Light It Up

Eric lay stretched across the couch, his eyes glazed over with the effects of the drugs in his system. He reached toward the ceiling seeking the warmth of the colors swirling over his head. A million tiny strings of color floated in ghostly strands to be walked through talked through, breathed in. Those damn colors never went away. All day , every day without reprieve, without variance those damn little things just hovered around, but with the sweet drugs in his system he could at least enjoy them. Pot was good for making them fascinating for a little while, acid was always interesting but mostly they just looked like a million tiny trip wires. One bad trip too many and acid was crossed off the list. PCP was nice. It warped them into wonderful shapes and sounds. He lay on the couch basking in the glow of the movement. Without thinking he moved to grab one. Sometimes he did that. Sometimes they burned his fingers, others were warm, some soft, some coarse and hard, but this strand was different. It was warm and it was smooth and soft and curled around his fingers. Unlike the other strands it wouldn’t get off his hand. It tightened around his hand, it looped through his fingers. He tugged and it came with him. He tugged harder it tightened. This time the string pulled back. He tried to shake it off but it refused to come loose. He yawned. Warm and comfortable. He slept.

. . .

Morning came like it always does, with a bright light cutting across the room directly onto the sleeping face of the teenage boy spread across the bed. Eric groaned and rolled over in the bed, attempting to block out the light. He opened his eyes to the day, the bright light of spring glinted against the dozens of tiny strands. He shut his eyes, praying that when they opened again those damn fibers would be gone. No such luck.

Pulling himself up from the bed he moved to the mirror and washed his face.

“Holy shit.”

A strand of that glowing thread remained wound around his hand. He shook it off, or tried to and failed.

“Fuck. What the hell?”

The more he tried to brush it off the more slack he pulled into the thread allowing it to wind further around him. He stopped and took a deep breath.

“You’re fine. This is just a fucking hallucination. Calm down. It won’t leave my hand, but it’s not real. Calm down. Ignore it and it will go away.”

He flushed his face with water and forced himself to ignore the thing tangled around his arm. Brushing his teeth quickly and running a comb through his hair. Pulling his jeans up in a rush he tossed on a clean shirt while heading for the door.

Halfway down the driveway he nearly ate concrete at a cat speeding by underfoot. “Fucking cat get out of the damn way.”

The walk to class turned out to be incredibly dull, ah preparation for another boring lecture. What joy!

The white cat’s paws didn’t make a sound as it padded along the wall beside the brown haired boy.

. . .


Art history was supposed to be easy or at least interesting. Alas, it turned out to be an hour and a half of sleep testing. Sitting in the large auditorium while some balding late forties professor prattled on about photo after photo in the same monotone definitely tested Eric’s ability to stay awake. Not to mention his sanity.

“Hey can I sit here?” Came the whisper to his right.

“Sure, but you can’t hear a word he says.” Eric mumbled.

“I think that’s for the better.”

Eric turned to see a tall and rather lean looking pale boy starring at him. His green eyes shone in the minimal light setting them off like gems catching light in a snow storm. A brief moment of awed silence came when he noticed the bright yellow strand coming from around the boys neck. He took a look at his hand and sure enough the thread wove its way completely up his arm and led in a single strong braid up to the boys neck.

He closed his eyes. “I’m just imagining it, I’m just imagining it I’m just imagining it. He mumbled under his breath.

“You’re not imagining it, summoner.” The whispering voice returned, this time at his ear.

Eric shifted the right nearly tipping his chair over completely. “What!”

“Shhh. You don’t want the entire class to think you’re crazy.” Those bright green eyes twinkled with glee.

“What do you mean that I’m not imagining?” Eric whispered wide eyed.

“The threads of life, summoner.” The eyes explained.

“Stop calling me summoner. My name is Eric and what do you mean threads of life?” Eric whispered viciously.

Several people turned and hushed them.

Eric flipped them the finger.

“Maybe we should speak about this somewhere else, Eric.” The boy leaned closer and spoke in a hushed tone.

“No. I’m not going anywhere with you until I get some answers.” Eric shook his head.

“Fine. If I explain how I know what you see than you’ll come with me somewhere else, somewhere public, to discuss it further.”

“Maybe.” Eric whispered skeptically.

“You see the threads of life. They are a physical representation of all life in the universe, stings that connect people and events to each other. They are shifting and moving. Most people never see them at all. You see them all the time. You always have.” The green eyes sparkled almost laughingly. “Now can we go?”

“I don’t see shit. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Eric shrugged. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“I’m serious Eric. I’m not trying to fuck with you.”

