Eric--Part Nine

Splog # 45

Nine

   Eric slowly walked back to the train tracks and looked left and right along them. All was complete silence. He looked down at the rails and saw that in places there were weeds growing along and even over them. To his left there was a clump of dandelions clustered on both sides of the rail closest to him. The stems were all intertwined together and some went right over the rail. It looked as though no train had run on these tracks for quite a long time. Had the sound been just his imagination?

   As he stood there puzzling, he thought of stepping back between the rails to see what would happen. But he wasn't quite comfortable with the idea. A lot of strange things had happened and he felt unsure of the possibility of a train coming, no matter how unused the tracks looked.

   There was still singing in the building behind him and, as he stood pondering by the rails, words started becoming clear to him.

There's no need to be blind

Clarity is in the mind

The hole can't claim the world

Light's flag will be unfurled

There's glory in the night

The stars are shining bright

We're pulsing with our might

We're not afraid to fight

There's nothing that can fright

Or sorrow us tonight

So each clasp other's hand

For here we take our stand...

 

   As the song drifted through Eric's consciousness, he found himself wanting to join in, even though he didn't know the words. The tune had the insistent rhythm of a march, albeit a slow one; a driving beat that made Eric feel there was something that needed doing and now was the time to do it. He turned back to the building and headed around it to the right to find the door. There were a couple of windows on this side so he took a look to see who was singing the song. The windows seemed to have been painted over, or something like it. He could see shadows moving inside but it was like looking through a thin sheet of wax, rather than glass. It looked as though the shadows were standing in a circle which was revolving sometimes one way and sometimes the other. Were they dancing? The circle closed in on itself and then it expanded again. It reminded him of folk dances that he had seen. But the words that he was hearing didn't seem to be appropriate for a dance.

Colors stolen from the eyes

Disappear into the skies

Water stolen from the hand

Desiccates a fruitful land

Music has no sound to hear

Stolen from the hungry ear

Stolen scent of earth's wild rose

Cannot touch a forlorn nose

All does fade and wilt and burn

Life must take a chance and learn...

 

   The music was pulling him inside to join them.