The Dark Engulfed

A Story by Ikaria Icarus

Story of a Black Eyed Man

Here in my deathbed, I pass my tale, of what I know and of those that I’ve learned. I was one of the few and perhaps with time the only one that is left knowing these. It is of tales that you might assume were weave by journeyman and wives since ages ago. Be known onto you that these tales held truth more that you could ever imagine. Perhaps it is far-fetched for your mind and those alike but I implore you to consider that I have nothing to gain for age and time have finally crept onto me. I’m merely parting my knowledge so that you may understand the nature of my blackened eye kins.

To understand who we are it is vital to understand each of our past. It would be unbecoming of me to speak of others past so I shall share those of my own.

I was born to a peasant nearing an end to the year of 1303 in the year of your lord. To a family of a loving father and mother. Time was harsh and with me the burden had never been harsher. Life was a grueling ordeal, a routine of working someone else’s land and belittled by those of power. My parent sowed the land with grains and harvest the crops but at the end of each seasons only scraps were ours.

It is at the end of 1307 my father who I had known for merely a few years, and had just learned to called upon and bask in his loving care and gaze, fell to malnourishment. He was strong as an ox and warm palm who held me close to his chest in cold winter night. But came morning was cold and blue no longer gave us heat to ward off the cold. Yet I was too small to understand and remember his face.

The coming years I grew up with my dear mother embrace and thick blanket. It was warm but I learned sadness with the trickle of tears my mother spare for every night before asleep. Even now I’d remember the tears drop from her chin atop my head as she hug and rock my body each night. The dark night kept me from seeing or remembering her face. And I would have given anything to relive and look at her face. But all I ever recall was her soothing voice sung a lullaby throughout the night.

During one of these trying nights were we force out of the house I called home. It wasn’t ours and even without a scraps from the harvest, it wasn’t enough to pay the rent. A child that I am, did not understood the cruel beating a midst my mother cries and pleas.

The following days, I’ve walk a long while, from the first light to the time when darkness engulf the lands. At the end of the day we would dine of some bread and tidbits she had found. I could have never guess the food I munch for it was always dark in the stables or shack we spent our night. In my heart were joy, joy to have my loving mother beside me and not left alone waiting for her at home.

It was not long till my mother hadn’t the strength to move around. That time, her side was swollen and purplish. Some of her ribs wasn’t heal properly after the beating she had when she plead a roof for me. I stayed by her side running my fingers through her hair. Trying to entangle some of her long hairs. With the ends of my cloth I wipe her sweaty face cleaning some of the dirt. Despite this, in my mind she was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known

At noon with chilly wind of autumn we were chase out of the stable we spend the night in. she was feverish but she was strong fending the dogs that had set upon us to drive us away. She had been bitten a few times. She says that I was all that she have and her love was undying.

We rest that night at an alley wrap in burlaps in the midst of potato sacks. She shivers at night and I hugged her with all my might hoping she felt my warmth. My hand can never get around her. My mother is too big for my hug. She was big and strong and I felt asleep in her rocking embrace.

My mother stomach had always growl as long as I can remember. We never had enough yet I always got a bigger share. She claim she never hungry but I can see in her eye as she sit by me. I learned from our walks that foods on the ground are free for the taking and that day, I locked my eye on an apple that idly on the ground beside a stall just at the alley opening.

I’m learning, but I can never understand why I was repeatedly hit by the stall owner. I just pick what’s on the ground. It hurts and I cried aloud. As loud as my lungs and throat were able. All around the market was full of people but my plea fell to deft ears. No one sees me. It hurts and once my eye turn dark I could not felt the beating anymore.

I walked away from my body that was beaten on the ground to my mother at the alley. Her eye closed but she shuddered with every cries from my body. I felt cold and hug her as she sprang to life with wild eyes searching around. Through tries, she got up shoulder against the alley way limping towards my lifeless body trying so hard to get to me. I just could not help her as she fall numerous time, I could just see she screamed something but all around me was quiet some of her voice were audible but it sounded far away.

