Dream: Dark Star

Satyrs used to roam the land, eating the metal that grows on the trees. They were much like goats in the respect of eating whatever they could find. They would sometimes even eat the metal of manufactured objects such as cars. For these reasons, satyrs were hunted to extinction perhaps a decade or two ago.

I can see the satyrs in my mind’s eye, jumping 20 feet into the air to reach the metal that grows on the trees. The metal that grows on the trees looks like scrap metal. Good for nothing but to be melted down and fit into a mold to produce equipment as weaker than wood. It sort of reminds me of wrinkled tin foil or aluminum foil. I consider this while standing in a forest just outside an Elementary School.

I went back to Elementary School. I’ve long since graduated from there, but that didn’t stop me. I entered a random classroom and nobody forced me to leave, so I stayed. The teacher had everyone play a Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament but realizes that everyone plays Rock, Paper, Scissors differently with some people using Hill or Gun when playing Rock, Paper, Scissors. Hill being able to defeat Rock but be defeated by Paper and tie with Scissors, Hill, and Gun. Gun defeats anyone that doesn’t have Hill.

So the teacher standardized the game for the classroom.

“This Rock.” He said, “If someone has Rock, they defeat Scissors but are defeated by Paper, and they tie with Rock.”

“This is Paper.” He said, “If someone has Paper, they defeat Rock but are defeated by Scissors, and they tie with Paper.”

“This is Scissors.” He said, “If someone has Scissors, they defeat Paper but are defeated by Rock, and they tie with Scissors.”

“This is Desert Rose.” He said, “Desert Rose defeats everything, including Desert Rose.”

I’m confused, so I ask “Do you both lose if you both use Desert Rose?”

“No.” The teacher says, “Only the Challenger loses if they both pick Desert Rose as the Challenger is the one who initiates the battle.”

I decide that this was a stupid addition. Desert Rose defeats everything? Everyone will always pick Desert Rose. But the Challenger loses if they both pick Desert Rose? No one will initiate a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors.

And I was right. When the teacher said it was time to start, very few people did anything. There were a few skirmishes as maybe 5 or less people were brave enough to initiate a battle, only to instantly lose since their opposition chose Desert Rose.

After that class with the Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament, I was a little off-put by school and remembered this type of foolishness as being the reason I disliked Elementary School.

….

I saw the four men that I had driven off. They were walking through dark hallways lit only by a few torches on the walls. The shadow of prison bars painted them and the walls of the hallway. But then the shadows of the prison bars shifted into oily tendrils that seeped into the skin of these four men. The four men now displayed strange powers. They would walk into opaque shadows of pitch dark in these poorly lit halls and exit the patch of darkness across the room even though the light between those two patches didn’t reveal anyone walking between them.

They would transforms into a swarm of ribbons of shadow and fly through the sides of a closed door before materializing back into themselves. I followed them. I didn’t know what they were up to, but they had fought fairies before, I wouldn’t let them get up to anymore mischief. Soon, they came to the outdoors behind the building. This was a roughly regular yard. Rather large. It was a grassy hill that was surrounded on all sides by thick forest that showed no sign of what lay past. At the top of the hill, you could barely see the horizon above the canopy of the trees.

These four men came to the top part and picked up musical instruments. Guitar, flute, french horn, and one even had a drum. Another man came, he wore a black suit with the white collar of his shirt overflowing right below his neck. He wore a brimless cap and had the look of someone who was well-educated. He was also holding a black book. That is to say, the cover was black and had no markings, words, or patterns to give any hint as to what contents it held.

It was almost sunset. The sun seemed mere inches away from the horizon. The man with the book pointed at a constellation in the sky above the setting sun. Unlike constellations in real-life, you couldn’t tell that this was a collection of stars because the starlight connected the lines into an image of an eye with lines like sunrays radiating from it. Enlightenment, the constellation was called.

The four men, which I had believed to be trouble-makers and possibly even evil, began to play their music. A soft, contemplative though a somewhat eerie sound. It seems impossible that the instruments they collected were actually making this sound. It must have been a piano or organ hidden somewhere.

