On Holiday

We were sitting in a gazebo in a seaside resort on a tropical island. It was what they always describe as a dream holiday, we were in an exotic locale surrounded by luxury, the weather was perfect, and we were properly in love. Her eyes were so dark and the sky was so bright.

We were sitting some distance apart in rattan chairs. There was a small glass table between us, its surface polished to perfection, with a couple of drinks on coasters. The gazebo was wrapped in loose linen cloth to protect from the afternoon heat and the cloth moved gently in the breeze. We were both reading something on our tablets. It was mature love.

”Honey,” she said, “Did you know a man dreamed about a book and then woke up with the book next to his bed. He actually brought it back from his dream.”

I laughed condescendingly, “Honey, how can one prove a story like that?"

"Witnesses maybe?"

"There are witnesses to every outrageous and untrue story out there. People who saw Jesus in a tortilla, or have been abducted by aliens. Witnesses mean nothing. It’s just one man telling a story.” I paused to marvel at the perfect symmetry of my argument. “Has anyone seen this book, anyway? Analyzed it” What is it about?"

"Apparently, he did not let anyone else see it. It is a powerful book of magic and he used it to raise an army o the dead and of demons from hell. The army is sweeping eastward, and there are people joining it on the way. He has taken several major cities. He is going for Washington.”

I got up to look at what she was reading. It was The Washington Post. There was an article and a video interview with a man wrapped in a blanket. You could see him in the video thumbnail. He was just a regular man, though his facial expression showed self-satisfaction and power. Under the blanket, he was wearing a yellow shirt and jeans. The blanket was probably a home-made magic cloak of some kind.

The woman interviewing him seemed matter-of-fact and composed, but I could imagine her and the crew crossing the parking lot of some official building, walking among a dark host of evil creatures and evil people, carrying their equipment on their backs, trying not to draw attention to themselves.

”In that case,” I said, “I’m glad we’re out here and not there, in the middle of all this.”

She nodded and smiled in a way that showed concern.

Posted by: Paweł Kowaluk