There, not here nor now, but in the time of confusion and a place of fright. Amidst shadows in a forest of delusions are weary animals, slithering above the grass and the carcasses, was a beast of unique semblance, The Basilisk. A green titan of perilous glare and touch, but it felt no loneliness for it knew no touch and so could not dream of it, bud deep inside whitin its scales and its muscles there was something else, a desire for this which he never could’ve had as its presence would poison even the mightiest of creatures, it’s very nature being avert to another’s flesh with its hellish miasmatic toxin.
And then there was something else, something also unique among the dull colors and cold heart beats, in its presence a miracle happens as only in its refuge the sun shined as a beacon of healing among the Basilisk’s death forest, stark white petals glistening enveloping a bright yellow hue belonging to its stamen, the gigantic jasmine flower of soothing aura and healing beauty, only the soil which embraces its roots sated with life as the grass lits up in lively green, the raindrops which drip down, caressing its petals would taste sweet while the water away of it would taste stale.
They who haven’t become what they are, but they’ve found themselves being what they are, existences marked by their constant act of being, this that is the simplest of acts and still the noblest of them all, for all other feelings and actions are born after one comes into being a self. Now, two selfs meet, so very alien to each other and still mesmerizing in their differences, still so very similar in their lonesome perpetual existences.
He who heralds decay, The Basilisk took notice of The Jasmine and became entranced by its glow, as its monstrous body slithered into the sunlight for the very first time it could feel warmth in its stone-like scales, now glowing its emerald hue as if anew. It trembled at the feeling of comfort, which seemed so very alien to the creature. It was nervous and insecure, unsure if it was deserving of the light, expecting to be striked down and shunned by its audacity to approach this miracle.
Days had passed on, time stretched as he crawled through, so very long it felt and yet so very brief it all started to happen. The beast of rot stayed coiled near the borders of the light, unwilling to approach further as he felt something it couldn’t comprehend but it made his heart heavy and painful with a desire to hide, it did not know that now it felt ashamed for deep down it knew how apart their natures were; it knew it wasn’t right of him to approach and yet it could not avert the desire to know the blossom of purity, so special it is that which one could never have before, so mighty was the shame that his heart could almost burst and dread took over, more time had to pass as The Jasmine would still not refuse The Basilisk’s presence and only for that reason the shame could slowly slip away, giving way to comfort to settle in
Slowly but surely, comfortable it became, every day now it would slider closer to the bringer of light uncertain if it would cross a boundary, until one day it touched the holy plant and caressed it with its scales coiling around the soft stem, The Jasmine couldn’t speak or move but it somehow someway could transmit intentions to the creature’s mind with its touch, for the very first time The Basilisk not only could touch something without destroying it but it could feel appreciation, it was overwhelming to the beast which now for the very first time he felt deep inside that it belonged and its body become weak as for the very first time it slumbered soundly, there in the clearing this new joy of belonging was born in his old acidic heart, if only he could be in this state of spirit until his last breath.
Days went by and change never changing came again, as the beast’s scales would hurt the stem of its new found home it started to rip out the plates of its armor with deep gashes at its flesh, uncaring of the pain that digging into its flesh and twisting out pieces of its former self brought, it was for the greater good after all, for something more important than himself, for a chance of happiness beyond survival even if it was the last of its actions, in name of the hope it would do more than kill from now on, but its fangs would also secrete venom which would sometimes drip into the stem of the holy tree, so again without hesitation the emperor of rot bursted out his own teeth by gnawing at its last scales with a shower of carmesim exploding out of its wounds, with time his blood pooled in the soil tainting the grass in deep dark red, feeding its newfound love and shelter with its own flesh, offering its pain proudly to cleanse itself and for the first time choosing what it wanted to be
The creature now bare of its armor would feel pain within the pleasure of coiling itself around the stem of the holy tree, every touch burning in a chilling familiarity, but it did not mind as no pain would be greater than the pain of losing the only thing which gave it solace in its torturous existence, tired and deeply wounded it still was content believing it now could not hurt The Jasmine anymore, believing it could finally have a place to belong and a friend to comfort one so cursed as itself, until suddenly the holy flower ceased to soothe him and only then the creature understood that all this time its presence and essence was slowly corrupting and breaking its only company, too late to stop it, the petals now red after feeding off of his impure blood and deep purple stamen after feeding off of his soul’s venom, the flower wasn’t dead but gone, the beast fell in defeat and agony as its heart lit in an inferno enraged at itself for the result of naivety, now at the ground it was confronted by the reflection in the soiled blood underneath, confronted with its deformed self and mutilated flesh as the sun now cowered behind the veil of a nostalgic darkness, it was cold, alone, weak, unprotected, tired and now with a broken spirit, the creature cursed at itself for ever believing it had the right to bask at the sun, for ever tearing at itself in the name of dreams, there at the feet of its former home....it gave up, its eyes not humid but finally crying, as the tears burned its eyes for even them were caustic, as the void took over its vision, as it drew its last ragged breath, dying as it lived: decaying. Finally resting, finally free, underneath all its anguish and hatred for the world it was departing from, there was the relief of leaving the pain behind, an extremely bitter taste with a discrete touch of sweet aftertaste it was to die after enduring such a cruel fate, to be undone.