And the man with the book opened his book at the first page and began to recite the incantation. I saw the book. It had no words in it. Only scribbles of lines and images. Which made sense, since the incantations were by no definition, words. Nor could they be recorded through letters, not even phonetically. It was a guttural growl that at times became a wild whooping. It was the primal sound that makes cries of apes and lions seem civilized in comparison. It was such a barbaric noise, that I questioned this man’s educated-appearance. I wondered if perhaps the book was just for show and he was merely making it up as he went along. But he would at times, pause, turn the page, and continue again.

The musicians also had their work, slowly building up the tempo and energy of the melody. Whatever this song was, it was ruined by the barking and shouting of the man with the book. The tempo continued to increase, it went from a somber song to something you might hear at a party or a rave.

The sun was now touching down on the horizon and lowering. The building music became more and more intense. I stared at the constellation of Enlightenment, eager to gain its blessing. Then, as the sun dipped below the horizon, and a dark red glow was all that remained, I noticed another constellation, this one was on the horizon, having previously been hidden by the sun. The lines connecting it made it clear what this depicted. It was the face of a half-man, half-goat. And it was smiling too big for its face. And each tooth was like a fang, jutting out from its mouth.

I looked away from the horrific image. I stare at the constellation of Enlightenment instead. Oh dear. I think to myself, That face is going to haunt my dreams. I try to put it out of my head as I listen to the music build up to a crescendo, a climax, and apex as the incantations are now like the barks of a rabid dog.

Then everything goes quiet all at once. It’s quite surprising. It’s like climbing up a slope only to fall down a cliff. Why build to a climax just to cut off the music? Even the man with the book seemed confused as he turned the last page of the book back and forth, unsatisfied that it ends so abruptly. Then he looks up at the constellation. “Isn’t it supposed to glow?” The man with the book says.

I stare at the constellation of enlightenment, waiting for it to glow. Then I see it, purple light. It's not coming from the constellation, it’s coming from beneath it. The horizon. Without looking, I already know that something went horribly wrong. They attuned the wrong constellation.

The red light of past sunset and the purple of the constellation of the terrible face complement each other. I turn around. I don’t want to look at that scary face again. That’s when I see that everyone outside the building is staring behind me, at the constellation. I’m sure it’s a sight to behold. But really? How can they stand the sight of it?

Then, one by one, they start to convulse. Some of them start to dance and sing instead of collapse in convulsions. But something else I notice to my horror, their eyes glow. Their pupils and iris become a dark purple outlined with dark red. The terrible convulsions are like someone struggling against demonic possession. And so I come to know that they are being taken over by the Dark Star, the constellation of that terrible face. Behind me, the music starts up again. But this time, it’s circus music.

I try to snap one of them out of it. “Come on, just look away!” But he just stands there with that goofy smile on his face and starts to hop in place and clap his hands, whooping with joy. Another one curls into a ball in mad laughter. I can’t bear to watch, I open the door to the building and go inside. It’s a school. And I rush to the lobby where I see that some of those that have seen the Dark Star are pushing in crowds to get inside out of fear of what they’ve seen. But it’s too late. They soon begin to either fall to the floor, convulsing or others begin to dance and sing. Either way, their eyes begin to glow that purple outlined with red. Once you’ve seen it, it’s too late.

I begin to wonder why I wasn’t affected. I consider. Perhaps it is because I saw it before it started to glow? Before the ritual was complete? If I were to look at it now, would I fall under its sway? Then a familiar face shows itself. “Connor!” I say, pleadingly. Hoping that he isn’t fallen to the Dark Star as well. He turns to me, eyes glowing. I gasp. They’re not purple and red. They’re blue outlined with yellow.

[They say that every face you see in a dream is a face that you see in real-life. If so, Connor must have been a face I’ve seen at some point. But I don’t know anyone named Connor. Nor do I know any Dark Star.]

Connor is holding a book. The cover of dark blue book has the engraving of an eye with lines like sunrays coming from it. The eye is glowing light blue and the sunrays are glowing yellow. Enlightenment, just like the constellation we were supposed to attune. Connor turns to me and says, “Did you see the Dark Star? It’s glowing!”

“You’ve seen it glowing?” I ask, aghast. Is he going to succumb to it?

“Yes, it’s pretty freaky.” He says,  “Everyone here is going hysterical because of it. They really need to calm down, the Dark Star is just a constellation.”

It occurs to me that perhaps Connor is protected from the influence of the Dark Star because he is already pledged to another constellation, Enlightenment. I decide to do the same.

