Well, it seems I have a visitor.
I’d get up and formally shake your hand, but, as you can probably surmise, perhaps, not yet, that I’m unable to do so. However, I heard that you’re looking for a story. Not just any kind of story, you know, the traditional horror, fantasy, fiction, and whatnot. Although, the story I offer you is not a story at all, as it does fall on the side of horror. What I offer, visitor, is an experience. An experience, that will be very real for you should you decide to embark on it. Well, seeing as though you’re listening (reading) my words as I speak, encaged in abject darkness, where the chains bind me mercilessly to the black wall. Staring at bars as you stand there with a candle in your hand, the darkness hiding your face from me.
Based on this, I surmise you follow instructions rather well. The guard informed you of how my appearance can sometimes. . .oh, how shall I put it? Debilitate, or perhaps, elicit abject fear from those who’re unfortunate enough to gaze upon it. But, given by how steadily you hold that candle, I assume you’re not easily swayed by mere rumor and conjecture. Why, you’re here for the real thing, aren’t you? Visitor. So, I shall do the best I can to crack that armor of indifference you currently attain, to elicit the most unimaginable fear from you. The plethora of experiences that run around in my head would make you tremble uncontrollably, cringe and wrap your arms around yourself in a futile attempt in protecting yourself, force your mind to accept its limitations and face its true fears. . .fear, of the unknown.
Now, I suppose you’re thinking how would you know of the unknown? Well, the answer is I’ve seen it. The way the candle switched hands and your fingers emerged, I assume you don’t believe me. How the human mind is truly limited. Depending solely on eyes, lens that can barely establish the difference between conscious and unconscious, between what it real and imaginary. Simply place a visible, tangible item in front of them, and suddenly, it exists. The arrogance of humankind has proven to be its downfall again, and, again, and again. Yet, somehow, you humans survive. I suppose I should applaud you, your species.
I digress. Forgive me if I often do so, as I haven’t had a visitor for some time. Anyway, let us get to the point of why you’re really here, shall we? From what I gathered from the guards speaking outside, you want something original. You want something you either haven’t heard before, or something you haven’t heard for quite some time. I will admit, I do not know how you found out about me, visitor. But, I assure you, that you’ve come to the right place. I understand that your time is limited, however, that means nothing here. The experience I’m about to reveal to you, will take the very concept of time by the core and reveal its utter meaninglessness. The fact that time is a man-made concept, predated by systems and entities that have repeated timeless cycles many billions of time before the concept ever came along.
Time, much like myself, was sitting in this cage, as I am. Waiting for an opportunity to make its existence known. The universe that transcends it, totally indifferent to its existence or erasure. Humans, as limited as they are, are the only entities that obey this concept of time. The animals you so casually rank below you, possess the knowledge your civilizations were founded upon. The functions of creation and evolution were put into motion well before time began, for the development of life occurred on its own accord, constantly improving, revising, reconfiguring, until it understood that the system it had already implemented was and is the perfect system. Perfection is an imaginary concept that no entity will ever reach, and if the functions of creation and evolution understand that the only way to improve is to simply function, and occur, without the ego, declaring what is and isn’t theirs, shouting to a universe who cares nothing of its existence.
Ah, I see you’re finally starting to grasp what I’m saying to you, visitor. I’m sure you’ve heard this somewhere before, with your aptitude for knowledge and all. I suppose the time for introduction has ended, now, let us take a journey, visitor, to a world without time. . .
* * *
As you can clearly see, visitor. The world is a beautiful, but illusory place. Everything around you, no matter how real it appears, is all but a blur, an attempt made by your conscious mind to perceive a reality. Any reality, really, how pitiful. The candle you’re holding is useless now. Feel free to discard it. Go ahead, take in the air you think you’re breathing, the sun creeping above the horizon, the crooked tree on the hilltop that appears to be bending the same way a parent presents candy to their child for being well behaved, the white clouds that slowly pass overhead in various shapes and sizes. Go ahead, visitor. Take it all in. Perceive the reality you want to create, the world that you can escape to, where everything will be alright.
