The bell rang once more.
My heart beat once more.
The sins watched. My glance never left.
My heart beat once more.
I slurped.
I slurped.
I slurped.
Sloth took my hand. Sloth ran toward the fog. Sloth dragged me with him.
The fog was dense. The fog was not complete.
The fog forbade entry. The fog whispered warnings. The fog whispered greetings.
Sloth laughed. Pride shook his head. Pride stayed silent. Greed looked. Greed kept on looking. Wrath stayed dormant. Wrath stayed angry. Wrath stayed silent. Lust's eyes sparkled. Lust's steps matched Sloth's. Lust didn't speak. Envy stayed envious. Envy envied.
Gluttony ate. Gluttony ate the fog.
Sloth walked faster.
I slurped.
I slurped.
I slurped.
Gluttony ate the fog.
The fog
hid a painting.
The fog
couldn't hide a painting.
A painting with two figures. Both blurred. Both unblurred.
Pride stayed quiet.
Pride's silence was the loudest of them all.
Pride was looking at me. Pride turned around. The fog parted. Pride walked into the fog.
Lust looked on, curious. Lust looked at Pride. Lust sighed. Lust uttered a word to Pride. Lust looked at the painting.
Greed looked at all. Greed took it all. Greed watched Pride. Greed watched the painting. Greed watched Lust. Greed watched everything.
Greed took everything.
Wrath wailed. Wrath groaned. Wrath sobbed. Wrath stayed silent. Wrath stared at the painting. Wrath didn't blink.
Envy envied Pride for walking away. Envy envied Lust for speaking. Envy envied Greed for taking it all. Envy envied Wrath for wailing. Envy envied Sloth for laughing. Envy envied Gluttony for eating.
Envy envied none of it now.
Sloth watched all of them. Sloth ran in circles. Sloth smiled. Sloth danced. Sloth laughed.
Sloth's laughter was the only sound in the fog.
Gluttony ate. Gluttony ate the fog. Gluttony ate the painting.
Gluttony choked.
Gluttony gagged.
Gluttony
coughed up the painting.
Gluttony didn't give the painting a glance.
Gluttony kept eating.
The paint
peeled off the canvas.
The paint slithered across the ground.
Envy ran to the blood. Lust caught it. Sloth ate it.
Sloth stayed silent. Sloth stayed still.
I slurped.
I slurped.
I slurped.
The painting was colorless.
The figures weren't.
The first figure was made of
skin and flesh.
It sat on a
throne of bones.
It remained blurry. It remained clear.
It was looking at me.
It opened its mouth.
Its mouth stretched
farther than mine.
Its lips curled
wrong.
Its teeth were
broken.
It slurped.
It
took something from me.
Something I never had.
Something I always had.
It tore its face. It
peeled off its skin.
It
gave it to me.
I took it.
It smiled.
It blurred itself.
I slurped.
I slurped.
The
second figure stayed blurred.
"It isn't time." it spoke.
The second figure
stepped out of the painting.
Its eyes were
stitched shut.
The second figure
gave me a glance.
The skin in my hand
smiled.
The skin in my hand
wailed.
The second figure walked into the fog.
The fog hid its steps.
I slurped.
I slurped.
My heart beat once more.
Lust was
sad.
Lust was
angry.
Lust was
Lust.
Lust was observing.
Greed kept looking. Greed held the fog. Greed kept growing
greedier.
Wrath stayed silent. Wrath
couldn't stay silent.
Wrath screamed.
The fog
made way.
Wrath walked the way.
Envy stayed still. Envy stayed
confused.
Envy envied.
Gluttony ate. Gluttony ate even more.
Gluttony ate a little more.
Sloth stayed still.
I slurped.
I slurped.
My feet moved the path Wrath made.
The fog
turned red.
The fog
became red.
The ground
turned red.
The ground grew
moist.
The ground grew
soft.
The ground
became blood.
The ground
is blood.
I slurped.
I slurped.
My feet
sank.
I walked.
The blood
rose to my knees.
I walked.