I close my eyes.

“Enlightenment, I pledge myself to you.” I say, “Grant my thy wisdom so that I may overcome the Dark Arts at work here.”

I open my eyes.

Everything is brighter now. The poorly lit halls seem to me as bright as the well-lit lobby. Connor decides to go back outside and take notes on what is happening. I find myself in awe of my new power.

My worry is washed away. My doubt and dread are replaced with peace and serenity. Enlightenment, the blue eye with yellow sunray fills me with the ability to think clearly with logic and raysun, for the betterment of mankind, as opposed to how the Dark Star fills people with selfishness and passion, overwhelming their senses so that they can’t think at all.

No longer fearing the Dark Star, I head out the doors and back outside. The many people outside have gathered into circles. Some circles are people with linked hands like Ring Around the Rosie while they dance and sing with great smiles on their faces.

Other circles consist of people convulsing on the ground, some of which are trying to at least stay sitting up. Everyone is part of a circle, except for the creatures patrolling the area. When my eyes fall upon them, the words appear over their head, glowing red: “Dark Satr.” Not a Dark Satyr, it’s a Dark Satr. Satyrs have human faces, are furry, have goat or ram horns, and ears, and a goatee, and hooves, but are otherwise human. The word above each of their heads was Dark Satr because these creatures were dressed like a human would dress. If that human happened to be a clown, harlequin, mime, jester, or other circus performer. As such, only its head and hands were uncovered.

Its head was the head of a goat. Not a goatman, or a half-goat, half-man, just a goat. It wasn’t like the face of the Dark Star, which was somewhat human. The Dark Satr has the head and face of a goat. Its eyes glowed as did all those under the thrall of the Dark Star. Those double-pupil eyes shown purple outlined in red. The hands of the Dark Satr are not hands. They are cloven hooves. Thus, they do not carry any instruments as some of the human revelers do. As for their feet? I wouldn’t know. Their shoes made it impossible to tell.

I entered one of the circles of convulsing people. I try to help one of them up to their feet. “You can do this.” I say, “You can fight it!” The Dark Satr apparently didn’t like that, because they surround this circle in a circle of their own. A circle of Dark Satr. Their smiles are upside down. Not quite frowns, just upside-down smiles. And because they are merely upside-down smiles, they seem almost happy about this opportunity. This opportunity to partake of a forbidden desire. They close in. One of them punches me with their hooves. Purple and red lightning crackle from its hoof and I scream in pain before collapsing to the ground, convulsing.

Now I know what is happening to those that collapse instead of sing and dance. They are those that resist the call from the Dark Star and are struck down with the Dark Tasr. They Dark Satr kick me and punch me as I lay there, paralyzed. But without my screams of pain, it’s no fun. So they lose interest and return to their patrols.

I am enlightened. So my vision zooms out for a birds eye view to watch the Dark Satr leave. The Dark Arts cannot hold me for long. And soon I am no longer paralyzed. I lay there until I see that the coast is clear. I get up and sneak away into the forest. But my birds eye view cannot see myself through the canopy of the trees. So I zoom in until I am back into first-person vision. I find myself at the edge of a forest on a beach. I stare out at the tranquil water. There are no stars reflecting in the water, only a purple–I look away. Enlightenment will probably protect me, and who knows if a reflection would still carry the power of the Dark Star, but I’m not taking any chances.

I look to my left and see a cliff of sandstone. I try to walk up it. I must get back and stop the Dark Star. As I slowly walk up the sandstone cliff, which seems impossible to do, I recall knowledge from Enlightenment. The knowledge is a secret insight into the proverb “Climb on the Hand-Side.” Scholars have often wondered whether the ancients were referring to the right hand-side or the left hand-side. But Enlightenment shares the secret knowledge with me declaring that the ancients thought it was obvious so they didn’t specify. To climb hand-side is to climb using your hands.

With this enlightenment I begin to use my hands. I now find that scale up the cliff is much easier. The sandstone makes poor handholds because it will break away if you apply too much weight. But I eventually make it to the top of the cliff and look out at the forest, and see the hill towering over the forest. I can faintly hear the rioters from here. All of that raucous partying will grant the Dark Star power. I must put a stop to it before the Dark Star uses its Dark Arts to manifest in-person as a Dark Satr that names itself the ruler of the world as the Dark Tsar.