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by Sara Teasdale
O white moon, you are lonely, |
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"Hello. I was born on October 5, 2000, did you know that? You certainly can't claim I look 'young' for my age! No, truly, I've only been physical since then. It's a lot like what happened to |Rosie|. Did you hear her story? Come have a seat and I'll tell you mine, if you like.
"Once upon this modern time, there was no me. No Thorn, except of course for those thorns which lived on the roses. Rosie wasn't quite herself either, not the self we can see now, and that self was born in April. Isn't she so much older than me?" He smiles to beguile.
"Anyway, some of the flora perished in a fire. Yet tiny sparks found themselves to be ghosts of rose and thorn. We spirits floated about, flowing towards the desired company of people. We found our voice and formed our thoughts. I communicated with my little selves, and continued to speak to her when Rosie became human. We talked about everything, especially being human -- and music! -- also what I might look like if I became 'real'.
"I learned too, from watching her and her friends, from seeking those who could hear me and acknowledge me. Many seemed to ignore me then, and some still do.
"But magic will have its way, helping a magician of great power to bring forth a great dragon from its dimension to ours. Forces of magic converged in ways no one would imagine -- not even Rosie and me, who are not borne of woman," he relates stoically, as if all this were an everyday occurrence.
"Once the wonderful dragon returned to his realm, we thorn ghost spirits acted like poltergeists, moving rose petals about, knocking books off tables and shelves, making the chandelier sway while the crystals tinkle/tangled together. What music crystal makes! We found a dragon scale(!), colored dark red, in a corner and stole away with it!
"I was singing: 'If you twist. . . on the turning. . . and turn away. . . twist and shout, oh baby! do the. . . if you tear yourself. . . the union of the sna-ake!'
"We ghosts of the thorns of blue roses played in a meadow. My treasures flew out over the patch of four-leaf clovers. I stole a few clovers to add to my collection of floating toys: rose petals, feathers and dragon scale, while behind me, the vampiress called |Countess Sigula|, and darlin' Rosie, chased me. I didn't know why; all my spirits were happy and excited. I couldn't get lost or anything -- but what was that? The dragon scale stopped as if reluctant, but I pulled it along into a place beneath trees, trees that blocked out the sight of moon, stars and sky.
"Somewhere, an owl hooted. When I moved beneath the tree canopy, the sound suddenly died but this intense humming vibration happened. The dragon scale vibrated and glowed. I thought Rosie should see. Yet as I turned to look for her--
"Walls of light, pools of light, my whole universe light. It was warm. It was. . . touch. . . wow. I looked up. Night sky felt (not seen) in the theatre of trees waving in a breeze, out there beyond the thorny briars just above me. Blink.
"Blink??!?
"I heard rustling as something moved and a hand appeared before me. It had a funny thumbnail, this right hand did, a nail colored like the dragon scale, and it reached out to push the thorny branches away--
"Ouch! Sharp pain, blood, physical feeling. . . wait, that was my hand! Pain is good, it's physical and alive and I laughed from the depths of MY LUNGS!!!!!! A face, I touched my face, and my hair was long, down about my shoulders, and warmth. . . A new life in new skin.
"I was physical!
"But then the branches started to close about me, and a darkness swept down. Flee, from the black I flee, bursting through the briar cage, my skin a costume torn as I enter the human stage!!
"I stopped in the heart of the four-leaf clovers, tickling and damp beneath my feet. A real heart beat and I relished the recent fright; it meant I lived! I welcomed the chilly air, goosebumps on my skin, silver moonlight and sounds of night, voices calling for ME!
"I stretched my arms out and fell back into the clover. 'Ouch!' But I laughed. I was cold and I laughed because I am alive!!
"'Yes, it's Thorn!' I sat up, grinning widely, then jumped up and smiled again, laughing. 'And I know you -- you look even more beautiful seen through real eyes!' I dashed to the countess, dark-haired and glorious. Fair Rosie peeked out from behind her. 'Well, Rosie, do I look like I should? You remember our talk? |Countess|, I've seen you dance with |Louis|, and would you dance with me sometime? Music, we need music!'
"Cautiously, Rosie moved out from behind Countess Sigi. Her eyes changed from blue to golden. 'Um. . . clothes, you need clothes,' she said, blushing."
He laughs as he remembers his recent birth, this man who looks to be in his twenties.
"Yes, I got some clothes. I got what I wished for. Anyone who says beware what you wish for; you might get it doesn't have the courage to live!!"
|Vampires of the Eclipse|
|In a Welcoming Vein: Vampire Renaissance map|
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|The Entrance Gate|