The air got heavier as tears wells in my eye. I noticed I wasn’t breathing anymore but it felt as if something pushing my chest. I wanted to be at my mother side but no matter how hard I push, I was walking slowly following her limping against the wall. Her side must have really hurt, she never let it go. If I can walk faster I could have seen her face rather than seeing her from this side. I believe she was crying then, there so much tears that I could see. I think It was sadness. My screams just couldn’t come out tears rolling down my cheeks. All that I can was to bear witness to her struggle. Why couldn’t anyone pity her as I’ve felt then, why couldn’t anyone help her in my stead.

“I love you mother” it was a scream with all of my might but it came out a whisper I utter right close to her ear. I felt heavier with the emotion and tears. Then he came, a man wearing a smart black shirt with long black pants. He appeared beside me and placed his palm on my shoulder. He held me close to him.

I felt I’ve known him. He was thin, but I instantly rely on him. As if he was there for me. My welled tears broke and as I cried, I wept my tears and look to my mother lying on top of my battered body protecting me from the beating. It felt forever seeing that scene. I just stand by his side watching, pitying my mother.

In that entire silent, the man spoke in my mind. It was not my time. Even if it was, I did not yet learned despair and solitude. He would grant my mother wish and take her in my stead. Her time was up and he would come for me once it is my time. For as he said, I’ve joined his kin. I am forever theirs.

He helped push me to my mother. As I fell onto her, I tried to hug her but couldn’t. I just fell through her.

There was pain and I curled. I cried and screamed then I hear my mother voice stroking my head saying she’ll protect me. I was underneath her. There was shudder to her body that I felt as she was hit. but she didn’t flinched, her eye was fix on me. Her tears were all over my face. She asked me to stay strong and she loved me so much. She held me strongly and close, she kissed my forehead and sung her lullaby. It was soothing, a song that all my life I’ve heard and learned to love.

Her hand that held me loosens as her lullabies ended. I could see her standing beside that man. I couldn’t hear her but I know it in my heart for times and time again have I heard that she loved me.

Her eyes became blackened to even its white were no longer showing. His eyes were the same. I did not remember him but both of them standing there looking at me felt as their gaze penetrated my soul.

I was taken by someone and left in an orphanage that very night. And that very night I climbed and fell from the orphanage gate wanting to go to my mother side. But I never found her and I felt asleep wrap in burlap in between potatoes sack.

I’d dreamed of her, she was more beautiful than I ever remembered her as I sit on her lap in her embrace she asked him to take care of me. She was saddened, I could tell.

That had been centuries ago that it happened. I’m now here frail and old and had lived throughout years longer than most. In my live after that, I no longer felt tired nor hunger. Food as I consume are all bland and tasteless therefore I’ve long eaten any. It may be a curse or a blessing but I know not of it.

I was also given a sight to see my fellow kin through the wake and night. This is how I went through life for it would be unbearable to be without her, my mother. She was always besides staring at me but with no words exchange and lifeless as she there. She was as far as she ever is from me.

It seems as if my fellow kin follows each and every human. They did not meddle in man’s affair they simply follows and at times cover man’s eye from the truth in quarrel and from the obvious in debates. Some whisper man’s desire and witness their moments of weakness.

Few make themselves seen and drive madness in men. But each of us never bring harm to human because human themselves are more than enough.

I could feel that my times are up and my mother and him are already here so I’ll leave this note here for however you wish to interpret this. It may help you to understand us and realize that we bring you no harm so there’s no need to fear us. Just know that its among men that you need to fear and you are as us abandoned by your lords.

We are those that are left to fend for ourselves, devoid of hope, despised by man, abandoned by gods. With our soul departing we find solace in his embraced, cold and dark, it engulfed our eye so that in pitch darkness we can better see the nature of men and the truth of gods.

We did not judge, for man had far lost its ways. We did not corrupt, for man had already past that. We simply echo man desire and pray for man demise from him.

© 2014 Ikaria Icarus

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Vawn

Great story, I really feel for the old man. The story overall flow, was nice I didn't have too much trouble reading. A few grammatical errors stop me, but didn't stop me for long. And when he say 'us' do he mean poor people/farmers?

Few make themselves seen and drive madness in men. But each of us never bring harm to human because human themselves are more than enough.

Good job overall:)

-Vawn