Monster in the Closet
Prompt 096: Mind
Author's Ramblings: Keep in mind the following: I am now doing the LiveJornal Prompt Challenge. The good pat is that the last five prompts are author's choice. *sigh* I've already wasted one… Oh yeah, before you go on, sorry about the horrible editing job. My new job and lack of sleep are not helping my inner editor no matter how much coffee I drink she seems to be going right back to sleep. Enjoy!
"We are about to start working on one of the most complex magic ever created. The mind circle cannot be taken lightly and as rule you must understand something; using this alchemy can change someone's life for better or worse. It must be used very carefully. You are not dealing with the physical world here Dave, it's someone's mind; the source of all things when dealing with a person's personality."
"So I'll be able to make anyone believe they are a dog." Commented Dave and quickly regret it. He had promised himself he would not say something stupid, like that, while in practice. Balthazar gave him The stare and Dave lifted his hands, apologizing with sign language so Balthazar continued. Several more rules were said and forced into Dave's memory; it was weir usually rules were set after he'd learned the spell. But anyway Dave got into the fated circle deemed mind, and took a deep breath.
"We'll start slow; it is quite the complicated circle."
"More complicated than forbidden realm?"
"No, just less important." It was a lame explanation, Balthazar admitted, but shaking his head they continued. "Read what I'm thinking."
And Balthazar sat down on his chair, staring at Dave. "That's easy: I'm cool."
"Dave, please."
"Alright." Dave took a deep breath sat within the circle's edges, clearing his mind. "I just enter… I mean… I just go into your mind."
"For now, I've lowered all walls for you to probe in."
"Probe in. Not the best choice of words."
"Stop it, if you are nervous know there's no need to worry. Just clear your mind and do it."
"Alright." Again Dave breathed in, closing his eyes to avoid all around him as distraction, and as he exhaled he opened his eyes and locked them with Balthazar's deep blue ones. Shyly he touched his Master's mind with his own. It was strangely susceptible, strangely comforting and warm. Dave couldn't help himself he closed his eyes and delved in.
To his surprise he found himself in a long and cold hallway with a hundred thousand doors. He looked around, finding doors open and closed, half open, open in little slits, open as if swung from the outside, as if swung form the inside… There were many things behind each door; memories for the looks of them; Dave realized that one of two things had gone wrong; he'd either skipped several steps (again) or had delved too deep into the spell itself (again). So Dave moved around the large hallway, and gracefully made his way through the glass floor, realizing that he could see the floors staking up, one over the other, and more doors were visible.
Dave had always had a curious side, a side that usually overwhelmed all other sides; hence his unusual adventures or the way he seemed to simply accept Balthazar's explanation when he had put on the ring. And been a curious being, he wished to see the other doors, without having inspected the ones he had at hand, and found himself looking for a way to go down… The floor beneath him gave out, as if water, and slowly he sank down to the next level. He repeated this once more and found himself in a dark hallway, most of the doors closed, and walked towards the source of light a few feet away; a door opened to a very small slit. Dave started to slow donw, wondering why this was the only door that was (slightly) open, while the others were sealed shut, and looking around he used his right hand to push…
There was a torture chamber, a man with a whip and the cries of the tortured. Dave had to cringe in pain as a cry filled the air and another painful line of blood appeared on the back of the tortured. God he knew that hair, those bend knees and when the man looked up… "Balthazar." He whispered, stepping out of the room, and yelping as the door was sealed shut.
"Having fun?"
Dave let out a startled yelp turning to find Balthazar standing behind him. Balthazar was calm, eyes cool and collected. But he was not the Balthazar he knew; for once his hair was short, his skin was pale and his clothing was well kept; that little last bit alone was enough to give Dave clue to his current surroundings. Balthazar had his hands hidden behind his back, an inquisitive stare touching his eyes; behind this Balthazar a child hid, peeking from the side of his master's leg and smiling as if knowing some secret Dave wasn't aware of. It was the image of Balthazar as a child, as Dave let out a little chuckle. "That was you."
"Yes, Dave. You are inside my mind." Dave looked down, ashamed, and kept quiet. He wanted to apologize but could not find the right words. "Now don't be so shy, Dave, you've seen only my deepest most painful moments. Nothing to be ashamed of."