Nothing will hurt you, nothing will frighten you, nothing will have access to you unless you permit it to. This, visitor, is your world. However, there are some limitations as to what you can do in this world. I know, but my mind is pretty limitless when I put it to work. I’ve been through this with many associates in my day, you know, before I was imprisoned. What was I imprisoned for, you ask? Well, that’s another tale for another session. Where were we, Ah! The limitations to your world. These are not so much rules as a list of impossibilities. Number one, my voice will always be a present force in this world, as I provided the platform.
Two, you will not be able to manifest concepts, civilizations, cultures, or worlds you do not have a complete understanding of. You can, however, build a world from the ground up. A warning, world building takes time. You remember that concept, don’t you? Allow me to ask, visitor, what does time mean to you? Do not answer that question, for I will not hear you. I can, however, guide you in how to best utilize this platform I have provided. Now, a tour.
Everything you see here, whatever you imagine it to be, is just that. A figment of your imagination. Whatever you touch and transfer a sufficient amount of emotion to will become real, do you follow? Although, I must confess, not everything in this world of yours will go as you see fit. What I do not tell my visitors (the very few who visit), is that this world has a will of its own, and that will may either be stronger or weaker than their own. Allow me to put it in plain terms, the world has a mind of its own. There will be times it will act completely opposite of how you intended it, as it wouldn’t be a world if it didn’t do so. There will also be times where arbitrary changes will be made, such as a kingdom you may decide to build will suddenly crumble and you not know why. Though you didn’t will or conceive it to happen, it happens. Oh, don’t get scared now, visitor. You wanted this, remember?
Allow me to enlighten you on what a world is by its true definition (though I may paraphrase), a world, is an autonomous environment that simply acts, functions. It acts by the will of no entity, even the God you humans hold dear. A world, changes throughout the course of its functioning, trying to get comfortable in its environment which you call space. A world, is like an infant. It simply exists, much like this place you are about to reshape into your own image. Everything an abstract idea, perhaps waiting to come to life, perhaps not, that is up to you, visitor. I can see you’re getting bored, so, perhaps a scenario, then.
* * *
Suppose you’re a person of simple, and natural means. You do not wish for the extravagant kingdoms with many subjects, a harem of women (or men if you prefer), servants waiting on you hand and foot, fame, recognition, honor, wealth. None of these things hold value for you. Suppose you imagine and construct a simple abode, next to the tree on the hilltop. Suppose you don’t like how the hilltop, how it leans toward the cliff as if it’s going to commit suicide at any moment, so you plateau it and create your abode there. You fill it with all the necessities (food, clothes, that internet connection you love so much, silverware to cook and consume your food with, hot and cold water, firewood, electronics to utilize the internet connection for whatever reason), now, the food, clothing, firewood, water, and silverware are all understandable, perhaps rightly justified. But, why the internet?
You are alone in this world, there are no other humans besides you. You are quintessentially God in the flesh, now, what do you intend to do with something that requires other autonomous entities to make it interesting? I suppose you can chat with yourself on social media, but, who are you going to be social with? I would hope you don’t think I will be the one to listen to all of your insignificant problems and false struggles you humans inflict on yourselves daily. I will not stand for that. Now, understanding you are alone in this world (quite literally might I add), how will you fill?
Which brings me to your next decision. Suppose you fill the empty, illusory field with many trees. Abundant, radiant, and abnormally tall trees. You create a forest similar to one that already exists in another world, is this your intention, visitor? Of course, not! You turn to look at me, but, you only now realize, that I’m not with you. You look around and quickly surmise that I’ve been speaking to your conscious. This is not so, visitor. My voice is everywhere yet it is nowhere. I am simply the guiding entity; whose purpose is to advise you on building a world for yourself.
Now, you have an abode, a forest of trees, the essentials high society has conditioned you to think you need, now what? What is your next step? That smirk on your face looks promising, visitor. Let’s see what comes of it. . .
Ah, I see you’ve placed small lakes and waterfalls throughout the forest. You’ve changed the colors of the trees to that other than green. Mixtures of cherry red and pink, I believe something like this already exists in another world as well. If you’re trying to be unique, you’ll have to think much harder than this. Or, are all your ideas and conceptions just renditions of things you’ve already seen? And yet, you look for originality.
