Categories > Cartoons > Delilah and Julius > Lurking in the Shadows
Catch me as I fall
Say you're here and it's all over now
Speaking to the atmosphere
No one's here and I fall into myself
=========================================
As Usha leads me into the closet, something catches my eye: a stuffed panda, the one my mom made for me all those years ago. I reach down and grab its tiny, fuzzy, deteriorating arm. I pull it close to my chest and hold on to it for dear life. What I am about to do frightens me, but I know it must be done.
============================
This truth drives me
Into madness
I know I can stop the pain
If I will it all away
============================
I hear Julius moan behind me. I turn, and what I see breaks my heart. Despite all his wounds, he is trying to crawl/drag himself towards the closet doors. He's hurting himself for me. I'm about to sacrifice myself for him. I turn to Usha.
"Please," I beg, tugging her black cloak, "please can he come?"
===========================================================
Don't turn away (Don't give in to the pain)
Don't try to hide (Though they're screaming your name)
Don't close your eyes (God knows what lies behind them)
Don't turn out the light (Never sleep never die)
===========================================================
Usha glances back, her face smiling at the pitiful sight. She shakes her head. "No, he cannot. He must stay here."
"But he'll die!" I protest. "No one will find him in time!"
The Servant shrugs. "It is not my problem. My orders are to bring you and you alone to Kingdom Come."
================================
I'm frightened by what I see
But somehow I know
That there's much more to come
Immobilized by my fear
================================
I stop, just before we reach the back of my closet. "If you don't help him and let him come, I won't."
Usha glares at me. But there's nothing she can do. She said it herself: the Sacrifice (me) has to come of her own free will. And she and I both know I'm not coming if Julius doesn't.
"Fine," she sighs finally, her voice dripping contempt. She turns and stretches her arm out. The wounds on Julius' body disappear. He lifts off the ground and hovers towards us. "But I am not happy about this."
"I don't give a damn." I retort.
=======================
And soon to be
Blinded by tears
I can stop the pain
If I will it all away
=======================
Out of spite, Usha lets Julius drop to the ground. He groans, clutching the place a deep gash was on his chest a few seconds ago. I run to his side and help him up. He whispers in my ear,
"You don't have to do this."
I whisper back, "No. I do."
===========================================================
Don't turn away (Don't give in to the pain)
Don't try to hide (Though they're screaming your name)
Don't close your eyes (God knows what lies behind them)
Don't turn out the light (Never sleep never die)
===========================================================
He struggles to stand upright on his own. "I'll do it for you. I'll take your place."
"Even if that were possible, I wouldn't let you," I murmur back. "Besides, it wasn't your ancestor that made a deal with the devil. It was mine. I share their fate, whether I like it or not."
=============================
Fallen angels at my feet
Whispered voices at my ear
Death before my eyes
Lying next to me I fear
=============================
Usha grabs my arm and drags me forward. She has opened up a sort of door in the back of my closet, kind of like in Narnia. I can hardly believe what I see as I step into it.
It's like something out of Lord of the Rings, when Aragorn visits the ghost city in the mountains. Dark, spectral building hover over a seemingly bottomless dark abyss. The only light I can see is at the far side.
It illuminates a tall, black robed figure, a raven perched on its shoulder. Somehow I just know this is the one Usha speaks of in awe. The Dark One.
===============================
She beckons me
Shall I give in
Upon my end shall I begin
Forsaking all I've fallen for
===============================
I take a pace back. I don't know if I can do this. All of my certainty and my sense of loyalty and obligation is washed away and replaced by fear. I back into Julius. He looks down at me, and I look up at him. I can't back down now. I'm doing this for everyone I love.
For him.
========================
I rise to meet the end
========================
Usha whispers something in a language I don't understand, and our party begins to float towards the Dark One. I can see him trembling with anticipation. How long he has waited for me, I don't know. When we arrive by his side, Usha shoves me forward. He grasps my arm tightly. His touch burns my skin, and I can't help but scream in pain.
"Delilah!"
Julius tries to run to me, but Usha mutters something and he freezes. Only his eyes can dart around. They plead me not to do this. I wish I didn't have to.
===========================================================
Don't turn away (Don't give in to the pain)
Don't try to hide (Though they're screaming your name)
Don't close your eyes (God knows what lies behind them)
Don't turn out the light (Never sleep never die)
===========================================================
The Dark One begins to speak. His voice is a hoarse whisper. "The Sacrifice has arrived. I can go on living for another ten centuries after she has been consumed. Once her soul is mine, nothing can save her. Not even /la timinia/. No one can summon that."
He turns to me. "Relax. Feel proud. You are doing the world a great service. Without this, I would rampage the surface searching for you."
=======================
Servatis a periculum*.
Servatis a maleficum**.
=======================
He places a cold hand on my forehead. It burns like nothing I've felt before. A thousand times worse than when I burnt myself on the stove making soup two months ago. I cringe under his touch. I scream and scream, trying to ignore the look of pain in Julius' eyes. There is nothing he can do. It's too late for me.
=======================
Servatis a periculum.
Servatis a maleficum.
=======================
Everything begins to fade. Even the pain, for which I'm grateful. I can hear shrieking and chanting from Usha and her thousands of minions. What did the Dark One say? /La timinia/? What is that? I'll never know.
I can't describe what happens next.
It's like I
Just
Stop ...
=======================
Servatis a periculum.
Servatis a maleficum.
=======================
TO BE CONTINUED*...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Servatis a periculum* - Save us from danger
Servatis a maleficum** - Save us from evil
TO BE CONTINUED* - When I say that, I mean in another story. That's right, guys, Lurking in the Shadows is OVER.