"I thought with so many years of living it'll be something more… more… grandeur." He started awkwardly, trying to lighten the mood.
"This is just what we could call the lobby, Dave. There are many levels to this sort of places, especially mine. Considering the length of time I've lived this is barely the back door. Or doors." Balthazar's voice was soft, playing along with Dave's own tone; and it gave enough confidence for the child to step from behind his older self and to look at Dave with all the curiosity of a five year old. Dave smiled at the kid and encouraged him to come closer by leaning.
"So in each room there's a memory?" He asked, as the boy offered his hand and showed Dave a little magic. A dog made out of mist hurried towards them, making Dave stare at the little thing, ignoring Balthazar's mind.
"No, more like a particular time in life. We all have different ways of storing information, somewhere along my childhood I choose this particular system. A way of shutting the proverbial door if you will."
"Cool."
"No, not cool You were suppose to read my thoughts not delve into my mind, now get back out there and start again." The master waved his hand and the world dissolved into sand, the boy let out a gigged as if knowing this was going to happen and along with Balthazar Dave was pushed back into this body. Balthazar was giving him a reprimanding look that made chuckle and shake his head. "Again you go skipping steps, you skipped three lessons. Concentrate in my thoughts not my mind."
Easier said than done.
It took Dave a grand total of seventeen minutes to be a constant mind reader; he could tell what everyone was thinking. And to prove it Balthazar took him to the subway station. "The only way you can tell if you finished mastering this bit is to be able to separate the thoughts of a particular person from the sea of thinking around crowds. Now; Becky is suppose to be coming down the stairs any minute down; she's thinking about giving Veronica a particular gift. I want you to tell me what the gift is."
"Wait, how did you know Becky's coming?"
"IF you have read my mind as you should have you would have know." And Balthazar sat on the bench located at the back of the station, Dave looked around tried casting the spell and regret it having done it almost instantly. Millions of thoughts attacked him and to know which way to go or move… Balthazar had to stand up and guide him through the process, what was rather unusual. Dave was forced to take off the spell and start again. "This time, try easing the spell in, instead of shooting it up too quickly, alright?"
"Got it."
"Go on." And Balthazar sat down again. As promised Becky made her grand appearance, with the wind hitting her in such a way that she looked as a goddess descending down the steps of her palace to greet the commoners. Her golden hair danced around her head, her neck covered with a scarf… What was he supposed to be doing again? "Reading her mind." Came Balthazar's answer, making Dave turn and nod. Dave took a deep breath and cleared his mind…
"… but then again Veronica might not think such a thing." Came Becky's soft voice, as Dave watched her stop, waiting for the train to arrive. He stared at the girl, aware that Balthazar had placed and invisibility spell over them both, and still listening to her thoughts walked as best as he could towards her. "I just hope Veronica doesn't consider this too ordinary, but why would she? She's my friend and master, right? Boy I wish we had another friend in common, that way we could discuss if making this… Oh, careful." Dave frowned watching a woman pull a large dog that was nearing Becky away, apologizing. "God, I hate large dogs. Tanks enough as it is. Step out of the gutter Barnes, just relax."
Come on Becky think what the gift is so I can make my entrance and kiss you. Though Dave as he walked to stand beside her, aware she could not see him. Or feel him for that matter, she wasn't into feeling auras yet. "I hope I don't look like and idiot handing this to Veronica, she's so… sweet she wouldn't tell me if it's wrong. But then again I'm sure Dave…" Becky turning slightly towards Dave, frowning. Dave panicked and froze in place just as the train arrived and blew wind all around them. Becky shook her head, giggling to herself and looking down at the large paper bag she carried. "I'm already smelling him, isn't that something? Barely a year together and I can smell his perfume everywhere. Even when he's not here. God I love that man." And she got into the train, the doors closing. "Well Veronica, here comes your apprentice with a hopefully enchanted scrapbook."
The station emptied, and Dave standing there feeling like the luckiest man alive, it took Balthazar and a small shock of lighting to make things move again. "Come on, lighting and thunder, what's the gift?"
"She smelled my perfume."
Balthazar slapped his own forehead wishing his apprentice would concentrate for once.