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I sat myself down on the half buried boulder and sighed at the darkening sky. The stars were slowly coming out to play and the moon seemed rather shy, peeping out from behind a lonely cloud. A cool wind blew in from the south, ruffling my shirt and making the trees whisper softly.
A highly excited laugh split the silence like a thunderclap. I jumped, startled. While my skeleton had been busy jumping out of its skin, my eyes captured a small creature perched in the tree before me. I could not believe what I was staring at.
A young pale sprite was crouched on a sturdy branch in the middle of the tree. She stared down to me, watching me with wondrous beady black eyes. My stomach knotted and I rubbed my eyes, looking back to the house. The view was blocked by six foot high conifers. I looked back to the tree to see that the sprite was still there. A wide grin parted her thin lips and revealed two rows of jagged white teeth. 
“You’re lost, you’re lost!” The sprite chimed. 
From her crouching position, she suddenly started to dance around the the tree by hopping from branch to branch whilst singing those same words over and over. She made it look easy. 
A deep chill set into the marrow of my bones as I tried to mentally deny all that she was… singing. 
“No, I am not. I am sat here, in my garden.” I interrupted. 
I could not believe I was arguing back with a figment of my imagination. Again, I looked around myself to see if anyone was watching this bizarre exchange. 
“You’re wrong. You know that isn’t what I meant. You know your name but you do not know who you are.” The sprite sung back to me whilst continuously prancing round and round the tree.
“I know perfectly well who I am.” I snapped. 
The sprite came to such an abrupt halt that I was taken off guard. I visibly flinched. 
“You lie! Not only to me but to yourself as well!” The sprite’s black eyes focused on me with such intense menace that my heart started to beat faster. Sweat dampened my brow. She jabbed an accusing finger in my direction. “If you cannot be honest with me then at least be honest with yourself!” 
The sprite was right. I was lying. Lying not only to her but to myself. I did not know who I was, inside. However, I was not about to admit that, especially not to a figment of my imagination. 
The sprite was still glaring at me with those perfect oval eyes of dark ebony. She appeared to be quite offended. 
“Whatever.” I muttered. 
The tension in my stomach had reached its paramount and I felt ill. Both my hands and forehead were clammy with sweat, my heart beating so hard it hurt.
Standing up, I left the boulder and the sprite behind me. I did not want to comprehend the situation in which I was in. Trudging back up the garden path, I felt isolated by the tall walls of shrubbery.
“Fine! Walk away! But we both know that going back in that direction won’t give you the answers you desire!” the sprite called out after me.
In mid stride, my heart skipped a beat and I paused. Everything that she had said had been correct so far. But what did this creature, this irritating figment of imaginary creation, really know about me? 
Looking back up to the sky, the stars and moon were fully unveiled. The night air was still and silent. The serene twilight helped calm my burning nerves. I resumed my walk back to the house, not caring about her or her revelations. If my life was a lie, then it was a lie I was happy to live with. 

Read more: http://authspot.com/short-stories/the-venom-of-enigma/#ixzz1SGesy71A

Views: 57

Comment by JB Sullivan on July 18, 2011 at 11:45pm
Ah cool. I see what you mean. Funny thing is, I've never read that before. It was good though. I enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing it. :)
Comment by Pritha Chattopadhyay on July 19, 2011 at 11:10am

"Nothing begins, and nothing ends,

That is not paid with moan;

For we are born in other’s pain,

And perish in our own."

Loved these lines...and I somehow relate to them!

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