Oh, Please. Don’t give me that look. You know it’s true. And before you protest, I must inform you that one of your waterfalls is flooding the reservoir you’ve designed to contain it, or did you forget that water travels and doesn’t stay in one place? I must say, visitor, maybe world building isn’t for you?
Oh? You say you’d done that intentionally, as the waterfall is supposed to flood the reservoir as to create streams that flow toward the lake. Hm. Perhaps there’s hope for you yet, visitor. But, I wouldn’t count myself lucky if I were you. Your lakes are nowhere near the preset cliff that is provided for you, in fact, your lake is in the middle of the forest. Did you mean to create an oasis? No, you’d done that intentionally as well. I suppose I understand, though, I’m not sure why you would place your abode so far from the lake. Unless you mean to get some exercise every waking moment.
Am I insulting you?
Well, it depends on how you take that, visitor. As I am only responsible for what I say, not how you feel about it. Now, it is recommended you stop talking to me and start focusing on creating your world. Yes, now the visitor thinks, frames the work they’d brought to life so far, a deep breath for tranquility. Oh, I see you’ve decided to scrap it all and start over, a shame, I was rather entertained by your inability to design a simple forest. Oh, ignoring me, are we? I suppose it is deserved.
Now, onto your next scenario. . .
* * *
I’ll predict this one to be rather short, as most of the visitors I’ve had fail at this one miserably. Suppose you are a person of unnatural means. You know, kingdoms, empires, subjects, servants, a cluster of peasants to rule over and bend to your will at any given moment, as they supply you with fame, honor, wealth, status, and the like. You do away with the natural scenery and you make the field barren. You conceive a mountain that faces the ocean beyond the hill that used to be behind you, jagged edges, and all, very impressive. You then conceive the mountain to be not cherry red and pink like your last attempt. You decide to go dark, and conceive the mountain as black with gold streaks randomly placed along its features.
You start with your castle, as a King (or Queen) should. You make it as extravagant as you can possibly imagine, a long, elegant black and gold brick road leading to it, massive stairs that alternate the two colors in an hourglass pattern, back and forth. Immensely large windows to all but envelope the view of the morning sun and the night sky, along with an equally massive doorway that only you can open with the snap of your finger. The castle stretches the length of almost half the mountain, it might as well be an unnecessarily large mansion but, it is your world after all, so, do as you please. Your castle’s design turns out to be similar to that of a Moorish castle of the thirteenth through fifteen centuries, with a combination of a Catholic church. Not sure why you designed a castle originally meant to be a fortress, you are alone in this world, would you fill it with people who would do you harm? You ignore the question and continue with your kingdom.
Well, visitor, I must say, this kingdom is extravagant indeed. It sparkles radiantly in the sunlight, the accompanying buildings and roads are paved to absolute symmetry, there are many shops, restaurants, businesses, methods of import and export, and everything of the like. I suppose now you’re going to fill it with people who know how to use these means you’ve conceived. But, one question, if I may, do you know how to use any of the things you’ve just conceived? Ah, how quickly we forget, visitor. One of the rules is, you cannot conceive anything you do not fully understand.
So, unless you understand what it is to be a tradesman, businessman, restaurant owner, manufacturer, how goods are imported and exported, being a sailor, pilot, navigator, and any of the plethora of skills and experience needed to operate a complex society such as the one you’ve attempted to create, I’m afraid your world is null and void. Therefore. . .it must fall.
* * *
Well, it seems my power is spent, visitor. There would’ve been a third scenario, but you see, my imprisonment doesn’t allow me much use of my abilities. Oh, come now, you think you’re the only one to watch their work crumble before their very eyes? As I’ve told you before, a world is an environment that simply functions, to the will of no entity, even the God you hold dear. That a world has a will of its own that may be stronger or weaker than your own. Do you understand now, that even if a world were given to you for free, to do as you please with it, limitations only set in place relative you your own consciousness and perception of what is real and imaginary, that even if you were given the chance to quintessentially play God in all his omnipotence, that you will still fail. Because, you mean nothing to the world and the universe. It doesn’t matter if it is a world already created and uninhabited, or a world that is given to you like a free sample in a grocery store. The result is still the same, visitor. You will fail.
Heed my words, visitor, and save yourself a world of pain, quite literally might I add. And, one last thing. . .
Thank you, visitor. . .
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