From b15514b7a40ecd52544c8b3def2617438583f616 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Deepak Date: Sat, 6 Nov 2021 17:57:49 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] Adds clavin practicing meadowlark scene --- calvin-waits-at-westgate.txt | 94 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 94 insertions(+) create mode 100644 calvin-waits-at-westgate.txt diff --git a/calvin-waits-at-westgate.txt b/calvin-waits-at-westgate.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..38144fa --- /dev/null +++ b/calvin-waits-at-westgate.txt @@ -0,0 +1,94 @@ +Calvin sat in front of the table in his room. +He hoped Vaughan wouldn't mind spending time alone with their dwarrow attendant, but Calvin wanted the time alone. + +He kept his notebook ready to record the enemy Voice, and pulled out the slim book Yakaterina had recommended. +The first exercise in the book was simple; breathing in and out. +With closed eyes, he pictured a grassy hill, and inhaled deeply, trying to imagine its smell. +He imagined the flow of water across the surface of the hill, and the roots of the grass holding the soil fast. + +He tried to picture a stampede through a mountain valley, the rumbling of fellow yaks on either side. +The imagined valley seemed to grow deeper and deeper, as though the stampede were descending into the earth itself, and Calvin found himself buried in the dirt. +He tried to move his legs, but felt stuck. +He looked up: the view of the stampede had dissolved; he had no legs left either. +Effort, struggle, pulling at the ground, and suddenly his mind snapped. +His body hadn't sunk into the ground. +His legs _were_ the soil, when he pulled and pushed he could feel the grass rooted with in him moving gently in response, whispering lightly. + +Then another presence, not soil, not grass. +Somehow false, a shovel being thrust in his soil body. +But he could feel that although the soil moved, it was left unharmed, and he swatted the intrusion away like a minor fly, and he felt it retreat. + +The smell of grass was stronger now, vivid timothy, somehow taken life beyond the false smell he'd tried to imagine. +A solid stone block seemed to come to his view. +He grasped it and perceived it as he'd never perceived stone. +He felt the minerals within, which somehow seemed to have more meaning to him than he'd ever had before. +The stone was too compact, though, it hoarded its treasure too greedily. +Following some instinct he couldn't explain, he focussed on the stone more deeply. +He could somehow feel the weight of its millions of years of age, and could taste something unusual, not unpleasant, but unfamiliar. +Processed, he somehow intuited. + +Looking even deeper in the stone, he could feel some minor energy, some spark that could be kindled. +He gently prodded at it, pushing some warmth into it. +Now, the smell of grass was overwhelming, . +Not just timothy, but a handful of flowers, and alfalfa. + +The spark within the stone was now burning brightly, too brightly. +It started to push back at him, singeing the edges of his senses. +Then, the presence from earlier returned, cutting not at his soil body but whatever body he had here, holding the stone block. +He lost his focus and lost control, the fire was now roaring, and a voice came in his head. +_Calvin, you can help the people you are supposed to serve_ + +Calvin felt alert. +This was danger, it must be the new voice. +Calvin tried to reach for his pen, but his body didn't respond immediately. +He tried to pull on the soil, or grass, or whatever he'd done earlier but he had lost any control he had had. +The others might not be safe, Vaughan needed to do something, Calvin thought. + +Immediately the Voice disappeared. +The fire he felt had gone as well. +His eyes were open. + +He was lying on his bed, Vaughan standing next to him. + +―Sir, are you okay? + +Vaughan was holding a tall glass of water, which Calvin happily took. + +―What happened? + +―I'd ask you the same thing. + I thought I heard you calling for help, was just next door. + When we came in, you were lying on the ground, and, well. + Whatever this is. + +He was gesturing over to the table. +Or, as Calvin saw when he propped himself up, gesturing to where the table had been. +In its place now was a large pile of soil, a faint comforting fertile smell coming from it. + +―Did you ask them to remove the table? + What happened Calvin? + +Calvin shook his head. + +―Not sure, Vaughan. + I was reading Yakaterina's manual on the applied Meadowlark, trying out an exercise, but I must have just done too much. + +―Do you feel okay? + +―Just drained, exhausted. + I might need to rest here for a bit until dinner. + How'd I get in the bed? + +Vaughan looked a bit chagrined. + +―I went next door for help, Jake and Clara helped lift you up into bed. + I sent them out right away. + That's okay, right? + +Calvin waved his hand dismissively. +―Yeah, of course. + Thank you Vaughan, I owe you. + +―Sir, Vaughan started hesitantly. You might need to be careful with that. + We don't know what Yakaterina wants, and she could be trying to trick you. + Or somehow convert you over to the Hierarchy.