“Well I’m sorry but you have the wrong idea about me.” Eric turned back toward the projection screen.

“Don’t believe me. Then lets try this.” Without warning Eric felt himself tugged toward Eric. The boy leaning back causing the thread to tug against Eric’s arm.

“How did you do that?” Eric gasped immediately bringing down his volume.

“Come with me and I’ll explain everything.”

Eric nodded dumbly grabbing his messenger bag and shoving his notepad inside. The door to the hallway temporarily flooded the room before shutting closed with an inaudible thud. The hallway outside of room, completely devoid of people, held all the noise of a cemetery at night. The sound of their sneakers against the linoleum seemed foreign loud.

“So what the hell is going on? How do you know about those string things. Why the fuck am I connected to you and why the hell can you pull me around.”

“We’ll talk when we get somewhere quiet.” The green eyed boy said pulling Eric along by his hand.

The strand between them continued to grow increasingly bright. The color burned so brightly that Eric was having problems concentrating.

“Stay with me, Eric. “ A voice came from far away. “Shit he’s not going to make it.”

The entire world started to burn with that same yellow intensity...

. . .

Eric dreamed of a cat that night. A giant cat curled around him, the warmth of fur like silken heat against his bare skin. He imagined that the yellow thread twined around him connected to the cat like a great leash and the two of them. Then it wrapped around the two of them like a giant cocoon only the cat wasn’t a cat it the green eyed boy from earlier. Those eyes stared through him, no into him.

Eric opened his eyes to a flurry of burning colors. Every string he saw seemed to be on neon colored fire. He tried to sit up.

“Woah not so quick.”

Two strong arms steadied him as the room spun around like some insane rave. “Where am I?” Eric croaked with one hand on his pounding hand.

“I brought you back to my place. You passed out.”

Eric opened his eyes again to meet the bright greens that met his own eyes. “Who are you.”

“My name is Sylis, Summoner?”

The word summoner brought back a million terrible memories. “You’re that wack job that know about the shiny strings?”

Sylis chuckled. “Yes. I suppose I am”.

Eric looked down at his hand. The yellow strand burned so brightly he couldn’t make out his hand through the light.

“That will settle down once we’re bonded.” Sylis answered the unspoken question. He handed Eric a glass of water.

Eric took a long drink. “What is this bonded crap, who are you, and why the fuck did I pass out?”

Sylis sighed. “My name is Sylis, like I told you. I’m a shifter. You are my summoner, the chosen person that I can bond with. I’m like a guardian of sort to protect you on your travels or at least that’s how it worked when summoner’s still went on pilgrimages and protected villages. I’m not sure why you passed out, probably because you’re not used to the power boost of having a guardian with you.”

Eric looked at him like he was nuts.

“You don’t believe me?”

“Of course not. That’s crazy. You’re crazy. I’m leaving.” Eric stood up.

Sylis raced in front of him. “What if I could show you proof?”

Eric raised his eyebrow skeptically, “What type of proof?”

“The kind you can see and touch with your own hands.” Sylis compelled, “Right here and right now. Would you stay?”

Eric nodded.

“Okay get back in the room. I don’t want to be seen through the living room windows.” Sylis shooed him back into the bedroom. He raised his shirt over his head.

“Woah there buddy. What are you doing?”

“Getting ready to molest you, what do you think.” Sylis rolled his eyes, “I don’t want you to mistake this as a trick. He quickly unbuckled his pants and pull them down until he was only in his boxer briefs.

Eric couldn’t help but blush at the display.

“Now touch my chest.” Sylis put out his hand for Eric’s.

“Excuse me?”

“So you know this isn’t some magic trick.” Sylis assured. “I promise I’m not going to do anything to you.”

“Fine get this over with so I can already.” Eric sighed.

Sylis took his hand and placed it on his chest. “Now don’t look away cause I don’t want to have to do this more than once.”

Eric nodded.

Suddenly Sylis’s body grew tense and Eric watched as muscles seem to deplete and shift. Wet fur came up around his fingers. Sylis’s face began to warp and shift. There was this popping wet noise and Eric jerked his hand away, finally able to form the scream that burst from his throat. He backed up, hitting the edge of the bed and falling back. Scrambling to find purchase as the thing in front of him morphed. Sylis was gone and in his place sat a rather pleased looking mountain lion. It pawed toward him, tail swishing playfully.

“Good kitty. Nice kitty. Don’t hurt my kitty.”

“I’m not going to hurt you Eric, it’s me Sylis.” The voice in Eric’s head spoke.

Eric fainted.