The blood
rose to my waist.
I walked.
The blood
rose to my neck.
I walked.
The blood
rose above my head.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
I walked.
I walked.
I walked.
I heard a
hymn.
A hymn for someone.
A hymn for the
Mad One.
A hymn
for me.
I walked.
I walked.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
Children, in a row, sang the hymn.
Children, in a column, played the instruments.
Children, in the pews, listened.
The hymn
stopped.
The children
looked at me.
The children
surrounded me.
The children
pointed at me.
The children
had my face.
The skin in my hand
smiled and wailed.
I walked.
I walked.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
The children
ran after me.
The children were
always behind.
The children were
always ahead.
The children
never reached me.
The skin in my hand
burned.
A child
reached me.
I stopped walking.
I slurped.
I slurped.
"Why did you stop?" he asked.
"If you stop, you will never continue. You will never begin."
He
became the blood
with his last words.
The skin in my hand
burned away completely.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
The blood dropped to my neck.
I walked.
Greed walked beside me.
Greed took the blood from me.
Gluttony
ate it.
The blood
dropped to my knees.
I walked.
I walked.
I
could stop
.
I
would not stop.
I slurped.
I slurped.
I walked.
I walked.
The blood
grew harder with every step.
The blood
grew hard.
The blood
became the ground.
I was
knee-deep in the ground.
The ground
smiled.
The ground
whispered.
The ground
demanded a sacrifice.
I
left my knees on the ground.
I walked.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
I walked.
I walked.
The ground
stayed as it was.
The ground
was as it was.
The ground
became what it was.
The ground
was always what it was.
I walked.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
The ground
gave way to my knees.
My
knees walked.
My
knees walked into the fog.
A
figure took them.
A
figure wore them.
A
figure walked them.
A
figure hid in the fog.
I walked.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
The fog
showed a brick.
A brick
I threw.
A brick
it did not accept.
A brick
that never should have been.
A
figure took it.
A
figure had many bricks.
A
figure took one more.
A
figure disappeared into the fog.
I walked.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
Wrath
stood in front of me.
Wrath
stayed in front of me.
Wrath
stood still.
Wrath was
angry.
Wrath was
howling.
Wrath was
silent.
Wrath
jumped into the fog.
I walked.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
A
figure stood there.
A
figure held a brick.
A
figure placed the brick.
A
figure placed another.
A
figure placed another.
A
figure placed another.
I walked.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
The fog
gave him more.
A
figure took it.
A
figure took more.
A
figure took less.
A
figure took enough.
A
figure was building.
A
figure had already built.
A
figure was still building.
I walked.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
A
figure laid his last brick.
A
figure laid his first brick.
A
figure became the brick.
A
figure laid himself.
A
figure completed his work.
A
figure had yet to complete his work.
I walked.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
A
figure walked back into the fog.
A
figure walked with the fog.
A
figure stood still in the fog.
A
figure moved still in the fog.
A
figure stopped the fog.
A
figure moved in the fog.
I walked.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
A
figure returned from the fog.
A
figure brought something from the fog
.
A
figure carried a pillar.
A
figure turned his head
.
A
figure turned the pillar.
A
figure took another pillar.
A
figure placed it beside the first
.
I walked.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
A
pillar moved
.
A
pillar groaned.
A
pillar straightened itself.
A
pillar grew white.
A
pillar grew into white
.
A
pillar grew like a spine.
A
pillar supported all the bricks
.*
A
pillar supported none of the bricks.
Another
pillar grew the same.
I walked.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
The
fog circled the figure.
The
fog thickened around the figure.
A
figure laughed.
A
figure cried.
A
figure wailed.
A figure understood.
A
figure went mad.
A
figure went insane.
A
figure became sane.
I walked.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
A
figure took something from the fog.
The
fog sang a hymn.
A
figure pulled out a window.
The
fog danced to its tune.
A
figure threw bricks.
The
fog shattered them to pieces
.
A
figure laid the window.
The
fog danced a little more.
I walked.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
The
fog grew intoxicated
with every tune.
