25. Creation
Creation
It was as though my hand was gripped
by its very own force, and I felt it before
I could understand what it was.
An elongated, slimy body formed between
my fingers. In shock, I pulled my hand
from the water to stare at it,
and the creature twisted around my knuckles.
It had the markings of a leopard,
small black dots on its golden skin,
and its beady eyes looked into mine
as I lifted it to see its face. It had
small, sharp razor teeth and yet
it chose not to bite me.
I stared down at the waters of the cave.
Perhaps this was a place of creation,
the pool blessed by one of the Primordials.
But as the creature stared at me, I realized
it was waiting for my command.
That I was its maker. It needed me
to give it a purpose. I laughed bitterly.
What a strange irony, for me to tell
this animal what it was here for,
when I did not know my own purpose.
But this was a gift I could give my creature,
a gift no one had given me. I touched
its oily head and I said, ‘You are an eel
and your gift is to live, just to be.’
I was about to place it in the water,
to allow it to swim away from me.
But before I did that, I had an idea.
Gently, I touched its tail and closed
my eyes as I had before,
touched the waters of the pool again,
until a spark of lightning rose
from the being’s tail. I looked it in the eye.
‘A gift of protection. From me to you.’
The thing did not speak to me,
but I sensed its thoughts, its needs. Slowly
I put it into the pool and let it swim free.