Abyssal Dive

Note: The structure of this story is strange on propose. I really admire authors like Mark Z. Danielewski for the way that they play with the physicality of a story, and I tried to emulate that here

It took awhile, but once it started it happened in an instant.

All o f  a   s  u dd  e nn

He was swept away by it. The weight of the day just pressed his spirit down

Hovering just below his                                                                  body

If sleep is a wave, then this was a tsunami.

Wait. What was?

an … echo? 

Curved wood with the briefest of highlight

A crows head emblazoned

Here it is again, raising from the dark

                                           E    N    C

                                                           R

                                                          O

                                                      A

                                                     C

                                                     H

                                                     I

                                                     N

                                                     G

But not fearful, something familiar, almost nostalgic

The crowhead wrapped him. Grabbed him and, with an almost impossible tug

Down 

He 

Went

Plunging through the darkened veil of the unconscious his mind raced struggling to keep up with the thoughts and the falling, objects were flying around him, soaring and churning: clocks and bells and dice and coats and tires and just about everything he could think of. They came from his mind and swelled around him, leaking drops of memory and thought exposed to air plus just the smallest drop of time would equal whatever it wanted too.

Then it slowed suddenly

The objects burned away with the rush against speed. They melted back into the grey juice and fizzled out

In all this, the crowhead still wrapped him. He questioned himself

“Self?” He said. “Why wouldn’t you try to get out from under it?”

“Well…” Self replied “I guess I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Wow, are you dumb.” He said pointedly, before forcing both him and self to move on.

Below him, he could see a shadowy figure and a massive brain. 

The figure forced wooden tools into the slot between halves, and slowly worked them around it until the two slid apart with a groan. 

A smell wafted upwards now, filling his nose and loosening his presence in the here and now, within this impossible space he fell asleep, and his soul fell from his spirit.

I

N

T

O

The Parted

B

R

A

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It was dark in there.

 No light or sound, the smell had also gone now.

It seemed peaceful. Joyous, happy. 

He was meant to be here, this is where he belonged

Then the brain snapped shut

BANG

His spirit leaped, running and rushing and pushing back into his body

He must be there, he must get there

Now

His body slapped upright, awake and alarmed. 

Despite tradition, he remembered it all

Despite awaking, he never felt quite back again.