I promised myself another chocolate tonight, so as soon as my day was winding down, and dinner finished, goodbyes said to my wonderful shipmates (whose names I still struggle to remember), I adjurned to my room to make the attempt.
I was almost afraid to see another llama this time, but I was determined to find out for sure. I stood in front of the mirror, placed a chocolate on my tongue, and allowed it to melt slowly. The sweetness consumed me – my tastes so much stronger than I remembered. It was making me a little dizzy, or tipsy, and standing was becoming more difficult. In the mirror, as expected, I was starting to see a new form being made of me.
I was startled to see that it was not a llama this time, but a serpent. Not a snake, no, not those nasty things of the woods, but a large serpent, a sea-going creature, and getting larger all the time. It was a beautiful color, black with streaks of gold and green, orange and violet. The colors seemed to change continuously, moving from the end of the serpent’s tail all the way to its head.
And suddenly, he winked at me, and jumped through the portal. I watched, wondering how something so large could fit through the small opening, and worried that he may be hurt on the glass.
But as his head went out out, my sight changed, and I realized I was seeing through his eyes now. I was terrified, as I looked down at the sea quickly approaching. I can swim, of course, but a dive of several decks height down into the churning, cold sea was beyond my believed capabilities.
I inwardly held my breath as we entered the water, and again I was transformed. No longer seeing through the eyes of the creature, I myself now swam in the ocean, the water gliding ever so smoothly against my… well, scales? I guess I hadn’t determined that yet, but it felt wonderful none the less.
I turned left and right. I looped up and down. I went in circles so fast that I thought I might be sick. But no problems plagued me. I was more free than I had ever felt.
Without noticing their approach, I was suddenly surrounded by many more of the creatures. Each of them was colored as was I, but each with a color more prominent than the others. Mine was green, and I saw orange, gold, copper, blue, and many more. We seemed to pulse together, to swim among each other so closely that we touched, but without any thought of direction or mishap.
I believe I could have maintained that life forever if I had been asked. But, again without noticing, there were several very brightly colored serpents among us. They did not have the black color with stripes, but instead were silver and gold, with many colored patches along their bodies. They were not only beautiful, but positively glowed.
They (the glowing ones) soon led out of the whirling mass that was the rest of us, and went deeper into the sea. As they moved, they also intertwined, swirling and dancing together, and now we joined them, all of us moving closer to the bottom of the sea.
I wondered who these serpents were, and how I had been fortunate to join them. Another black and prominently-green creature twined about me and said, or thought at me, as we were obviously not talking, that the darker ones like us were others from the ship, writers whose minds had been opened enough to enjoy this dance. The brightly colored friends were our muses, taking us down into the well of ideas where we might freely drink.
I spun around in ecstasy, so thrilled to hear this news. I did not know if my muse was here, but believed it might be so since I had been invited. But I was not worried, I was just thrilled to know that the muses were this real, that we could touch and dance and entwine with them.
I woke a few minutes ago. It is nearly midnight now – my swim must have greatly tired me. But I know I need to write this down as quickly as my fingers will work, so that my muse will know that I had listened.
Those are such good chocolates. Who knew they would contain the seeds for a muse within.
Writing Away 