Triangles, you might like them
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Part One: Glimpses
#1: The big question, I mean the really
big question that everyone is asking is: where’s the beef? Seriously, where is it? Does anyone know? Answers on a postcard.
#2: The sun is low and the sky is blue. Here we find Molly dreaming, possibly another pilgrim unstuck in time. She did not burn, Molly. It’s the --- that dare not speak it’s ----
#3: Next is Anney, sitting in a shop in New Orleans. Mike is there, and I think they’re flirting. I’m not sure, but I spoke to Erzulie Mimsy and she seemed pretty certain, so I’ll take her word for it. I’m more about life and death rather than romance and such.
#4: The big question, I mean
the really big question that everyone is asking is: who shot JRK?
#5: Dancing around each other, making sure not to tread on each others feet and crack their toenails. My name, he says, is Mike. Just Mike. I have no surname. It’s not Les Tours.
#6: “It’s ALIVE, it’s ALIVE!!”
#7: Pierre appears, peering at a vial of dark red liquid. He gazed into the potion and in it he saw a graveyard stretching out to infinity, and a figure, a ghost of pure light. The laughter, the insane, cackling laughter filled his head, and filled his dreams.
#8: President Keita of West Africa is our next apparition, appearing in the eternal shiftless sands. On the wall is a map, with a big red arrow firmly pointing at the little nation of Guinea. The shadow laughs, and rubs its hands together in glee.
#9: The big question, I mean the
really big question that everyone is asking is:
what the hell is going on?
Part Two: Purgatory
It’s the dove that dare not deak its dame…
Molly sat bolt upright, momentarily disorientated. She felt around her; soft blankets, a pillow supporting her head, an alarm clock on a bedside table that said, in red digital numbers, 3:81. That’s perfectly normal, she thought, and wiped the sleep residue out of her eyes. She went to the kitchen, and poured herself a glass of water from the tap. She put the half drunk glass down, and the water turned to ash. She glared at the ash, and muttered,
“Ugh, I hate it when that happens.”
She went to the window, and looked outside. In the darkness, she could see the glittering lights of Port-au-Prince, and as she looked the city slowly began changing. The lights melted into one another and turned into a snake, which devoured her.
“Oh great, now I’ve been eaten by a snake,” Molly said with a sigh, and couldn’t help but let out a little laugh when she saw that she wasn’t alone in the serpent’s belly. There was Pierre, Anney, Anton, Mozart, Maurice, Ramon, Stephan and several other people she recognised. Also, ------- was there, which was a bit strange but Molly was pleased nonetheless. There were also two indistinct figures lurking in the background, and as soon as Molly tried to focus on them they merged into one another and then turned into a tree.
+++
“So, are you actually gonna buy something or what?”
Mike looked around the shop, and shrugged. “I don’t know. To be honest, this whole voodoo thing creeps me out.” He picked up a voodoo doll from the shelf, and frowned. “I mean, does this really work?”
“I dunno, you’d have to ask Kwame about that,” said Anney. “Maybe if you will it strong enough it will.”
Mike put the doll back down. “That’s a pretty ambiguous answer. Does that mean you don’t know?”
“Maybe,” said Anney conspiratorially.
“But anyway, how long will it be until I can speak to Kwame?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. I’ve never personally reanimated a corpse before, so I’m as clueless as you."
Part Three: Rebirth
There was a great torrent of viscous translucent liquid that swept away everyone except Molly. Before her appeared a ladder, so after a moments hesitation she climbed the ladder.
“I’m tired,” Molly said as she ascended. “I want to go back to sleep, to my warm, comfortable bed. My warm...comfortable...dreamlesss...sleep.” Her muscles tightened, and an overwhelming fatigue crept over her, dragging her downwards, ever downwards...
“Sleep is for the weak,” said a familiar, booming voice, jolting Molly out of her growing stupor and back into action. It became more difficult with each wrung, but she forced herself.
"Push yourself, Molly, push!"
Upwards, must go upwards! Forever upwards!
“She should be ready now. The essential salts have had their effect. Wake from your slumber, Molly! Return to the world of the living!”
And Molly woke.