Feeling Lighter than Ever

Joseph Paton

Eve awoke to find herself enveloped in the broad arms of a man she could not recognize. She shimmied and wriggled sideways to the end of the bed and drew back, looking once again through foggy eyes … staring at the sleeping figure who seemed so very familiar.

He was still very much asleep.

Long, very long, curly hair draped over his pillow … well, it was her pillow - with his head on it. His skin had a sheen that was hard to describe … it did not look pitted and pored like an ordinary body - it actually did not look real at all and a feint aura of light seemed to emit from it - she squinted to try to clear her eyes and refocus - she could not determine his age, only that he was very tall and with the body of a god.

Eve slowly withdrew from the sheets and slyly huddled into a nearby silk robe, leaving to make coffee. Although she should have felt alarmed the truth was she felt lighter than ever, in fact, she felt better than she could recall ever feeling. Happiness travelled the whole length of her body.


-Gabriel Brunsdon, Finding Self - Second Guesses: Azlander Series

At the End of the Tunnel

There was a tunnel, and a light and at the end of the tunnel, and through this light, was another tunnel and a brighter light. In the middle of this brighter light was a little box. Inside the box was a key to its lock. 

Mr Dickens arrived just in time to see the white rabbit abscond with the box, right before he could claim it for his own. He thought he heard the rabbit mutter something about being very late, dropping a pocket clock as he left. Mr Dickens picked up the small clock and saw its hands moving backwards.

Years later he related this story to a friend whose name was also Charles.

“You know how clocks keep step with the time in the present?” he began.

“Yes yes,” nodded the cleric, packing his already stuffed pipe.

"Well it appears that my pocket automata dictates time itself - it leads the dance, so to speak."

“How so?" asked Charles to Charles. He was not disconsiderate - in point of fact, he seriously admired his colleague and loved him for his great fascination of the world. Anything that Dickens said he sincerely believed.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Finding Self - Second Guesses: Azlander Series

Dragon Energy

The people often spoke of ‘dragon energy’ - not knowing exactly where it came from, or what it was.

When, as a little boy, Nathanius Tindle had placed his hand around the diamond cough drop, whereupon something of the energetic force was imparted, thus it was that he went on to grow to such an unusual gigantic height.

This was not its only gift, for his mind had accelerated also - and he took great pleasure prescribing mathematical solutions to configuring complex formulas, and geometrical understandings of geometry and the wonders of astronomy.

He knew that the principle of ‘as above, so below’ was in deed a primal fact: and that all forms within the material world had their essential patents elsewhere in the universe - that life was constantly repeated through these heavenly guidelines - forming and un-forming Creation.

It was probably just as well that Nathanius had lost the diamond, for its powers would have soon become too much for him, too great, too bold, for any one man, to know.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Finding Self - Second Guesses: Azlander Series

Magic Shadow

Dmitry Krutous

“Dead Wood" - that was how they had described him, and it stung.

To a dwarf this is a very great insult - possibly the worst insult - for each being of Faerie has their own dedicated tree, and so to call him ‘dead wood’ was to suggest he, and his tree, was without life.

There are beings who emanate further life to life which is around them and then there are those who have ceased to participate - and their transactions with the ethers go just one way.

Pine-Needles loved life and its nature and his fellow beings - he had fallen ill and that was simply all. But now, with the illness fallen from him, and the healing of the ecto vapours from Puck, he was renewed. He had also an especial fondness for Eve by association - and committed to be her chief defender, prime project, and magic shadow.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Finding Self - Second Guesses: Azlander Series

Black was Back

“Have you a special question today Sir?” Eve asked politely.

“Yes indeed” the timbre was sophisticated. He continued: “Do you think that chickens can see into the ‘other worlds’?"

“Could you please repeat the question?” she nervously asked, biding time, dismayed at being caught off guard.

“Well, er, Mr … ”

“Black” he said calmly - as though he expected to be taken seriously. “Can chickens see spiritual phenomena? he pressed: are they clairvoyant?”

“That really is a very interesting question Mr Black - can I ask what made you think of it?”

“In my opinion sparrows can see the invisibles - most breeds do - but I have not been able to say with certainty that the chicken, hen or rooster is so qualified. It's their brains you see - very flighty. They do say that the rooster can feel the sunrise as it approaches, and its healing forces infill his song.”

Eve paused to think - her show was interrupted conveniently by a local sponsor’s advertisement.

The stranger kept talking: “The dog is dead, Albert is in Bermuda, and the nagging spirit is not his wife, but his mother.”

"Click"- the phone-line died.

Eve hurriedly shuffled her papers to find the one she had prepared earlier to read to her audience … she bit her lip - its subject was ‘psychic animals’. How could the caller have known?

She laughed when all of a sudden she recognized who was at the other end of the line - somehow she just knew it was that crazy spirit that had wandered into her apartment a few days before, and now it appeared he was back.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Finding Self - Second Guesses: Azlander Series

Radio Show

Back at the radio station Eve had got off to a great start - the switchboard was clamouring with ardent enthusiasts. Management always took it to be a ‘good sign’ when the public responded ravenously to a host - proving that again spiritism was still very much a hot topic, even in this modern age.

Caller number one had lost their dog, and was phoning to ask the medium if she could sense his whereabouts. Caller two had lost their husband: and could not verify if they were dead or had absconded, or perhaps was lost, and had asked Eve pitifully if she could sense Albert’s whereabouts.

Caller three had lost his wife, but wanted to know if there was a way he could hide from the spirit of the deceased, who nightly haunted him with chores that she considered he was meant to be doing. 

Caller four had an unusual stride in the way they spoke - it was almost playful. He introduced himself as a student for all things esoteric.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Finding Self - Second Guesses: Azlander Series

Very Zen

The fat grey moth appeared to have given up, having succumbed to the sticky tangle that had entrapped him.

Puck gently blew on the failing creature, and in that one breath the bondage dissolved and the creature flew free.

Out in the rocky outcrops of Utah a lone climber was wedged in between two rock walls that earlier he thought he could crawl through. His body had swollen in the heat of the struggle, and now the adventurer was literally stuck between a rock and a hard place, opposing his efforts to move forward or back.

He could not reach his phone, or flick the ants from his nose. The heat of the stone was burning his bare shoulders, and his fears were strangling the very breath out from him. He closed his eyes momentarily to find respite from the panic, when a warm sweet wind passed over him from behind. He opened his eyes to find that the wall beside him was breaking up into sand, and with all the effort he could gather, he wriggled free. The young explorer dropped safely and softly onto the dirt beneath.

Back in his one-windowed room, Puck picked up his satchel to leave, and then stopped to clairvoyantly enjoy the exhilaration of the climber as he ran towards the entrance to the national park.

“How very Zen” he said jokingly to the ghost of Master Shen, who saw also the remote event watching through his friend’s eyes.

With the hint of a smile, he every slightly nodded a bow to Puck on his way out. The old ghost touched his shoulder affectionately and whispered, “Two-fer”.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Finding Self - Second Guesses: Azlander Series