Say you're here and it's all over now
Speaking to the atmosphere
No one's here and I fall into myself
=========================================
As Usha leads me into the closet, something catches my eye: a stuffed panda, the one my mom made for me all those years ago. I reach down and grab its tiny, fuzzy, deteriorating arm. I pull it close to my chest and hold on to it for dear life. What I am about to do frightens me, but I know it must be done.
============================
This truth drives me
Into madness
I know I can stop the pain
If I will it all away
============================
I hear Julius moan behind me. I turn, and what I see breaks my heart. Despite all his wounds, he is trying to crawl/drag himself towards the closet doors. He's hurting himself for me. I'm about to sacrifice myself for him. I turn to Usha.
"Please," I beg, tugging her black cloak, "please can he come?"
===========================================================
Don't turn away (Don't give in to the pain)
Don't try to hide (Though they're screaming your name)
Don't close your eyes (God knows what lies behind them)
Don't turn out the light (Never sleep never die)
===========================================================
Usha glances back, her face smiling at the pitiful sight. She shakes her head. "No, he cannot. He must stay here."
"But he'll die!" I protest. "No one will find him in time!"
The Servant shrugs. "It is not my problem. My orders are to bring you and you alone to Kingdom Come."
================================
I'm frightened by what I see
But somehow I know
That there's much more to come
Immobilized by my fear
================================
I stop, just before we reach the back of my closet. "If you don't help him and let him come, I won't."
Usha glares at me. But there's nothing she can do. She said it herself: the Sacrifice (me) has to come of her own free will. And she and I both know I'm not coming if Julius doesn't.
"Fine," she sighs finally, her voice dripping contempt. She turns and stretches her arm out. The wounds on Julius' body disappear. He lifts off the ground and hovers towards us. "But I am not happy about this."
"I don't give a damn." I retort.
=======================
And soon to be
Blinded by tears
I can stop the pain
If I will it all away
=======================
Out of spite, Usha lets Julius drop to the ground. He groans, clutching the place a deep gash was on his chest a few seconds ago. I run to his side and help him up. He whispers in my ear,
"You don't have to do this."
I whisper back, "No. I do."
===========================================================
Don't turn away (Don't give in to the pain)
Don't try to hide (Though they're screaming your name)
Don't close your eyes (God knows what lies behind them)
Don't turn out the light (Never sleep never die)
===========================================================
He struggles to stand upright on his own. "I'll do it for you. I'll take your place."
"Even if that were possible, I wouldn't let you," I murmur back. "Besides, it wasn't your ancestor that made a deal with the devil. It was mine. I share their fate, whether I like it or not."
=============================
Fallen angels at my feet
Whispered voices at my ear
Death before my eyes
Lying next to me I fear
=============================
Usha grabs my arm and drags me forward. She has opened up a sort of door in the back of my closet, kind of like in Narnia. I can hardly believe what I see as I step into it.
It's like something out of Lord of the Rings, when Aragorn visits the ghost city in the mountains. Dark, spectral building hover over a seemingly bottomless dark abyss. The only light I can see is at the far side.
It illuminates a tall, black robed figure, a raven perched on its shoulder. Somehow I just know this is the one Usha speaks of in awe. The Dark One.
===============================
She beckons me
Shall I give in
Upon my end shall I begin
Forsaking all I've fallen for
===============================
I take a pace back. I don't know if I can do this. All of my certainty and my sense of loyalty and obligation is washed away and replaced by fear. I back into Julius. He looks down at me, and I look up at him. I can't back down now. I'm doing this for everyone I love.
For him.
========================
I rise to meet the end
========================
Usha whispers something in a language I don't understand, and our party begins to float towards the Dark One. I can see him trembling with anticipation. How long he has waited for me, I don't know. When we arrive by his side, Usha shoves me forward. He grasps my arm tightly. His touch burns my skin, and I can't help but scream in pain.
"Delilah!"
Julius tries to run to me, but Usha mutters something and he freezes. Only his eyes can dart around. They plead me not to do this. I wish I didn't have to.
===========================================================
Don't turn away (Don't give in to the pain)
Don't try to hide (Though they're screaming your name)
Don't close your eyes (God knows what lies behind them)
Don't turn out the light (Never sleep never die)
===========================================================
The Dark One begins to speak. His voice is a hoarse whisper. "The Sacrifice has arrived. I can go on living for another ten centuries after she has been consumed. Once her soul is mine, nothing can save her. Not even /la timinia/. No one can summon that."
He turns to me. "Relax. Feel proud. You are doing the world a great service. Without this, I would rampage the surface searching for you."
=======================
Servatis a periculum*.
Servatis a maleficum**.
=======================
He places a cold hand on my forehead. It burns like nothing I've felt before. A thousand times worse than when I burnt myself on the stove making soup two months ago. I cringe under his touch. I scream and scream, trying to ignore the look of pain in Julius' eyes. There is nothing he can do. It's too late for me.
=======================
Servatis a periculum.
Servatis a maleficum.
=======================
Everything begins to fade. Even the pain, for which I'm grateful. I can hear shrieking and chanting from Usha and her thousands of minions. What did the Dark One say? /La timinia/? What is that? I'll never know.
I can't describe what happens next.
It's like I
Just
Stop ...
=======================
Servatis a periculum.
Servatis a maleficum.
=======================
TO BE CONTINUED*...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Servatis a periculum* - Save us from danger
Servatis a maleficum** - Save us from evil
TO BE CONTINUED* - When I say that, I mean in another story. That's right, guys, Lurking in the Shadows is OVER.
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