere again, and the sound of the wet shreds of robe is embarrassing,” the wizard didn’t understand why, since they were alone.
“No, no, you don’t understand, we are not alone, we are with each other, and I am listening to what you are doing… and… Well, it’s embarrassing, okay?” the wizard continued on, his stomach grumbling in protest for the lack of food.
“I do have one consolation though,” the wizard just kept going, “maybe not thirst, but lack of food will eventually prevent you from going on. All I have to do is save my strength and wait. Soon enough, we will be together for good,” and with that, it made silence, though it had a dangerous edge to it. Swallowing hard, he pressed on. The rhythmic sound of the wood on the sandy shore and the pleasant sound of the water echoing across the cave made him fall into a trance, much like what had happened before, but this time he went back through his memory’s eye, back to a time before the tower, before his magic.
What had pressed him to go into the tower? What had pushed him in there? Once that door had been closed, there was nothing else he could have done until the veil was uplifted and when it did, he suppressed the pain, remembering what he had felt. Yet he endured, yet he remained.
“In movement, there is life.”
“Stupid slogan, or saying or whatever it is,” the voice in his head said spitefully, but he ignored it again.
He needed sight, he needed to see, he needed light. But there was none to be found. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain on his foot, a sharp rock had pierced it.
With a grunt and a growl, he grabbed the offending foot and yanked the rock out of it. With care, he stepped on it and lay on the beach, always cradling his wooden stick.
“That is what happens when you just gaze into the nothingness all day. You have me! Remember? No, you don’t. Why don’t you just lay there, in the dark and the quiet, so you can have a restful sleep. Be nice now, be quiet and rest,” the voice sounded really tempting now, really tempting. Especially since he had to add blood loss to the list of things that had gone wrong, to the list of things that were diminishing the time he had left. It was then that he felt a sharp pang of pain in his stomach. Hunger was making itself felt, it was so strong that it clouded his mind and coordination, making him feel dizzy.
“And there it is,” said the voice with satisfaction. He opened his eyes and through the blur, he could see a light emerge, lighting the darkness and showing him bare and sterile rock over the glass-like surface of the water. “Soon you will be able to fully embrace me as I must, soon my dear, soon.”
The pain faded and he was left on top of the beach gasping for air, almost as if he had drowned.
It was then, in the distance, on the other side of the shore, that he saw a faint green light.
