Page 31 of Styx

from a still-cooling sky.

And yet it persisted,

calm and gentle, till I looked around

to see where it was coming from.

I found it then, that hidden solace.

I rose from where I lay

in the wet sand and felt the breeze

on my face, dampening my anger.

My sharp eyes followed its trail.

I began to walk

in its direction. There, inside

the cliffs Gaia had crafted into the earth,

was an opening where seawater

flowed in freely. And it

was glowing.

The Sanctuary

It was a sea cave that went deep underwater, and like the rooms of a palace, revealed others opening into one another before the final cave opened onto wide waters. As I climbed the slippery moss-covered rocks, I made my way through the dark green seaweed, stepping into the fertile sand until I was finally at the mouth of this hidden treasure I had found. I thought it would be dark. But inside, the water glowed like it held pieces stolen from the sky. I watched in awe as these sky pieces glowed, and when I reached to touch one, it shimmered away from me. Gently, I cupped my hands and lifted one to examine it. I was surprised to discover that it was simply a small worm, but the glow it gave made it look more beautiful than a butterfly. Someone had blessed this ugly thing with such power, it could create beauty in the world. Gently putting it back into the water, I looked around this peculiar new place, a cavern made of grey rock and a deep pool at its centre. It seemed as though this sanctuary was untouched by anyone from my family, that even if some God or Goddess had made it, they had forgotten about it long ago. It was the first time in a long time that I had the complete unwatched, unstifled solitude I needed so desperately. Grateful, I closed my eyes and touched the pool gently, giving it a soft blessing. A tear rolled down my cheek to meet the waters and then…

Creation

It was as though my hand was gripped

by its very own force, and I felt it before

I could understand what it was.

An elongated, slimy body formed between

my fingers. In shock, I pulled my hand

from the water to stare at it,

and the creature twisted around my knuckles.

It had the markings of a leopard,

small black dots on its golden skin,

and its beady eyes looked into mine

as I lifted it to see its face. It had

small, sharp razor teeth and yet