A
figure grew intoxicated with it.
The
fog grew thin
.
The
fog grew thick
.
The
fog grew colors.
The
fog became colors.
A
figure grew large
.
A
figure grew small.
A
figure became many
.
A
figure became one.
The
fog became many.
A
figure became itself.
The
fog encompassed the figure.
A
figure encompassed its creation.
I walked.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
I walked.
I walked.
Lust walked beside me.
Lust spoke a word.
The
fog disagreed.
The
fog agreed.
Lust laughed.
Lust grew curious.
Lust spoke again.
The
fog surrounded Lust.
Lust surrounded the
fog.
Lust spoke again.
The
fog listened.
Lust walked with me.
The fog grew thicker.
Lust
worried.
Lust
smiled.
Lust
laughed.
Lust
stopped.
I walked.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
Envy envied.
Envy envied me walking.
Envy envied
Pride.
Envy envied
Lust
.
Envy envied
Greed
.
Envy envied
Wrath
.
Envy envied
Sloth
.
Envy envied
Gluttony
.
Envy envied
Envy
.
The
fog did not take Envy.
Envy
took the fog.
Envy
could not take the fog.
The
fog could not take Envy.
Envy envied.
I walked.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
Greed held the fog.
The
fog held Greed.
Greed
took the fog.
The
fog took Greed
.
Greed
laughed
.
Greed
became greedier
.
Greed
took all of the fog.
Greed
could not take all of the fog.
The
fog took all of Greed.
Greed
took all of the fog.
I walked.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
Gluttony ate.
The
fog fed it.
Gluttony
ate.
The
fog fed it.
Gluttony
ate
.
The
fog fed it.
Gluttony
ate more
.
The
fog fed it more
.
Gluttony
ate a brick
.
Gluttony
could not eat a brick.
The
fog showed a brick.
Gluttony
ate the brick.
Gluttony grew fuller.
Gluttony
grew emptier.
The
fog showed another brick
.
Gluttony
ate the brick.
Gluttony
grew even fuller.
Gluttony grew emptier.
The fog showed another brick.
Gluttony
ate the brick.
Gluttony
grew full
.
Gluttony
grew empty.
The fog could not show another.
Gluttony
showed a brick.
Gluttony
ate the brick.
Gluttony
grew even emptier.
Gluttony
grew even fuller.
Gluttony
showed another brick.
Gluttony
ate the brick.
Gluttony
grew emptier.
Gluttony
grew fuller.
Gluttony
showed another brick.
Gluttony
ate the brick.
Gluttony
grew empty.
Gluttony
grew full.
Gluttony
had no more bricks.
The
fog showed a brick.
Gluttony
ate the brick.
Gluttony
grew fuller.
Gluttony
grew emptier.
I walked.
I walked.
I slurped.
I slurped.
A
figure came from the fog.
A
figure stood before me.
A
figure was still.
A
figure wanted something.
A
figure wanted nothing.
A
figure wanted everything.
A
figure wanted anything
.
I walked.
I walked.
A
figure spoke four words.
I slowed down.
A
figure spoke eleven words.
I stopped.
A
figure showed no emotion.
A
figure pointed to the fog.
A
figure waited.
A
figure spoke four words.
I nodded.
I slurped.
I slurped.
The
figure stepped into the fog.
I followed.
A
figure revealed a structure.
A
figure asked a question.
I nodded.
A
figure prepared.
I waited.
I waited.
I slurped.
I slurped.
A
figure wanted something from me.
A
figure wanted nothing from me.
A
figure pierced my heart.
I felt nothing. I felt no pain. I felt no relief.
A
figure moved his hand.
A
figure pulled out my heart.
A
figure pulled out nothing.
A
figure pulled out something.
A
figure took something.
I waited.
I slurped.
A
figure invited me in.
A
figure invited none.
A
figure invited all.
A *
figure invited me to the structure.
A
figure invited me to a cathedral.
A
figure invited me to a Cathedral of Flesh and Bone.
A
bell rang.
I
entered.
I slurped.