The Wake

The cold wind kissed my skin, the air smelling dead. The road ahead empty, the house down the road beckoning. Something feels wrong, how did I get to this place? why do I want to go there? "just go, the answer lies ahead." an unrecognizable voice in my head spoke.

In short slow strides I found myself staring at the doorknob of this strange house. Lifting my hands to knock, the door opened...

"This is weird."
My own voice said in my head. Now this voice, I recognised. I stepped in, and the door shut. I looked at the door, decided against trying to leave and moved forward. A chandelier of candles lit up, candle by candle, then candles on the tables and wall. I was in a grand hall, too big to fit into the little domestic house I thought I stepped into.

I looked at the banquet table, it was enough for a 500 man feast. stretched across the centre of the room. Utensils were impeccably arranged, as if a feast was about to begin.
"Where am I?"
I asked silently, as if in response, a door across the other end of the table opened, just enough for me to pass through. I walked through and It was a sunny day, bright as summer.

People were socialising and partying in an exquisite garden, the kind that belonged to elite family castles. They were all dressed like it was the 1600s. I looked down only to realise I was dressed in embroidered linen silk jacket, fastened with ribbon ties. Shakespeare-esque.

I hurried through the crowd and stopped only when I saw a young man, who seemed to be in his late 20s. He was the closest to my age I've seen so I'll take it.

"Valorous m'rning sir, a most gracious party aye?" I said, in my best Shakespearean expression.

He looked at me as though confused, and catching himself then replied "Aye, aye, On my honour Nev'r hast th're been bett'r"

"Seen ye our most gracious host?" I asked, trying to get to the point as soon as I could and explain the confusion.

"Alas! just did see that Lord Argent headed to the castle f'r some m're wine"

"Thank you" I muttered, hurrying off to the direction of a huge castle that I seemed not to have noticed when I arrived, I looked around as I walked hurriedly, the door through which I came seemed to have gone on vacation.

Manor D'Argent

The castle of money, as the name implied left nothing to the imagination. From the display of art from different civilisations, I'm talking greek sculptures, lining the throne room, Italian paintings on the ceilings, Roman busts, and as expected, a long row of Knight Amours from different civilisations too. The Crusader, Japanese Samurai and the likes lined up.

I walked the castle, getting lost at every turn, without a care in the world and then I came across a huge 50ft door neither closed nor open. I pushed it open, and behind it a study revealed itself, books were shelved very neatly in the vast world of knowledge I was looking at. My eyes traveled till they met the figure looking up from a huge antique table, booked in hand, reading glasses perched on his nose as he stared curiously at this pesky intruder.

"Sorry, mi-mi-mistake" I stuttered

"Dont worry, come in, there are no mistakes in life." He replied, with a silky voice that seemed too rich, materially and in knowledge. I found myself stepping closer till I was at the other side of the table. Well this wasn't the wine cellar he was supposed to be in...

"What do you desire?" He asked in plain English. "wait, why was the gent outside using Shakespearean with me" I thought to myself.

"Umm, sorry sir, what do you mean?" I asked

"What is your greatest desire?" He asked, confident like a man who could procure the balls of Hades if he so wished

"Money. Enough money to keep myself and everyone around me happy" I replied with conviction.

"Why? do you not have money?" He asked.

"Well...." I thought about it.

"This question cannot be answered plainly, seeing as the harder I work to make more money, even times ten of what I previously had, problems that are twenty times bigher than what I previously face come up in form of expenses" I replied after much thought to it.

"You are a slave to money, not its master." He said, indifferently.

"I'm not a slave!" I said, my voice rising "I work harder than most, increase my output to increase my earnings, unlike you who gets to sit and read and live comfortably"

"You just described yourself a slave, and I a master"

I opened my mouth to argue, but saw the sense in his words and shut up. Taking this as a sign, he continued

"Control money, do not let it control you. The big question is, how do we control money, when we don't have it?" he took a long pause

I moped up at him, waiting for him to continue

"Follow me" and with that command, he stood and made his way to a door that I was sure was not in this room while I was scanning it. Quickly, I hurried behind him.

The Absence of Light

I was looking into black. pitch black. nothing but black. The air smelt dead again, nothing seemed like an indication that there was life or light here.
"Hello?" no answer
"Where is Lord Argent?" I thought to my self
"In time, you shall see" the voice was back.

"Where am I?"

"Where do you want to be?"

"Well..." shakes my head "who the fuck are you"

"Man know thyself. You know not yet yourself, but my identity is your priority?"

"What do you want from me?"

"to give you all you want"

"There's nothing here, what do you intend on giving me?"

"Open the door" the voice in my head finally faded.

"what door?" there was no answer. I started walking, groping hoping to find a door, just as I was about to close down on the ground and close my eyes, see what happens next...

something hard and wooden....a door! I opened it and...

The Light Bringers

Okay this is some kind of state of the art bunker. State of the art being gross understatement. This had the makings of a max security well loaded bunker, could it be....

"The White House!" my mind screamed as I saw the coat of arms on the wall.

"Welcome" The voice was back.

I was back in 21st century clothes, black denim jacket and shirt, beach shorts and jordans, my go to outfit.

"Come"

I fixed up, regained my poise and walked through the corridor filled with people bustling, beelined for the door that seemed to beckon to me. I opened it and...

"Welcome, we have been waiting" Mr Argent, in a neat tux was seating at the head of the table in a conference room, pointing to an empty seat for me.

I looked around the room, the faces of the occupants kept unable to register as they seemed to change each time I looked at them again. Was this some sort of evasive mind control measure?

"How did you...?"

"Have a seat Sampson, we have been waiting" his ever silky voice responded, nudging me to sink into the seat.

"Sampson, you are a religious man, you believe in heaven and hell. During the temptation, Lucifer offered the powers of the world to Jesus, if only he bowed. Do you know the lesson there?" Argent asked.

"The devil is a tempter?" I responded, confused.

"Inability to identify opportunities remain the reason you are poor. The lesson there is, the devil has access to the money and powers of this world, that which you desire." He let that sink in, "And he is willing to give you all you seek, if you pledge your soul to him"

"Just my soul? No blood sacrifices?" I asked, trembling, knowing I might have just walked into the lion's den

"None required. All you have to do is draft a suitable contract to you, granting him the ownership of your soul when you depart." Argent said, his eyes boring into me

What if he is the devil, I wondered.

"He is not" the man beside me answered.

"but he is the closest you can get to Luce" another chipped in.

"Don't you think this boy is a waste of resources. Of what essence is his soul that we are willing to let him on such loose strings"

Panic, I was afraid at this point, what can I do? do I scream Jesus?

"Don't even do that, you do not have the right frame of mind to tap into his glory" a lady spoke this time, so softly I felt my goosebumps sprout hard.

"Sampson! Sampson!"
"I don't know wha....I think...can u give me some ti...."

"Samspon!!!" My cheeks stung as my eyes opened.

Home

"You were stammering in your sleep" My mom said, eyeing me seriously "and its 9 am, get your lazy ass out of the bed. Why are you sweating?"

I just sat up on my bed, staring at her, trying to wrap my mind round the fact that it was all a dream.

"Ok, I'll be right out" I told my mom who was leaving my room already

"Think about it..." The voice returned, to deliver one last message....

I was spooked, the goose bumps back. Will I be able to sleep this night...

Cc:
@adeljose
@xpilar
@steemcurator02
@steemcurator01